John Cropp was born in Montana in 1939. He moved to South Dakota when he was 9. His father, Reverend Albert H. Cropp, was a missionary to the American Indians. They moved to Maryville, TN in 1955. Cropp played football, basketball, and baseball during his final 2 high school years. He was elected Mr. Maryville High School, graduating in 1957, and signed a football scholarship with Vanderbilt.
Cropp earned three varsity letters at Vanderbilt starting as a guard and linebacker. His most memorable game was the “1959” 14-0 victory over the Volunteers in Neyland Stadium. He received the Wade-Looney Memorial Award as a senior. He graduated with both a B.A. and M.A.T. from Vanderbilt.
He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1962-1965. His football coaching career began as an assistant with Manheim which won the European championship and Head Coach of V Corps.
Two years as an Assistant Football Coach in Atlanta led to a 6 year head coaching position at Tennessee High School in Bristol, TN. The Vikings compiled a 48-15-3 record concluding with two undefeated State Class AAA titles (1971-1972) and the 1972 National Championship.
Cropp began college coaching in 1973 at Vanderbilt as an Assistant Coach under Steve Sloan. He followed Sloan to Texas Tech (1975-77) winning the 1976 SWC Championship, and then on to Ole Miss (1978-82), and Duke (1983). He returned to his alma mater, Vanderbilt, to coach for George MacIntyre (1984-1985), highlighted by the 1984 team defeating Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 30-21. He then moved into Athletic Administration as an Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance under Athletics Director, Roy Kramer.
In 1991 he began the first of 22 years at the University of Kentucky working for C.M. Newton and Mitch Barnhart as Associate Athletics Director. Cropp at different times was responsible for the administration of most of UK’s 22 athletic teams, most notable with football, soccer, and softball.
Cropp retired in 2013 completing 40 years as a coach/administrator in college athletics. He was honored at retirement with the new 9.5 million Softball facility being named John Cropp Stadium.
Cropp and his wife of 54 years, Mary Ann, have two grown children, Karen Elliott and David Cropp, and three grandchildren, Baxter Elliott (20), Kate Cropp (16), and Griffin Cropp (11).