LAKELAND, Fla. – SEU Athletics Director Drew Watson announced Thursday that Gerritson Craane has been appointed as the interim head coach of the Fire men's soccer program. A former standout at SEU and seasoned coach across multiple levels, Craane brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of player development and competitive excellence.
"I am grateful for Gerritson and his willingness to step in this year and coach the team," Watson stated. "He knows SEU and knows soccer. We are blessed to have him, and I am looking forward to the season."
Craane returns to Southeastern with deep ties to the institution. He played his collegiate career with the Fire and helped them reach the 2015 NAIA National Championship final site. After scoring 23 goals in his career, Craane was twice named all-conference by The Sun Conference.
"I am honored to have this opportunity to coach at SEU, the institution that gave me so much as a student-athlete," said Craane. "I'm excited to get to work with a very talented team and see what we can do together this season."
Following graduation, Craane spent three seasons playing professional indoor soccer with the Florida Tropics.
His coaching resume reflects a commitment to technical excellence and mentorship. Craane spent the previous six seasons on the coaching staff of the boys' and girls' teams at Lakeland Christian School. During that time, the girls' program won unprecedented four straight state titles (2021–2024), a milestone achievement as the first Polk County school to win a state championship in women's soccer.
Since 2021, he has led the Florida Tropics Academy while shaping future standouts through GC Training, his private coaching company. Over the past six years, Craane has trained over 150 youth athletes and continues working weekly with 25–30 players, including college-level talent, during summer training sessions. He has also made coaching stops as an assistant coach at SEU and Polk State College.
Craane holds a bachelor's degree in sport management with a concentration in physical education and coaching from Southeastern University. He is multilingual—speaking English, Spanish, Dutch, and Papiamentu—and holds a U.S. Soccer Grassroots license, with a D certification in progress.
He will assume interim leadership of the Fire program immediately and will guide it through the 2025 season.
