At the college football level, he served defensive coordinator for six seasons at the University of Idaho, and also held the same position at Middle Tennessee, Cincinnati, Portland State, the original XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws, and CSU Pueblo.

He has also worked as a defensive assistant at Minnesota, Eastern Michigan, Utah State, Lamar, LSU, the Alliance of American Football's Atlanta Legends, and Tulane.

Criner left Portland State in 2001 to join the staff of the Las Vegas Outlaws, a member of the XFL, under his father, Jim.

In spring 2019, Criner was the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football.

In early 2020, Criner joined the staff of the XFL's Seattle Dragons as linebackers and assistant special teams coach.

On December 15, 2020, Criner was announced as the outside linebackers coach on Will Hall's inaugural staff at Southern Miss.

As head coach, his father won the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship and 1996 NFL Europe World Bowl.