Football
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator / Assistant Head Coach
- Email:
- Chris.Ross@sfasu.edu
Chris Ross was named the Lumberjacks offensive coordinator on January 12, 2024. The 2024 season marked his 30th season on the sidelines. Ross is the seventh member of SFA head coach Colby Carthel’s staff to play or coach Texas high school football.
Offensively, the ‘Jacks led the SLC in scoring offense (35.6 ppg), redzone offense (.935) and passing efficiency (161.87). SFA’s points per game mark ranked eighth nationally, while the success had by the ‘Jacks inside the opposing 20-yard line ranked fourth among all FCS programs. Under Ross, quarterback Sam Vidlak was one of eight ‘Jacks named all-conference in addition to being named the SLC’s Newcomer of the Year and a Walter Payton Award finalist. Kylon Harris, Vidlak’s top target, became a consensus All-American after a second-straight 1,000-yard receiving campaign.
Prior to SFA, Ross spent four years as head football coach at Lucas Lovejoy (Texas) High School in Lucas, Texas.
Ross joined the Lucas Lovejoy Leopards program in 2020 and led the Leopards to a 45-9 overall record in his four years as head coach. Lovejoy is coming off a 12-2 campaign in 2023 that included a 7-0 run through District 7-5A Division I and a trip to the Region II-5A finals in the Class 5A Division playoffs. Ross helped guide the Leopards to two regional finals appearances over the past three years, as well as three district championships. In his first season at Lovejoy in 2020 he took the Leopards to a school record 13-1 season.
Ross holds a 190-82 record as a head coach. He was head coach at Wichita Falls, (2001-2004) Cedar Park (2005-12), Prosper (2015-16), and Red Oak (2018-19) before joining Lovejoy in 2020. In his career as a high school coach, he led programs to 14 playoff appearances.
He served as athletic director for the Leander Independent School District from 2012-15, which encompassed five high schools and eight middle schools, and included roughly 250 coaches. His schools claimed the 5A Lone Star Cup Championship in two of his three seasons as athletic director, an award that recognizes the most outstanding extracurricular program in the state.
The Quanah native has previous college experience spending three seasons as director of football program development (2016-20) under head coach Brian Harsin at Boise State. He helped lead the Broncos to a Mountain West Conference title and two bowl game appearances.
THE ROSS FILE
Personal
Hometown: Quanah, TX
High School: Quanah
College: Texas Tech, 1994
Family: Leslie (wife), Zach (son), Rachel (daughter), Lauren (daughter)
Coaching Experience
2020-2023: Lovejoy High School AD/HFB
2018-19: Red Oak Assistant AD/HFB
2016-2018: Boise State University/Recruiting and player development
2015: Prosper High School/Athletic Director/HFB
2012-2015: Athletic Director Leander ISD
2005-2012: Cedar Park High School HC
1998-2004: Wichita Falls High School/HFB
1994-97: Olney High School
