SAN ANTONIO — UTSA head football coach Larry Coker announced Friday that assistant coach David Ross has resigned from his position for personal reasons effective Aug. 31.
“We are disappointed to see Coach Ross leave, but we certainly understand his reasoning,” Coker said. “He has been instrumental in helping us build this program from the ground up. This is actually the third time he has been an integral part of a startup program, so he has been an extremely valuable member of our staff during the past 16 months. We will miss him, but we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Ross was one of the first three assistant coaches (Mike Menefee, Eric Roark) hired by Coker in April 2009. He was the director for the Larry Coker Youth and Advanced Football Camps, assisted with the recruitment of UTSA’s inaugural signing class and was heavily involved with administrative duties and day-to-day operations of the program.
“What a wonderful experience this has been,” Ross said. “I have the utmost respect and loyalty toward Coach Coker, UTSA Athletics and the football profession. That is why I am stepping aside. This was a difficult decision. My enthusiasm for the game of football is not at the level it needs to be. This young program deserves more than I could give right now."
Ross came to UTSA from Illinois State, where he was the cornerbacks coach from 2006-08 and the defensive coordinator his final season. In 2006, Ross’ corners contributed to ISU’s 17 interceptions and he mentored one of the Missouri Valley Conference’s top newcomers in Kelvyn Hemphill.
Prior to his tenure at Illinois State, Ross spent five seasons (2000-05) as the head coach and athletics director at Bacone College in Muskogee, Okla. He was the Warriors’ first head coach following the program’s reinstatement after a 43-year hiatus and immediately established an NAIA program that was nationally ranked.
Bacone was not Ross’ first rebuilding job, as he took over a Kemper Military Junior College program in 1995 that had not posted a winning season in 20 years. He registered a 33-20 record in his five seasons — including a school-record four consecutive winning campaigns — and produced 42 NCAA Division I prospects, seven of which went on to careers in the National Football League.
Ross spent seven seasons at the high school level in Missouri, beginning as head coach at his alma mater, William Chrisman in Independence, from 1988-91. He then started the football program at Blue Springs South from 1992-94, guiding the 1994 squad to an 11-1 record and the state quarterfinal round.
Ross got his start in coaching as an assistant coach in charge of the defensive line at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College from 1982-84. He then worked with Coker as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State from 1984-86 before serving as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Central Methodist (Mo.) from 1986-88.
Ross played quarterback and defensive back for Central Methodist from 1978-82.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Central Methodist in 1982 and a master’s degree in sports administration from the United States Sports Academy in 2005. He has four children, Zac, Hayden, Darce and Brogan.
