No secret here – this one has been out there for weeks. It’s finally been made official – Monté Ross is the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach at NC A&T. Here’s the official release from the school:
North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced on Monday evening the appointment of Monté Ross as the new head men’s basketball coach.
Ross will become the 14th head coach in the history of the A&T men’s basketball program. A&T will hold an introductory press conference for Ross at 1 p.m., Thursday, April 13, at Deese Ballroom inside the A&T Student Center.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Ross has spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the Temple Owls. Before landing with the Owls, Ross spent 10 seasons (2006-16) as the head coach for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Delaware Blue Hens.
“This is an exciting time in North Carolina A&T Athletics, and coach Ross adds to that excitement,” said Hilton. “Coach Ross brings a decade of head coaching experience in the CAA, where he was tasked with building a program. He had some outstanding seasons for the Delaware men’s basketball program, and we think that translates well for us at North Carolina A&T as we strive to win championships in the CAA. We hired the best person to lead and mentor our young men on and off the court.”
Ross gets to return to the area where he played college basketball. A 1992 graduate of Winston-Salem State, Ross played for legendary head coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines from 1988-92. After spending 13 seasons as an assistant coach at various Division I programs, Ross became the Blue Hens’ coach in 2006.
In his sixth season at Delaware, he led the Blue Hens to an 18-14 record overall and a 12-6 mark in the CAA. The Blue Hens appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) before going 19-14 the following season, finishing second in the CAA with a 13-5 mark. He followed the second-place finish with one of the best seasons in Blue Hens program history. They posted a 25-10 record, winning the CAA regular-season title with a 14-2 record and the tournament championship.
In advancing to the NCAA tournament, it marked just the fifth NCAA tournament appearance in program history and the first since 1999. For his efforts, Ross earned CAA Coach of the Year. The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association honored him with the Clarence “Big House” Gaines Division I Coach of the Year award. In addition, he earned the National Association of Basketball Coaches UPS District 10 Coach of the Year award. He posted 132 wins at Delaware, the second most in program history.
“I want to thank Chancellor (Harold L. Martin) and athletics director Earl Hilton for the tremendous opportunity to join the North Carolina A&T family,” said Ross. “North Carolina A&T has a very enthusiastic fan and alumni base, and they love basketball. The excitement and passion for the men’s basketball program will be matched by our passion for building a first-class program where student-athletes believe in doing things the right way and to the best of their ability. With the support of Chancellor Martin, Mr. Hilton and the fans of Aggie Basketball, we can achieve it all here at A&T.”
Ross also had tremendous success at Saint Joseph’s as an assistant coach for 10 seasons (1996-06). In 2003-04, the Hawks went 27-0 during the regular season and rose to No. 1 in the nation before ending their season with a 30-2 record after a loss in the Elite Eight. Saint Joseph’s made it to the postseason seven times during Ross’ tenure there, including four NCAA appearances.
Ross has also had assistant positions at Drexel (1994-96) and Lehigh (1993-94). He was on the staff that saw Drexel win its first-ever NCAA tournament game with an upset win over Memphis in 1996.
https://ncataggies.com/news/2023/4/10/ross-named-a-t-mens-basketball-coach.aspx
