North Carolina A&T names Monté Ross basketball coach

DELAWARE ATHLETICS

Former Delaware basketball coach Monté Ross, a Winston-Salem State graduate, has been hired to lead North Carolina A&T’s program.

Monté Ross’ basketball journey is taking him back to North Carolina.

Ross was appointed Monday as North Carolina A&T’s new men’s coach. He’ll be introduced April 13 at a press conference on campus.

A Philadelphia native who played collegiately at Winston-Salem State, Ross has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Temple. Before that, Ross was head coach at Delaware (2006-16), which like A&T, is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

“North Carolina A&T has a very enthusiastic fan and alumni base, and they love basketball,” Ross said in a statement. “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 [Harold] Martin, [athletics director Earl] Hilton and the fans of Aggie basketball, we can achieve it all here at A&T.”

A 1992 WSSU graduate, Ross played for Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines from 1988-92. After spending 13 seasons as an assistant coach on the Division I level, Ross was promoted to Delaware head coach in 2006, where he went 132-184. In his sixth season, the Blue Hens posted an 18-14 record, 12-6 in the CAA with a berth in the College Basketball Invitational. The next season, they went 19-14 and finished second in the conference.

In 2014, Delaware went a 25-10 and won the regular-season and tournament titles along with the school’s fifth NCAA tournament berth – Delaware’s first since 1999. Ross was named CAA coach of the year and earned the Big House Gaines Division I coach of the year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

After that run, Delaware’s fortunes trailed off, with the Blue Hens going 7-23 the next season that included a 15-game losing streak. He was fired in 2016.

“This is an exciting time in North Carolina A&T Athletics, and coach Ross adds to that excitement,” Hilton said. “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.”

As an assistant coach at Saint Joseph’s from 1996-06, the Hawks went 27-0 in the regular season and were top ranked in Division I in 2003-04 before ending their season 30-2 record after a loss in the Elite Eight.

Saint Joseph’s made it to the postseason seven times during Ross’ stay, including four NCAA berths.

Ross was an assistant at Drexel (1994-96) and Lehigh (1993-94). He was on the Drexel staff when the Dragons won their first-ever NCAA tournament game in 1996.

This article is edited to correct Clarence "Big House" Gaines' nickname.

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