Sept. 24, 2007
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy lacrosse head coach Richie Meade has announced that former Butler head coach Stan Ross has joined his staff as an assistant coach, replacing long-time assistant John Tillman who recently accepted the head coaching job at Harvard.
Ross, who served as Butler's head coach from 2005-06, will focus primarily on Navy's defensive unit that has traditionally been one of the stingiest in Div. I lacrosse. The Mids have been ranked among the nation's top four in scoring defense in seven of the last eight years and the top three in each of the last four seasons.
"This is a great opportunity for us to integrate another quality coach into our organization," said Meade, who is entering his 14th season as the Mids' head coach. "Because of Stan's flexibility and background as a coach, we are able to reorganize some things within our program which I feel will be a positive change for our team. I think Stan will be a difference-maker and our players will benefit from his experience."
"To be able to work at an institution as prestigious as the Naval Academy is a dream come true," said Ross, whose coaching resume includes four NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as the 1998 National Championship won by Princeton. "It's a wonderful opportunity to be able to work within a program that has such a storied tradition.
"It's exciting to be back home in Maryland," added Ross, who is a native of Baltimore and attended Boys' Latin. "Annapolis is a great place to work, live and for my wife and I to raise our family."
Ross, who was named the third head coach in Butler lacrosse history on June 16, 2004, spent two seasons as the Bulldogs' head coach before the program was dropped and the season cancelled on Jan. 31, 2007. He led the Bulldogs to a 9-17 record over two years, while nine of his player garnered All-Great Western Lacrosse League recognition. In his first season on the job, he inherited a program that featured just four seniors , but nonetheless led the Bulldogs to five wins. Four of Butler's losses in his first season were against ranked opponents and all on the road, while first-year players accounted for 65 percent of the team's goal scoring.
After a stellar prep career at Baltimore Boys' Latin School where he earned All-Metro honors for two straight years, he enjoyed a successful college career at Loyola College. He lettered all four years for the Greyhounds as a close defenseman and was a starter as a junior and senior. Ross began his coaching career at Loyola where he was an undergraduate assistant to Dave Cottle in 1996.
Upon graduating, Ross moved on to the University of Denver where the Pioneers were in their first year of Division I competition. In addition to coaching the defense, he assisted with fund-raising and recruiting.
A year later, Ross accepted a position with Princeton as the program's defensive coach. That season the Tigers won the National Championship, finishing the 1998 campaign with a 14-1 record.
From Princeton, Ross went on to serve as Tony Seaman's top assistant and defensive coordinator at Towson for six seasons (1999-04). In addition to his duties as defensive coordinator, he directed Towson's recruiting and scouting programs and served as the staff liaison to the Tigers' strength and conditioning coach.
While at Towson, Ross helped lead the Tigers to a 49-38 record, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. The Tigers finished the 2001 campaign with a record of 14-4 and advanced to the national semifinals after being crowned America East champions. Towson went on to win back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association titles and earned an automatic NCAA Tournament berth in his final two seasons with the program (2003-04). Additionally, the Tigers advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2003.
Ross is a 1996 graduate of Loyola (Md.) College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. He and his wife, Kathleen, are the parents of a 16-month old son J.D.
Ross' Coaching History
Year Position Record Postseason
1995-96 Student Asst. Coach, Loyola (Md.) 7-6 NCAA First Round
1996-97 Assistant Coach, Denver 4-6
1997-98 Assistant Coach, Princeton 14-1 NCAA Champion
1998-99 Assistant Coach / Def. Coordinator, Towson 5-8
1999-00 Assistant Coach / Def. Coordinator, Towson 3-10
2000-01 Assistant Coach / Def. Coordinator, Towson 14-4 NCAA Semifinals / America East Champs
2001-02 Assistant Coach / Def. Coordinator, Towson 7-5
2002-03 Assistant Coach / Def. Coordinator, Towson 9-6 NCAA Quarterfinals / CAA Champs
2003-04 Assistant Coach / Def. Coordinator, Towson 11-5 NCAA First Round / CAA Champs
2004-05 Head Coach, Butler 5-7
2005-06 Head Coach, Butler 4-10
### Go Navy ###