Sports - Local Colleges

POSTED: Monday, Jun. 22, 2009

WWU FOOTBALL: Ex-Vikings coach Ross moves on to Oregon State

After helping to secure transfers for the majority of his former players who were seeking to move on and coaching positions for most of his coaching staff, former Western Washington University football coach Robin Ross decided it was time for himself to move forward, as well.

Ross, who led the Vikings for the last three seasons before the school announced it was eliminating the football program in January, will rejoin head coach Mike Riley's staff at Oregon State as a graduate assistant coach, OSU announced on Monday, June 22. Ross will coach tight ends for the Beavers, a program he coached linebackers for in 2005.

"This really worked out great for me," Ross said in a phone interview. "I'm fortunate to be back on the OSU staff and to get another chance to work with Mike Riley. In the three years - almost four - since I was here, there has been a big transition. You can see it in their facilities and on the field. I believe they are building to become one of the top programs in the country. I think their record on the field shows that."

Ross, who helped recruit current OSU tight end Howard Croom, said he is excited to be returning to the Pacific-10 Conference to coach a team that fell only one win short of reaching the Rose Bowl last fall.

"Mike Riley has got that program going in the right direction," said Ross, who is already in Corvallis for OSU high school football camp. "He is very good to work for - he's very personable and straight forward. I feel like I've known him for a long time. I think you can see the quality of the man in the program he is developing."

Though Ross has the title of "graduate assistant," he said the he will be doing the full duties of a position coach.

"Mike works his staff a little different than a lot of other schools," Ross said. "You're allowed nine full-time assistants, and a lot of other programs combine the tight ends and the special teams coordinator. Mike prefers to bring in an experienced tight ends coach, who's either played the position before or who knows the system. I'll be coaching the tight ends, just like any other position coach. The only difference is the pay, but with the buyout and the finalization at Western, it allowed me the opportunity to do this."

Even though the finances worked out, Ross said he really had no thoughts of staying out of football this year, especially after he had helped most of his players and assistant coaches at Western move on.

Of the 85 players Ross had on his roster when WWU eliminated the program, Ross said he expects 65 of them to transfer to other colleges. All but four to six of those 65 have already secured transfers, according to Ross, and a handful have moved on to Division I schools.

Five of the seven members of his coaching staff have also landed college-coaching jobs since January, and Ross said he expects the other two to coach high school football this year.

"I knew that eventually I wanted to get back into coaching," Ross said. "But first I had an obligation to my players and coaches at Western. I mean these were kids where I went into their parents' homes and promised I would take care of them. To me, that means in good times and bad, so I felt it was important for me to follow through in this transition. Really, the timing turned out to be about perfect, because once I got most everybody through that transition, the position opened up at OSU after spring ball and we were able to work it out."

Though Ross said he was disappointed by the way his coaching tenure at Western ended after leading the Vikings to a 13-19 record in his three seasons and to a victory in the 2008 Dixie Rotary Bowl.

"I would like to thank all the people that supported the program - the community, the boosters and everybody else who made it work," Ross said. "It was a great experience for me. I enjoyed seeing the program grow. We got it heading in the direction we though we could take it when I took over almost four years ago, and that was encouraging ... It was unfortunate with the way it all ended, but I want to thank everyone who helped us build the right mentality and get the program going in the right direction."

Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2271.