Ross Bows Out, But Leaves His Mark At Army
 
In three short years, coach meant more to program than wins and losses  

Jan. 30, 2007

By Adam Caparell

CSTV.com

 



 ADAM CAPARELL

Adam is CSTV.com's football editor and national football writer.
E-mail here!

At 70 years old and after 40-plus seasons of football, Bobby Ross finally felt the time had come.

 

After spending two straight days home sick for the first time in memory upon returning from a recent recruiting visit, the Army head coach informed West Point officials last Thursday that he had spent his final days on the sidelines.

 

The man who made his name leading Georgia Tech to a national championship in 1990 and the Chargers to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX bowed out of the game quietly Monday, announcing his retirement in the only kind of manner you'd expect from Ross.

 

He let Stan Brock, Army's offensive line coach and the man pegged to replace him at the venerable academy, have his moment in the spotlight.

 

"To show you what type of individual Coach Ross is we spoke this morning and Coach Ross did not want to attend and overshadow Stan's day," Army officials said. "He felt very strongly about that."

 

Class was one of many words used to describe Ross during Brock's introductory press conference. And the glowing words of admiration weren't just a bunch of bull. They were honest, heartfelt words of appreciation and adoration for a man who, in three short years, gained as much respect as any commanding officer at West Point.

 

"You hate to see someone you greatly respect, someone who epitomizes everything the academy stands for leave," Army AD Kevin Anderson said. "At the same time you're happy for the person because he's making a decision that's best for himself and best for his family."

 

Ross felt home was the place he belonged at this point in his life, felt he had to give back time to his wife for all the years spent away from her and there was plenty of indication that his retirement was imminent in the middle of the season. He had made comments to many around the program hinting this would be his last. He had battled some physical ailments and felt tired and worn down as the weeks dragged on.

 

"I think there's a point when you feel like it's your time to retire and I think I've reached that time," Ross said in a statement. "I think there is an issue of having a certain degree of energy, which I feel is very important for anyone leading a college football program. I feel that I was lacking in that area as well. I don't feel that it would be fair to our administration, our staff or our players, to give less than the full capacity the job requires."

 

So Ross had a sit down with Anderson and laid it out.  

 

"We sat down and talked and he looked me in the eye and said, `Kevin, I just can't give the kind of energy that I need to and that I'm accustomed to working day-to-day,'" Anderson said.

 

Sitting atop the Hudson River on as picturesque and historic parcel of land as there is in the Hudson Valley, it says something about a man when people can point to him and honestly say he left an indelible mark on West Point, when there are statues of just about every imaginable important military figure in United States history all over campus.

 

But with Ross they can.

 

When he chose to come to West Point in what will turn out to be his last coaching stop, it was Ross who insisted he would turn around the moribund football program after years of zero, one and two win campaigns.

 

It was becoming the norm for the Black Knights to lose and lose big. The Black Knights lost 32 of 36 games in the three seasons prior to Ross' arrival. Then, Ross came out of retirement in 2004 and three years later, for all intents and purposes, he changed the culture at West Point. The year prior to his arrival, the Black Knights went winless, the first team in NCAA history to finish a season with an 0-13 record. Last season, Army started 3-3 and there was talk of a possible bowl game - the first in 10 years - on the way with only three more victories.

 

Of course, it never materialized as Army finished the year losing six straight. And while his 9-25 record at the academy will go down as a distinctly losing mark, what Ross will be remembered for is that he picked up Army from the bottom of the Bowl Subdivision barrel. He helped usher in new facilities, including the Foley Center, an indoor practice building, and increased the Army's ability to recruit and develop talent despite the considerable odds against it. He seemingly helped right an unsteady ship that was sinking.

 

"Coach Ross improved our program dramatically. Sometimes the story of progress isn't truly told by the number of wins and losses. I believe, in this case, the job Coach has done has been well performed," Anderson said.

 

The Army job is as tough a job as there is in the country. The academic requirements and years of service following graduation are big, big deterrents for potential recruits. Army can't recruit 300-pounders for the offensive line because a body that big isn't going to cut it in the service. The Black Knights coaches are looking for guys who will lead the country first and lead a huddle second.

 

For those reasons, Army hasn't been anywhere close to the power it used to be during college football's formative years, and it's been lapped by the other service academies in the past decade. They haven't beaten Navy since 2001 and haven't won a bowl game in two decades.

 

But despite the limitations facing the program, Ross had managed to make Army a respectable team again, one that would give you a fight and not a cakewalk come game time. No, he never beat the Midshipmen, never took home the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, and ultimately any coach at Army will be judged by that, but Ross really meant more to Army than just wins and losses.

 

"Without question, Coach Ross leaves this program in much better shape than when he came here," Anderson said.

 

The talent level is considered to be the best it's been in years, the facilities continue to improve and the opportunity for growth hasn't been this promising in some time.

 

"Coach Ross has laid a bedrock of a foundation for us," Brock said. "In no way, shape or form will I replace Coach Ross. I'm here to simply be the next head coach."

 

I remember after an especially tough loss against UConn during his first season, the Virginia Military Institute grad apologized to the Corps during his press conference for his team's performance in a blowout loss. That was Ross. Prideful as they came, intent on getting results and in the end, commanding the respect of so many who will one day command much more important things in life than football. 


 

 


 
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