Douglas George Ross (October 9, 1951 – August 16, 2022) was an American college ice hockey player, 1976 USA Olympic hockey player and college ice hockey head coach. Ross is most noted as head coach of the University of Alabama in Huntsville ice hockey team from 1982–2007 where he won two national club championships and two NCAA Division II championships. Ross also coached the club hockey program at Ohio University and oversaw the transition of Kent State University hockey from club status to varsity status in 1980.
Coaching career Ross began his college coaching career at Ohio University where he guided the club team for one season. He spent the next two seasons as head coach at Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Ross was then hired at Kent State University on July 1, 1979. At Kent, he guided the Golden Flashes from club status to NCAA Division I independent status with a schedule of independent, Division II, Division III, and NAIA varsity teams, as well as select club programs. Unexpectedly, Ross was fired on April 14, 1981. He was quickly hired on as head coach of Alabama-Huntsville's club ice hockey team on June 8, 1981 where he would coach for the next 26 years. Ross' tenure saw UAH make three straight appearances in the club hockey national Championship final between 1982 and 1985, winning two (1982–83, 1983–84). The club's sustained success saw them make the jump from club to NAIA for the '85-'86 season, NCAA Division II in '86-'87, then finally moving to Division I as an independent university for the first time before the '87-'88 season. The Chargers would compete in Division I until the end of the '91-'92 season after which they would drop down to Division II due to a .446 win/loss ratio over 5 years. UAH would spend the next six seasons in Division II and rediscovered their form; earning a .722 win percentage over a period of six seasons and claiming the Division II National Championship twice and appearing in the finals two other times. The '98-'99 season saw UAH return to Division I as independents but starting the '99-2000 season UAH joined the CHA Conference, winning the Conference Tournament in 06-07 despite finishing the season with a CHA worst 13 wins, 20 losses, and 3 OTL. Doug Ross retired from coaching college hockey the following summer and was succeeded by Danton Cole.
Awards and honors
Player
Award Year MJCHA Tournament Most Valuable Player 1973 Oakland Community College All-CCHA All-Conference Honorable Mention 1973–74 All-CCHA First Team 1974–75
Coach 1998 State of Alabama Collegiate Coach of the Year (Sington Award). 2002–03 College Hockey America Coach of the Year. 2007 USA Hockey Distinguished Service Award.
Head coaching record SeasonHead coachConferenceLevelGPOverall record(W-L-T)Conference record(W-L-T, finish)Postseason results1976–77Ohio—Club2113–8–0——1979–80Kent State—Club3625–9–2——1980–81Kent StateIndependentNCAA I3517–18–0——1982–83Alabama—Huntsville Central States Collegiate Hockey LeagueClub3526–7–213–0–0 (1st)Lost in CSCHL Tournament finalNational Club Champions1983–84Alabama—HuntsvilleCentral States Collegiate Hockey LeagueClub3127–4–018–0–0 (1st)National Club Champions1984–85Alabama—HuntsvilleCentral States Collegiate Hockey LeagueClub2921–7–18–2–0 (1st)Lost in CSCHL Tournament semifinalsLost in National Club Championship final1985–86Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNAIA2814–13–1——1986–87Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II3020–10–0——1987–88Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA I3011–18–1——1988–89Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA I2615–10–1——1989–90Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA I3510–22–3——1990–91Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA I329–21–2——1991–92Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA I2716–10–1——1992–93Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II2815–12–1——1993–94Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II2620–5–1—Lost in NCAA championship finals1994–95Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II2720–5–2——1995–96Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II2926–0–3—NCAA Division II National Champions1996–97Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II2820–8–0—Lost in NCAA championship finals1997–98Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II3024–3–3—NCAA Division II National Champions1998–99Alabama—HuntsvilleIndependentNCAA II2721–5–1——1999–00Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3117–10–412–5–1 (2nd)Lost in CHA championship2000–01Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3421–12–115–4–1 (1st)Lost in CHA championship2001–02Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3718–18–110–9–1 (3rd)Lost in CHA championship2002–03Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3518–14–313–5–2 (1st)Lost in CHA semifinals2003–04Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3111–16–410–9–1 (3rd)Lost in CHA quarterfinals2004–05Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3218–10–414–5–1 (2nd)Lost in CHA championship2005–06Alabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3419–13–212–7–1 (T-2nd)Lost in CHA semifinalsAlabama—HuntsvilleCollege Hockey AmericaNCAA I3613–20–37–11–2 (5th)CHA Tournament ChampionsLost in NCAA Midwest Regional semifinalsAll-time record28 seasons870505–318–47Varsity/NCAA record23 seasons708393–273–42References:
Personal life and death Ross was the father of former NHL forward Jared Ross. Doug Ross died on August 16, 2022, at the age of 70.
See also List of college men's ice hockey coaches with 400 wins
References
External links