EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T’s director of track and field programs Duane Ross has signed a contract extension that will keep him in the position through the 2022-23 school year, N.C. A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton announced on Monday.Ross
NCA&T photo

“I am humbled and appreciative of the confidence and trust Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr., the board of trustees and Athletics Director Earl M. Hilton III have put in me to continue building the legacy the student-athletes, my coaching staff and I have started at North Carolina A&T State University,” said Ross. “My vision for this program is to win as many NCAA championships as possible. To have an administration who shares that vision is incredible.

Ross, who is responsible for coaching N.C. A&T’s six track and field programs (men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field), is one of the most accomplished coaches in the nation.

His men’s track and field program has won the last five track and field championships the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) sponsors grabbing all three conference men’s championships during the 2018-19 school year with title runs in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. Also on the men’s side, the Aggies have captured the last three MEAC indoor titles and the last three outdoor championships.

The ladies have also dominated the conference with three straight indoor titles, and they have claimed two out of the last three outdoor titles. Ross’ excellence extends outside of the MEAC as well. After the 2019 indoor season, he was named the Southeast Region coach of the year by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for women’s indoor track and field. After the 2019 outdoor season, USTFCCCA named Ross the coach of the year in women’s and men’s outdoor track and field for the Southeast Region.

The 2019 season also included Kayla White becoming the first Aggie in school history to win an individual NCAA championship when she sprinted to the 200-meter indoor title. White was also named the women’s indoor NCAA track athlete of the year.

Recently, Ross helped three Aggies make the U.S. national track and field team in Chris Belcher (class of 2017), Rodney Rowe (class of 2019) and rising senior Trevor Stewart. Stewart finished second in the nation in the men’s outdoor 400m at the 2019 NCAA outdoor championships in Austin, Texas while freshman Cambrea Sturgis finished third in the nation in the 200m by running a school-record 22.40.