Director of Athletics Dr. Glada Munt announced the hiring of Southwestern’s first strength and conditioning coach, Doug Ross.
Ross is a familiar face around SU, serving as part-time assistant for the men’s and women’s track and field team for two seasons. This season he helped coach student-athletes to one first place finish and one second place finish at the 2013 SCAC Championships while heading up the strength program for the men’s and women’s throwers and sprinters. In the 2011 outdoor season, Ross guided athletes to 22 personal bests and one school record.
In between stints at Southwestern, Ross was a part-time assistant cross country and track and field coach at Concordia University for two seasons. During his time, Ross assisted in guiding the women’s program to their first American Southwest Conference Cross Country Conference Championship and fourth conference championship in any sport in the university’s history while the men posted their highest finish ever. From there the Tornado women advanced to the NCAA Regional Championships where they finished in eighth place, the highest finish ever by an ASC school. Eight athletes earned All-ASC Cross Country honors during his time and one athlete was named ASC Freshman-of-the-Year in 2012.
Ross’ success continued in the outdoor track and field season in 2012. He guided athletes to 14 personal bests and eight school records that season.
Ross is the founder and head coach of Validus Athletics, a firm that creates and implements strength, conditioning, speed, agility and endurance training plans for student athletes. He has worked with athletes in football, baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, lacrosse and track and field. Ross also serves as a private coach for adults competing in master’s track & field, 5K, 10K and marathons as well as sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. He has presented numerous times to businesses on wellness, leadership and motivational topics and was also a guest lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin.
Still involved in the sport he regularly competes in 5K races, completed his first marathon in 2008, and is currently preparing to challenge himself back on the track at the master's level with the Waterloo Track Club. He graduated with a bachelor of science in management and holds the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification (CSCS), two additional national personal trainer certifications, the USATF Level 1 Coaching Certification, and is a member of the City of Austin Mayor's Fitness Council.