Ross steps down as Siloam Springs coach

SILOAM SPRINGS — Bryan Ross has seen the good times and bad times in 14 years as a football coach at Siloam Springs.

The last two have been particularly tough.

Ross resigned as head coach Friday after nine years in the position with the Panthers. He was an assistant coach at the school for five years prior to becoming head coach.

Ross’ resignation won’t be official until the Siloam Springs School Board votes on it at a board meeting on Tuesday, according to district athletics director Kevin Downing.

Downing said Ross will remain as social studies teacher in the Siloam Springs School District for the remainder of the school year.

“We appreciate his hard work and dedication to the football program,” Downing said. “He’s poured 14 years of life into the program. He’s a good man.”

The Panthers went 3064-1 overall and 13-50 in conference games under Ross.

Siloam Springs went 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the 6A-West Conference this season. The Panthers missed the playoffs for the third straight season and endured their sixth straight losing season.

Siloam Springs’ season ended with a 55-21 loss at Russellville on Nov. 3, and Ross

said the following Monday he had pretty much made up his mind that he was going to step down as head coach.

After meeting with district administrators, Ross informed his coaching staff Friday afternoon about his resignation and then told the players.

“I didn’t want to have them hear it from somebody else and have the rumors and all that,” Ross said. “I wanted to

let everybody know that this was my decision and it wasn’t an overnight thing. I just felt like it was time to step away and refocus and hopefully spend a little more time with family and let the Lord lead me to what he wants me to do.”

Downing said a decision regarding interim leadership of the football program until a new head coach is hired will be announced Monday.

Ross