Former Swansboro coach Ronnie Ross left an impact on coaches, players, community
The Swansboro community lost one of its own as former teacher and coach Ronnie Ross died Monday.
He was 84.
“He made a tremendous impact on a lot of lives,” former volleyball coach Joan Riggs said. “He was a fine Christian, southern gentleman and a legend. He was an icon.”
Ross graduated from Swansboro in 1956 and then graduated from East Carolina University in 1963 after a three-year stint in the Navy. He served 28 of his 31 years as a coach and athletic director at Swansboro and also worked at Jacksonville and Williamston.
Ross also served on several NCHSAA committees and later served as a member of the Onslow County Board of Education. He was also named to the NCHSAA’s 100 To Remember administrators list in 2013 and was inducted into the Jacksonville-Onslow Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Coach Ross was a true servant to Swansboro High School and to the community,” Swansboro Athletic Director Kim Miller said. “He was involved with a lot of things and he continued to try to influence young people. It will be a long time before you see the likes of Coach Ross again.”
Swansboro track and field coach John Liles agreed that Ross impacted many people, even coaches.
“He was my mentor when I first came to Swansboro. He and his wife, Delores, treated me well,” Liles said. “He became a good friend and he taught me how to become a coach. I will miss our talks.”
Riggs knew Ross since she was a teenager, having grown up across the street from his in-laws. She looked up to Ross as a student and as a coach.
“He was the reason I went into coaching. I used to watch him coach the girls’ basketball team and just thought he was the greatest thing. He was my idol,” Riggs said. “When I came back into coaching, I was like a daughter to him because he protected and loved me and he was a vital part of girls’ sports coming back.”
Former Swansboro Athletic Director and coach Jim Sheehan also has fond memories of Ross.
“He had a big influence on my life. In fact, he introduced me to my wife, Ellen,” Sheehan said. “He was a mentor to everybody who came around him and he nurtured me. He was a real good Xs and Os coach, but he could also relate to people well.”
Ross began his career at Swansboro in 1963 as a teacher and later coached baseball, football and boys’ and girls’ basketball. After time away, he returned to Swansboro in 1969 and coached the next 25 years before he retired from the county school system in 1994.
Ross had many accomplishments.
He led the Pirates’ football team to an undefeated regular season in 1970 and led the boys’ basketball and baseball teams to conference championships that same school year. Ross also coached in the East-West- girls' basketball game in 1993 and he earned many conference coach of the year honors.
In 1986, Ross was named District II Athletic Director of the Year by the NCHSAA in 1986 and was a Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the NCHSAA.
“What a life to look back on,” Riggs said. “He left a lot of memories and he left a special touch on everybody’s heart.”
Chris Miller can be contacted via email at chris.miller@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @jdnsports.
This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Former Swansboro coach Ronnie Ross dies after leaving impact on community
