FHSU Athletics

Tom Ross is in his third season as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Fort Hays State in 2026. He also serves as the team's quarterbacks coach.

Fort Hays State has seen 13 offensive players earn All-MIAA selections over Ross' previous two seasons at FHSU. Offensive lineman Josh Shaw was an all-conference first team selection each of the last two years, while running back Shane Watts was a first-team selection in 2024. Watts was also an All-America Second Team selection by three organizations and eventually went on to sign with the New England Patriots of the NFL in the preseason of 2025. Shaw was an All-America selection by D2Football.com in 2025.

As a quarterbacks coach, Ross helped Caleb Heavner to All-MIAA honors in both 2024 and 2025. Heavner set a new Fort Hays State record for pass completion percentage in a season at 70.2 percent in 2024. It was the second-best completion percentage in NCAA Division II that season.
 
Ross came to FHSU from Morehead State University in Kentucky, where he spent four seasons over five years. He first served as a quality control assistant in 2019 before moving into a full-time roll serving as quarterbacks coach and director of video from 2020-2023. One of his quarterbacks at MSU, Mark Pappas, had 3,000-yard passing season, while setting a single-game school record for passing yards. MSU ranked sixth nationally in FCS for passing yards in 2021. Ross assisted with receivers in his first year at MSU while holding the role as an offensive quality control coach.
 
A native of Gilbert, Ariz, and originally from Omaha, Neb., Ross was a four-year student-athlete and quarterback at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration/marketing in 2015.