Chad Ross retires as Whitefish head football coach
Whitefish head coach Chad Ross shouts to his players on the field during a playoff game against Frenchtown on Saturday in Whitefish. (Whitney England/Whitefish Pilot)
After 24 years with the Whitefish Bulldog football program, the last 12 of those spent as head coach, Chad Ross announced Friday he was hanging up his play cards.
In his 12 years at the helm, Ross’s teams compiled a 62-53 record. Highlighting his career as head coach was the 2015 State A championship team that went 11-1. The championship was the team’s first since 1979.
The Bulldogs defeated Dillon in the championship game, 17-13. Dillon came into that game with a 10-0 record, but quarterback Luke May passed for a touchdown and ran for another to lead the Bulldogs.
Whitefish’s most recent season last fall was the best the program had since the 2015 championship run. The Bulldogs started the season 7-0, but ended up dropping the final three games of the season including a playoff game to Frenchtown. Throughout the season, Ross consistently spoke of the team camaraderie and leadership of the senior class.
Ross came to Whitefish in 1998 when he and his wife Nadine bought the local Dairy Queen. He played football prior to that for the University of Arizona and began coaching at Whitefish High almost immediately after moving here.
Last year his youngest son, Camren, graduated from Whitefish High School, but Ross continued to coach for one more year.
In a post on the Whitefish High School Facebook, the school thanked Ross for his years as a coach for the Bulldogs.
“After 24 years and a state championship, Coach Ross is retiring as the head football coach of your Whitefish Bulldogs,” the post reads. “Thank you for a good run coach!”