ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997 TAG: 9703130049
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM THE ROANOKE TIMES
Ken Ross says he is stepping down to focus on his other coaching duties at the high school.
Ken Ross resigned Wednesday as head boys' basketball coach at Galax High School.
Ross has been associated with the Maroon Tide program for a quarter of a century. He was an assistant for 17 years and head coach for the past eight.
Ross, whose career record was 93-86, was voted the Mountain Empire District's coach of the year in 1989. This past season, Galax was 14-9 and just missed tying for the MED regular-season title when it lost its finale at Grayson County.
Ross, 47, said he wanted to concentrate on his duties as the Maroon Tide's cross country and softball coach.
``I don't know whether you call it burnout or loss of enthusiasm,'' said Ross, when asked why he was leaving the post. ``I know there are some young coaches who want to get in on head coaching.''
One of them is Corbitt Hairston, who has been Ross' assistant for the past three years.
``It took me 17 years to be head coach, and I hope he and some of the younger coaches get the opportunity to be head coach sooner than I did,'' Ross said. ``That's a long time waiting to get a head [coaching] job. By the time I got it, I had a lot of experience. I don't know if that was good because it might have led to burnout.''
Ross is a Galax native who graduated from and played at the high school.
Besides Hairston, girls' coach Verl Brown, whose son, B.B., is one of the Maroon Tide's top scorers, and former Galax star Marc Quesenberry, who is head coach at Abingdon, are likely candidates for the job.
Ross' cross country program has been one of the best in Region C. The girls' team has the potential to challenge for a state title next year.
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