Submitted by Heather Browne, FSCC
Fort Scott Community College welcomes Lana Ross as the new FSCC Head Softball Coach.
“We’re thrilled that Coach Ross will be joining the Greyhound family. She has been a champion throughout her entire career and brings a tremendous amount of experience and success to the softball program. Adding a coach of her caliber to our staff will improve our entire department,” said Tom Havron, FSCC Dean of Students and Director of Athletics. “Coach Ross is already off and running, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future of our softball program.”
Ross served as head softball coach, game management coordinator and chief ticketing officer at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, from 2002 to 2016. During her tenure at IWCC, she had a 544-238 record, and the team won five regional titles, three district titles and made three appearances at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national tournament. She coached 62 First Team All-Region players, 43 Second Team All-Region players, 11 NJCAA All-Americans, 17 NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) All-Americans, 25 NJCAA Academic All-Americans and 96 NFCA Academic All-Americans. For thirteen consecutive years, her team was recognized as the NFCA Academic Team of the Year.
For the past two years, Ross has served as a private softball instructor and provided pitching, hitting and defensive lessons to 30 athletes. From 2000 to 2002, she served as assistant softball coach at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore. She served as assistant softball coach and instructor at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, from 1999 to 2000.
Ross is a five-time Region XI Coach of the Year. In 2013, she was recognized as the NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year. She was selected as the coach for the 2015 NJCAA All Star Team. Ross has been a member of the NFCA since 1999 and has attended the NFCA Convention for the past eight years. She is a member of the NFCA Awards Committee and Rules Committee and serves as the Division I Coaches Representative for both the NFCA and NJCAA. Ross was named among the 2004-2005 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. She has also served as a keynote speaker for numerous leadership conventions.
Ross earned her bachelor of science degree in education from Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.