At Mount Carmel, students know Coach Trey Ross from two places, the gym and the football field. By being the physical education teacher and varsity outside linebackers coach, he has started to become a familiar face in the MC halls.

But before he returned as a teacher, Coach Ross’s background involved coaching, college football teams, the Marine Corps, and an earlier stint working in the Athletic Department at MC. He is now back where he feels he truly belongs.

Coach Ross speaks on his return with a lot of gratitude.  “So I was here in 2018 and 2019,” he says, “and then I left to coach in college football.” His time away came to a turning point in late 2021. “I was talking to [head varsity football coach Jordan] Lynch and he kind of offered me an opportunity to come back and coach in the winter of 2021, in the beginning of 2022.”

The invitation came from people who believed in them and he really spoke on how grateful he was for it. “So yeah, just grateful for Coach Lynch and Mr. Tabernacki.”

Coach Ross describes those years coaching at the college level as challenging but valuable.

“It was really good,” he says. “I was a graduate assistant at Elmhurst University, and my position got cut because of COVID, so I ended up just sticking around there and volunteering.” Even without pay or coursework, he stayed committed to his players. “Kind of the same role as a GA just not going to school.”

This prepared them even more for his next journey. “I did that for a season for the COVID season,” he says, “and then I got a full-time graduate assistant position at St. Ambrose.” Balancing academics and coaching made each day demanding. “You coach your own position. You kind of do whatever the team needs, then you run the lists, you do recruiting, and you go to class.”

But even after getting into the rhythm with college coaching, the return offer from MC is what drew him back.  “I kind of cut that short just because of the really good opportunity I got to come back here,” Ross says. “And I missed it a lot.”

Now with Coach Ross being back, he points out why Mount Carmel is different. He believes it begins with the students here. “I’d say kind of all the things you hear, right?” he says. “The community aspect of it and the diverse community that we have. I think that’s what kind of separates us from other schools is how we as a community step up in time of need.”

He hones in on the difference when explaining his own upbringing. “I grew up in the north suburbs. I went to a different Catholic school and it was a Carmelite school. But it’s so different up there than it is down here.” At MC, he sees something rare. “It’s just a lot more tight knit. A lot more tradition, a lot more culture. And people take care of each other here, and I think that’s the most important thing that sets us apart.”

Coach Ross teaches multiple grade levels of phys. ed. and really enjoys his time and what he does. “I teach gym for the freshmen, sophomores, and physical fitness for the juniors and seniors,” he says. He’s also involved beyond the classroom. “I’m also the Studium moderator for 301.” And when school ends, he shifts into football mode, coaching the outside linebackers on varsity football.

Some advice Coach Ross recommends to all the students is simple: get involved. “Do different things, try different things. Try a new sport, join a new club, take a class you might not be so sure about.” His advice centers on community. “Support your community, so go see events, feel part of the community,” he says. “Try to be here every day.”

He also reminds students to enjoy what they do. “Have fun,” he says. “That’s the most important thing.” In football, he shares a specific definition with his players. “We always say in the football program, having fun is doing something well,” he explained. “So try your best in everything you do.”

Much of Coach Ross’s leadership is credited to the people who shaped him. “I’d say growing up, the person I most looked up to was my dad,” he says. “He was a high school football coach and he was in the military.” That influence eventually led Ross into joining the Marine Corps from 2015-2016.

Before any of this though came the Marines and experience Coach Ross caused life-changing.  “It was a really good experience for me,” he says. “Really pushed me mentally and physically to my limits.” Serving as an infantryman shaped how he sees the world and himself. “It allowed me to see what I’m capable of and what I can endure,” he explained.

He had a demanding role that was intense.“I was an infantryman in the Marine Corps,” he says. “We’re kind of a ground foot soldier.” He served with 1st Light Armory Reconnaissance Battalion and took part in scouting missions. “We’d kind of go up and hike up a mountain the night before and scope out the area, mark targets for air strikes,” he says. After the reconnaissance, he joined the assault team. “We would hike back down and get with our unit and then be part of the main assault group.” I was a point man. You’re kind of the front in the front of the line on patrol and you’re kind of the first guy through the first door.”

What he learned in the military benefited him the rest of his life.  “I think the biggest thing is really just kind of how you fight adversity and your mentality in your approach to different challenges,” he says. Communication became one of his strongest tools. “Communication is a huge part in the military and it’s a big part in teaching and coaching,” he says. “Just kind of learning how to communicate with one another and get everyone on the same page.”

Coach Ross believes that the intensity from being in the military also transfers over to the football field.

He also thinks of the coaches who pushed him and also gave him the opportunity.. “Andy Biddle was my high school head coach and he’s the one who first gave me an opportunity in coaching,” Ross says. Later, Mount Carmel leaders helped him grow even more. “ Coach Lynch and Coach Lenti they both kind of gave me my opportunity here,” he says. “They let me come into their office every day and bother them. “I asked them a lot of questions, and that’s really where I learned the most.”

One thing that many at MC might not know is that he is pretty good on his feet when a jam comes on the radio.  “My high school superlative was ‘Best Dancer’,” he says. “If you throw some good songs on, I can throw down on the dance floor.”

Coach Ross is the perfect fit for MC and brings so much good to the table.