Ross Decker, father of cross country head coach Justin Decker, is in his 15th year as assistant coach of the cross country teams at Utah Tech in 2025.
Ross grew up in Glendale, Arizona where he ran track and cross country at Apollo High School. After graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1984, he returned to Apollo High School where he began teaching math and coaching track and cross country. From 1986 to 1988 he taught and coached at Westwood High in Mesa, AZ; and from 1988 to 1998 he taught and coached at Red Mountain High in Mesa with a one-year sabbatical in 1994 to earn his Masters degree in Mathematics from BYU.
In his 11 years of coaching high school track and cross country, Ross coached one state champion cross country team, two state runner-up cross country teams, two individual state champs in track, and three individual runner-ups in track. In 1998 he was hired to teach at Utah Tech where he is now entering his 16th year as a Math Professor. He served as the head Trailblazers cross country coach in 2008.
Ross brings a lot of experience to the program and is still an avid road runner, marathoner and triathlete. His personal best times are 4:16 in the mile, 15:08 in the 5K, 25:12 in the 8K, 32:02 in the 10K, 1:12 in the Half Marathon, 2:31 in the Marathon, and 11:56 in the Ironman Triathlon.
Ross currently resides in St. George with his wife Mary. They have five children and two grandchildren.
