Utah Tech University Athletics

De’Vante Cross begins his first season at Utah Tech as the Trailblazers' new defensive backs coach. 

Coach Cross began his coaching career as a quality control analyst at Vanderbilt University. He then ventured west to Albuquerque, where he served as a defensive graduate assistant at New Mexico working with the safeties under his college head coach Bronco Mendenhall. He moved to St. George to join the Trailblazers program at the beginning of 2025.

Cross played for Mendenhall for five years at the University of Virginia, where he moved from quarterback to receiver to safety, before finally finding a home on defense. When needed, he played both sides of the ball in a single game. He closed out his collegiate career earning a spot on the 2021 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.

In his three years at safety, Cross played in 32 games with 114 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, six interceptions and 15 pass breakups. He also rushed for 27 yards and caught a pair of passes on offense in his Virginia career. He led the ACC in interception return yards in 2019.

After graduation, he signed a free agent contract with the Washington Commanders, and then with the Green Bay Packers.

A strong proponent of education, Coach Cross earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Virginia in 2019, a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from Virginia in 2021, and a second Master’s in Physical Education from New Mexico in 2024.