A veteran college football coach will replace the legendary Mark Duda at Lackawanna College.
The college announced Tuesday that Mark Ross will lead the Falcons effective immediately, as the program transitions from the National Junior College Athletic Association to NCAA Division II athletics.
Ross most recently worked at Dallas High School as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the 2025 season. His coaching experience dates back 30 years, when he began his career as the defensive ends coach at East Stroudsburg University. He also served as a coach at Ithaca College, Misericordia University and Bloomsburg University. He served as the director of football operations at Cornell University for the 2024 season.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to name Mark Ross as our head coach,” Erik Larson, director of athletics at Lackawanna, said in a release. “His energy, integrity and clear vision for our student-athletes align perfectly with where Lackawanna College football is headed.”
Duda announced last month that his 32nd season as head coach would be his last, following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Duda’s career and impact will be the focus of WVIA’s Keystone Edition program in January. The taping, scheduled for Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at WVIA, is free and open to the public. Reserve a seat here.
— Sarah Hofius Hall