Ernest Ross, former head coach of the Ole Miss men’s golf team, reflected on May 4 about his time leading the Rebels and their historic Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament win in 1984. The remarks come as this year’s team recently secured another SEC Championship, drawing comparisons to the squad Ross built more than four decades ago.
Ross became head coach of his alma mater starting with the 1979-80 season. He said that building a winning mindset was key for his teams. “Before that season, I had t-shirts made for all the guys that said ‘1983 SEC Tournament Champions’ on them. I wanted them to believe from the start of the year they could win it. The biggest thing, since we had the talent, was to believe we actually could win it,” Ross said.
The Rebels finished second in the SEC in 1982 before clinching their first title under Ross in 1984. That championship team included All-Americans Dave Peege and Darren Cole, who were recognized again in 1985. “The 1984 team had only one senior and that was Gary Martin,” Ross said. “There was a lot of talent on that team. We had a lot of good players in that era.” The following year’s squad achieved fourth place at the NCAA Tournament.
Ross led Ole Miss men’s golf during two periods: from 1979-87 and again from 2004-14. He was named SEC Coach of the Year twice and guided five teams to NCAA Tournaments during his second tenure as coach.
Now living near family in North Carolina, Ross continues to follow Ole Miss sports closely and keeps connections with former players still residing in Oxford. He expressed excitement over current head coach Chris Malloy’s recent success: “I’m so excited for Chris Malloy. I know how hard he’s worked to put together, not just one good team, but multiple good teams.”
Ross concluded by expressing optimism about this year’s team’s chances at nationals: “I’ll be watching the rest of the way,” he said regarding their upcoming NCAA Tournament appearance. “I’m really proud of Chris Malloy and the players. This year’s team has got a great chance of winning it all.”
