Lackawanna College is preparing to make the move to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II football, and now officially has the man to lead them.
On Tuesday, the college named former Misericordia University head coach Mark Ross as its head coach, replacing Mark Duda, who retired at the end of this season after 32 years at the helm.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to name Mark Ross as our head coach,” Lackawanna Director of Athletics Eric Larson said in a press release. “His energy, integrity, and clear vision for our student-athletes align perfectly with where Lackawanna College football is headed.”
Ross most recently was the director of football operations at Cornell University in 2024. He helped manage operations of the football team, including coordinating travel, meals, compliance and recruiting, while also serving as the liaison to the alumni office and donors to the football program.
Prior to Cornell, Ross spent three seasons as defensive coordinator at Bloomsburg University from 2021 to 2023. The Huskies ranked third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference during the 2023 season in points allowed, and led the PSAC with 28 takeaways in the 2021 season, which ranked ninth in the nation in all of Division II.
In 2011, Ross became the first head coach at Misericordia University. He won a combined 14 games in his final two seasons in 2018 and 2019. His 2018 squad went 8-3 and made a postseason bowl for the first time in school history. That performance earned Ross Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year.
Ross resigned from Misericordia in 2021 to take the position at Cornell. In his lone season there, the Big Red went 4-6, which included an upset over then No. 24 Dartmouth College at home.
“We chose Mark Ross because his leadership approach, emphasis on player development, and commitment to academics and community match the core priorities of Lackawanna College athletics,” Larson said.
Ross began his coaching career as defensive ends coach at East Stroudsburg. He spent four seasons with the Warriors before joining the staff at Ithaca College, where he spent 11 years.
He worked his way up to defensive coordinator for the Bombers, running the defense for four seasons, as well as heading the strength and conditioning program there.
“His (Ross) hiring will maintain the stability of the program, accelerate recruiting, and set a disciplined, purpose-driven culture that elevates our student-athletes on the field and in the classroom,” said Larson.
Ross is a 1991 Penn State graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He also holds a Master’s degree in sports management from East Stroudsburg.
He will inherit a Lackawanna College squad that was 4-6 in its final season of junior college competition in 2025, but still had three All-American selections, including a second-team selection in offensive lineman Jason Hoskins (Dover, DE), as well as honorable mention honorees in quarterback Jacob Tiberi (Smyrna, DE) and wide receiver Christian Harrison (Temple Hills, MD).
Duda, 64, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease earlier this year, leading to the 64-year-old Plymouth native’s decision to step down. He compiled a record of 217-104 and led the Falcons to 13 NJCAA bowl appearances.