Jeff Gross heads into his second year as the associate head coach in 2020 after serving as an assistant for the previous five years at UNCG under women's head coach Michael Coll. Gross has helped Coll and the Spartans win two of the last three Southern Conference Tournament Championships to claim the conference’s automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans entered the SoCon Championship Tournament as a No. 3 seed in 2019, finishing with a 7-2-0 record in conference play. UNCG had three players earn All-Conference designations including an All-Freshman selection in Gabi Santora. UNCG went as far as the SoCon semifinals before the team's season ended against No. 2 Furman. The Spartans recorded five clean sheets as a team on the year, including four in conference play alone, tied for the most in the SoCon.
In 2018 the Spartans boasted their best overall record, 15-5-1 and 7-2-0 in the SoCon, in the last five years. UNCG outscored its three SoCon opponents by a combined score of 11-4 to claim to its ninth SoCon Tournament title in program history. Cienna Rideout was named SoCon Player of the Year after leading the league in points (37) and goals (14), and Nicole Souply won freshman of the year. Six players garnered All-SoCon accolades, and three freshmen made the all-freshman team.
The previous season the Spartans went 11-8-3 and 5-2-2 in the Southern Conference. UNCG won its last three regular season games and then the SoCon Tournament, the first since 2010.
In Gross' second season the Spartans posted a 9-9-3 record and improved to 6-2-1 in the Southern Conference. The team earned a No. 3 seed in the SoCon Tournament, its highest in four seasons and seven players earned All-SoCon honors.
Gross came to UNCG after being the Director of Coaching for the East Meadow Soccer club in Long Island, New York after finishing his fifth year with the club in 2014. He has been instrumental in the club's ability to gain entry into the Elite Clubs National League for girls, the National Premier League for boys and into every major tournament and showcase in the country for both boys and girls.
Prior to working with the East Meadow Soccer Club, Gross worked five years as the Director of Coaching at the Football Club Frederick in Frederick, Maryland from 2004-2009. During his time there he led the U-16 Girls team to the Maryland State Cup Championship in 2009 and a Region I finalist.
Over a coaching career that spans 25 years to this point, Gross has been involved in several high level soccer environments including boys elite leagues/cups, girls elite leagues/cups and several tournament championships. He has worked with players that have played in the youth national teams, at all ages, and a multitude of players that have gone onto successful college soccer careers.
From 1994 through 2004, Gross was the head coach of the Maryland Olympic Development Program leading the U-16 squad to a ODP National Championship finalist in 2000. Also his U-15 team was a Region I Regional Champion in 1999.
Gross played his collegiate soccer career at the University of Maryland Baltimore County earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1991. Gross holds the USSF “A” license and the NSCAA “Premier Diploma” and the US Soccer National Youth License.
