Women's Basketball
Cross, Rob
Rob Cross
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- robert.cross@murraystate.edu
- Phone:
- (270) 809-5413
Murray State brought in a familiar face to lead the Murray State women’s basketball team, as Athletics Director Allen Ward announced the hiring of longtime assistant coach Rob Cross to take the reins of the Racers as the program’s 12th head coach, March 31, 2008.
Cross became the winningest coach in program history during the 2014-15 season with a win over Jacksonville (Dec. 20). He coached his second OVC Freshman of the Year, Ke'Shunan James, who also earned First Team All-OVC honors the following season (2015-16).
Cross became the first coach in program history to win 100 games when MSU defeated Eastern Illinois Jan. 27, 2016. Later that season, the Racers became the first No. 8 seed to defeat the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament when the Racers defeated UT Martin.
In his first season at the helm of the program, Cross became the first coach in program history to be named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, outright, after leading the Racers to a school-record 16-2 mark in the OVC and earning the team’s first OVC regular-season title. He ended his first year with a 23-9 overall record (.718), while leading the team to being one of the top-10 scoring teams in the nation. A key part to the Racers’ scoring in 2008-09 came at the free-throw line where Murray State ended the season with the second-best free-throw percentage in NCAA history at 82.6 percent. The mark also earned the team the 2008-09 NCAA DI Women’s Free-Throw Percentage Award for the best percentage in the nation.
Murray State earned its third-straight trip to the postseason when the team advanced to the second round of the WNIT. MSU defeated Arkansas-Little Rock, 67-65, before falling to Mississippi in the second round. It was the first time the Racers advanced past the first round of a national tournament.
The Racers dominated at home during Cross’ first season. Murray State finished with the first perfect home record in program history (14-0). The home-winning streak continued from the 2007-08 season and ended with a school record 21 games. Under Cross’ guidance, Murray State also strung together the longest winning-streak in team history, with 11 games from Jan. 5, 2009-Feb. 14, 2009.
Amber Guffey became the first Murray State player to earn the ESPN The Magazine: Academic All-America of the Year honors in 2009, after being named to the Academic All-America First Team with her twin sister Paige Guffey. Ashley N. Hayes and Amber Guffey were the top scoring duo in the nation, with both earning top-10 spots on the national points per game charts and finishing their careers as the No. 2 (Hayes – 2,007) and No. 3 (Guffey – 1,877) all-time scorers at Murray State.
Cross has coached 15 all-conference players including, Amber Guffey (2008-09); Ashley N. Hayes (2008-09); Kayla Vance (2009-10); Mariah Robinson (2010-11, 2012-13); Erica Burgess (2011-12) and Ke'Shunan James (2015-16). As well as All-Newcomer Team members, Jessica Winfrey (2010-11); Erica Burgess (2011-12); Erika Sisk (2012-13); Taylor Porter (2013-14), and Ke'Shunan James (2014-15).
Cross took over as head coach after spending 13 seasons on the bench as an assistant coach at Murray State. He was instrumental in helping three head coaches build the Racers program into the success it has become.
As a recruiting coordinator, Cross was responsible for recruiting and coaching players who have earned 25 All-Ohio Valley Conference awards at Murray State. MSU has produced more all-conference honorees in his tenure than during the entire history of the program prior to his arrival.
Among those players were the Racers’ three consecutive OVC Players of the Year and WBCA/Kodak All-Americans, Joi Scott (2007) and Ashley Hayes (2008 & 2009), and 2008 All-OVC Tournament Team members Amber Guffey (2008 MVP & 2009) and Shaleea Petty, as well as 2002 OVC Freshman of the Year Rebecca Remington.
His recruits dominate the top-10 of every statistical category in the MSU record books. This is one of the reasons that seven of the top-eight seasons in program history, in terms of OVC wins, have happened during his time on the bench.
Cross has also served as the academic coordinator for the team, and much of the Racers’ academic success is to his credit. On his watch, the Racers have won:
• ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America of the Year
• Two ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team Honors
• Six ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America District 4 team members
• Two OVC Scholar Athletes of the Year, the highest individual honor given
to a student-athlete
• 12 OVC Medals of Honor, given to the student-athlete with the highest
grade-point average in the conference
• 67 OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll members
• Four USAA Collegiate All-American Scholars
• A graduation rate of more than 95 percent for student-athletes who finish their careers at MSU.
More than 50 percent of all student-athletes under his tutelage have earned Dean’s List recognition at Murray State, and the average team GPA during his tenure is over 3.0.
Cross received his bachelor’s degree in music from Murray State in 1991. He is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
Cross is married to the former Summer Roberson of Murray. The couple has one son, Luke.
Cross became the winningest coach in program history during the 2014-15 season with a win over Jacksonville (Dec. 20). He coached his second OVC Freshman of the Year, Ke'Shunan James, who also earned First Team All-OVC honors the following season (2015-16).
Cross became the first coach in program history to win 100 games when MSU defeated Eastern Illinois Jan. 27, 2016. Later that season, the Racers became the first No. 8 seed to defeat the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament when the Racers defeated UT Martin.
In his first season at the helm of the program, Cross became the first coach in program history to be named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, outright, after leading the Racers to a school-record 16-2 mark in the OVC and earning the team’s first OVC regular-season title. He ended his first year with a 23-9 overall record (.718), while leading the team to being one of the top-10 scoring teams in the nation. A key part to the Racers’ scoring in 2008-09 came at the free-throw line where Murray State ended the season with the second-best free-throw percentage in NCAA history at 82.6 percent. The mark also earned the team the 2008-09 NCAA DI Women’s Free-Throw Percentage Award for the best percentage in the nation.
Murray State earned its third-straight trip to the postseason when the team advanced to the second round of the WNIT. MSU defeated Arkansas-Little Rock, 67-65, before falling to Mississippi in the second round. It was the first time the Racers advanced past the first round of a national tournament.
The Racers dominated at home during Cross’ first season. Murray State finished with the first perfect home record in program history (14-0). The home-winning streak continued from the 2007-08 season and ended with a school record 21 games. Under Cross’ guidance, Murray State also strung together the longest winning-streak in team history, with 11 games from Jan. 5, 2009-Feb. 14, 2009.
Amber Guffey became the first Murray State player to earn the ESPN The Magazine: Academic All-America of the Year honors in 2009, after being named to the Academic All-America First Team with her twin sister Paige Guffey. Ashley N. Hayes and Amber Guffey were the top scoring duo in the nation, with both earning top-10 spots on the national points per game charts and finishing their careers as the No. 2 (Hayes – 2,007) and No. 3 (Guffey – 1,877) all-time scorers at Murray State.
Cross has coached 15 all-conference players including, Amber Guffey (2008-09); Ashley N. Hayes (2008-09); Kayla Vance (2009-10); Mariah Robinson (2010-11, 2012-13); Erica Burgess (2011-12) and Ke'Shunan James (2015-16). As well as All-Newcomer Team members, Jessica Winfrey (2010-11); Erica Burgess (2011-12); Erika Sisk (2012-13); Taylor Porter (2013-14), and Ke'Shunan James (2014-15).
Cross took over as head coach after spending 13 seasons on the bench as an assistant coach at Murray State. He was instrumental in helping three head coaches build the Racers program into the success it has become.
As a recruiting coordinator, Cross was responsible for recruiting and coaching players who have earned 25 All-Ohio Valley Conference awards at Murray State. MSU has produced more all-conference honorees in his tenure than during the entire history of the program prior to his arrival.
Among those players were the Racers’ three consecutive OVC Players of the Year and WBCA/Kodak All-Americans, Joi Scott (2007) and Ashley Hayes (2008 & 2009), and 2008 All-OVC Tournament Team members Amber Guffey (2008 MVP & 2009) and Shaleea Petty, as well as 2002 OVC Freshman of the Year Rebecca Remington.
His recruits dominate the top-10 of every statistical category in the MSU record books. This is one of the reasons that seven of the top-eight seasons in program history, in terms of OVC wins, have happened during his time on the bench.
Cross has also served as the academic coordinator for the team, and much of the Racers’ academic success is to his credit. On his watch, the Racers have won:
• ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America of the Year
• Two ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team Honors
• Six ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America District 4 team members
• Two OVC Scholar Athletes of the Year, the highest individual honor given
to a student-athlete
• 12 OVC Medals of Honor, given to the student-athlete with the highest
grade-point average in the conference
• 67 OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll members
• Four USAA Collegiate All-American Scholars
• A graduation rate of more than 95 percent for student-athletes who finish their careers at MSU.
More than 50 percent of all student-athletes under his tutelage have earned Dean’s List recognition at Murray State, and the average team GPA during his tenure is over 3.0.
Cross received his bachelor’s degree in music from Murray State in 1991. He is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
Cross is married to the former Summer Roberson of Murray. The couple has one son, Luke.
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