Richmond, Va. – University of Richmond Head Football Coach
Russ Huesman announced Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator
Adam Ross and Wide Receivers Coach
Winston October have been named the Spiders new Co-Offensive Coordinators.
"We're excited to have Adam and Winston take on this role as Co-Offensive Coordinators," said Huesman. "They know the offense very well and coached their position groups at a high level. I'm thrilled they're a part of this thing and will continue the success we had on offense this year.
Ross and October played significant roles in the Spiders success in 2022. The team ended the season ranked No. 11/12 in the two major polls, marking the highest final ranking since 2016. Under Ross and October's guidance, the Spiders went 9-4 including three wins over top 25 teams and pulled off their first-ever playoff victory shutout with a 41-0 win over Davidson in the first round before advancing to the second round at Sacramento State. The trip to the postseason marked the first for the Spiders since 2016.
2023 marks Ross' seventh season on the Richmond staff, serving as the Offensive Line Coach in 2017 and the Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator since 2018.
Last season, Ross led
Ryan Coll to First Team and
Joe More to Second Team All-CAA honors, while Coll was named both an AP and Phil Steele All-American.
Ross and the 2022 offensive line helped
Reece Udinski pull off one of the greatest single seasons ever by a Richmond quarterback. The offensive line allowed Udinski to throw for 3,614 yards, becoming just the third UR quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in a single season. He threw 29 touchdown passes and rushed in four while being protected by Ross' offensive line. During Richmond's first-ever playoff shutout victory against Davidson, Udinski connected on 29-of-32 pass attempts for his highest completion percentage (90.3%) of the season. With his performance, he set the FCS playoffs single-game record for completion percentage. Thanks to the offensive line, the Spiders only gave up 26 sacks against in 2022, ranking sixth in the CAA.
The offense as a whole put up impressive numbers in 2022. Richmond's quick-tempo offense led the CAA in total plays with 990 and was second in total yards with 5,513, averaging 424.1 yards of offense per game. Richmond was sixth in the CAA in rushing yards in 2022 with 1,840, while the team's 3,673 passing yards led the conference by over 200.
The Spiders had one of their most consistent offensive lines during Ross' career in 2022, with five offensive linemen starting at least 12 games each. Of Ross' five starting linemen in 2022, three started every game in Coll,
Tom Elia and
Cade Salyers, while
Joe More and
Keith Gouveia only missed one start/game apiece.
Prior to Richmond, Ross spent the 2016 season on Huesman's staff at Chattanooga and has made coaching stops at West Alabama and his alma mater, Jacksonville State, where he was a three-year starter at center for the gamecocks.
University of Richmond alum
Winston October is in his second season with the Spiders in 2023 after joining the staff as Wide Receivers Coach prior to the 2022 season.
October's first season on his alma mater's staff saw the Richmond wide receivers room come alive with the trio of
Jasiah Williams,
Jakob Herres and
Leroy Henley Jr. All three receivers were consistently at the top of the CAA rankings throughout the season as Richmond boasted the only team in the country with three receivers with 73 or more receptions. Williams (82), Herres (77) and Henley (73) led the CAA, while Williams (6.8), Herres (5.9) and Henley (5.6) were first, third and fourth in the conference in receptions per game, respectively.
Herres led the league in receiving yards with 958 and Henley finished the season in a three-way tie for most touchdown receptions with 10. For their season under October's guidance, Herres was named First Team All-CAA, while Henley took Third Team honors. Herres was also named the best wide receiver in Virginia by the Touchdown Club of Richmond as he capped an impressive career where he finished second among active career leaders in receptions per game (6.08), third in career receptions (225) and fifth in receiving yards per game (77.3).
Prior to Richmond, October coached professionally, making stops with the Edmonton Elks and Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League. Prior to the CFL, October spent four seasons coaching in the CAA at William & Mary got his collegiate coaching experience started at VMI.
October was a defensive back for the Spiders program from 1994-98, earning All-Conference honors all four years and went on to play six years in the CFL, spending 1999-2000 with the Montreal Alouettes while being a member of the Edmonton Elks from 2001-04.
While serving as co-offensive coordinators, Ross and October will continue coaching their position groups.
Their elevation comes as the first coaching move for the Spiders as Huesman's staff will look to fill vacant defensive tackles, cornerbacks and quarterbacks coaching positions this offseason.
