Frank Ross enters his fifth season as the special teams coordinator for the Houston Texans in 2025. Holding 12 years of NFL experience, including seven as a coach and five in player personnel, Ross joined the Texans after serving as the assistant special teams coach with the Indianapolis Colts for three seasons (2018-20).
Ross' special teams unit's success in 2024 was highlighted by clutch and explosive performances. K Ka'imi Fairbairn became the franchise's all-time leading scorer, reaching 873 career points, breaking former Texan, K Kris Brown's record of 767 points (2002-09). He also made 13 50-plus yard field goals, which tied for the second-most in a season in NFL history. One of his 50-yarders was a 59-yard game-winner in Week 5, earning him his second AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor of the season. Offseason pickup, P Tommy Townsend finished the year ranked second in the NFL in punts inside the 20 (39) and had the third-highest net punting average (43.4) in the league. RB Dameon Pierce dominated as a kickoff returner in 2024. He recorded a career-high nine returns for 339 yards, including a season-long 80-yard return, the seventh-longest return of the season, despite missing six games due to injury. His performance throughout the year helped the team rank sixth in the league in average starting line after kickoff (30.4). Special teams' success was also prevalent in the postseason when CB D'Angelo Ross made history by becoming the first player in NFL history to block a kick for a two-point conversion in a playoff game during the AFC Wild Card round. In the same contest, Ross recorded the second blocked punt in a playoff game in franchise history and the first in a playoff game since 2021. Frank Ross' impact was also felt off the field when he hosted his third annual Coaches Cuts program. Through this initiative, he provided homeless individuals who are part of the 'Reach the Homeless' organization with free haircuts, dental care, showers and gift cards to a restaurant. This program, in addition to other service events throughout the season, earned him the Houston Sports Awards' 2024 Community Impact Award, an honor that recognizes a Houston-area athlete or coach who has made a positive impact in their profession and in the Houston community.
In 2023, Ross coached a special teams unit that finished first in the prestigious Rick Gosselin's 2023 NFL Special Teams Rankings, marking the second consecutive season earning the honor. His group led the NFL in kickoff return average (26.6) and total return touchdowns (three). They finished top-10 in the league in 15 statistical categories, including top-5 in opponent punt return average, kick return drive start average, takeaways and field goals made, while also being just one-of-five teams who did not surrender a blocked kick or turnover. K Ka'imi Fairbairn had a productive season, connecting on 27-of-28 field goal attempts, including a game-winning 54-yard field goal in overtime in Week 15 at Tennessee. Ross and RB Dare Ogunbowale became a part of NFL history after he connected on a 29-yard field goal, becoming the third non-kicker since 1980 to make a field goal in a regular season game. In the Divisional game at Baltimore, WR Steven Sims recorded a 67-yard punt return touchdown, marking the first playoff punt return touchdown since 2013 and the first Texan to record a punt return touchdown in the postseason. Additionally, Ross coached LB Neville Hewitt to 13 total special teams tackles, marking a career best.
In 2022, Ross' special teams unit ranked first in the NFL in average return yards allowed on kickoffs (19.0) and opponents average starting field position (22.2 yard-line). P Cameron Johnston landed 37 punts inside the 20-yard line (tied for second most in the league) while K Ka'imi Fairbairn connected on a career-high 93.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 100 percent of his extra point attempts. Fairbairn tied K Kris Brown's franchise record for most games with 10-or-more points scored in franchise history after converting three field goals and two extra points (11 points) at Dallas in Week 14. The unit also featured four different players that recovered a fumbled on kickoff coverage (LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, RB Dare Ogunbowale, LB Blake Cashman and S M.J. Stewart).
In his first season in Houston, Ross mentored Johnston, who ranked seventh in the NFL with 43.2 percent of his punts placed inside the 20-yard line. He also oversaw the development of Fairbairn, who ended the season with an active streak of 60 consecutive field goals made from within 40 yards (dating back to the 2017 season) after going nine-for-nine in 2021. Additionally, Fairbairn booted a 61-yard kick through the uprights in Week 14, marking the longest field goal in franchise history and the longest field goal ever kicked inside NRG Stadium. In the return game, CB Tremon Smith was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after posting a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown at Jacksonville on (12/19), while also adding a special teams tackle and a punt downed inside the 5-yard line.
In 2020, Ross helped Colts DB George Odum lead the NFL with 20 special teams tackles, four more than any other player in the league. He guided K Rodrigo Blankenship to three Colts' rookie records, including most points scored (139), field goals made (32) and extra points made (43). Blankenship also logged the fifth-most points scored and field goals made in the NFL in 2020. Additionally, Ross worked with RB Nyheim Hines, who totaled the third-most punt return yards (300) and the sixth-best punt return average (10.0) in the league.
Indianapolis led the NFL and set a single-season franchise record for punt return average (17.4 yards) in addition to finishing eighth in punt return average allowed (5.9 yards) in 2019. Ross helped Hines become just the fifth player in NFL history to record two punt return touchdowns of 70-plus yards in a single game (84 and 71 yards). The year prior (2018), the Colts special teams unit notched the lowest punt return average allowed (4.4 yards) in the NFL and were one of three teams to not allow a punt return of 20-or-more yards.
Prior to his time with the Colts, Ross worked as a pro scout with the New England Patriots (2015-17), winning Super Bowl LI with the team. He served two seasons (2013-14) on the coaching staff at his alma mater, John Carroll University, located in University Heights, Ohio, where he coached the Blue Streaks' quarterbacks in 2013 before being promoted to special teams coordinator/running backs coach in 2014. Ross helped John Carroll finish with an 11-2 record, an NCAA DIII Playoff quarterfinal appearance and a top-five ranking from D3football.com in 2014. Under Ross' tutelage in 2013, QB Mark Myers set single-season school records for passing yards (3,228), completions (246) and attempts (385). Prior to returning to John Carroll, Ross spent two seasons as a scouting assistant with the Patriots from 2011-12.
As a player, Ross was a four-year letter winner, two-time captain and three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference wide receiver at John Carroll (2007-10). Ross holds Blue Streaks records for the most receptions in a single game (17), season (69) and career (204). He graduated from John Carroll with a degree in marketing.
Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Ross graduated from Canfield (Ohio) High School in 2006 and was the quarterback of the 2005 team that finished as runner-up in the state championship game.
All-Pro Players Coached (1): S George Odum (2020)
