Charlie Gross became the Director of Athletics for the Fighting Saints in the spring of 2016. While providing leadership to the Carroll Athletic Department, Gross has worked diligently on behalf of each of the 15 athletic teams and 350 student-athletes to build upon the rich history of athletic success at Carroll.
Since Gross has been at Carroll, academic achievement has been the foundation of the other successes with the Athletic Department.  The student-athletes’ average semester GPA has exceeded 3.25 every semester. The Fighting Saints are the only athletic department in the Frontier or Cascade Collegiate Conferences to have every sport receive the prestigious honor of being recognized as an NAIA Scholar team each year. Elite national academic awards earned by individual Carroll student-athletes include the NAIA Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the NAIA Women’s Track and Field Academic All-American of the Year, and the Women’s COSIDA College Division Academic All-American of the Year.
Carroll has won the Frontier Conference George Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award in three of Gross’ five years. Sixteen conference championships have been earned in Women’s Soccer, Women’s Cross Country, Volleyball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Track & Field, Women’s Track & Field, and Football. Twenty-three teams have qualified for NAIA National Tournament Competition. Student-athletes have earned four National Championships in individual sports, and the Men’s Basketball team was the National runner-up in 2019. There have been 77 Carroll student-athletes recognized as NAIA All-Americans.
Gross has made it a priority to develop and maintain the top-tier facilities that ensure great training opportunities, allow for high-level competitions to be hosted, and enhance the experience of the loyal Fighting Saints fans. Over 2.4 million dollars have been invested in capital improvements that include:
•       Remodeling of the PE Center lobby and restrooms
•       Addition of the 2,900 square foot Team Meeting and Events room in the PE Center
•       Creation of a theater-like team video room with seating for 120 people
•       Resurfacing of a practice field with natural grass and a new state of the art irrigation system
•       Increasing number of team locker rooms and renovation of already existing locker room spaces
•       Replacing 1,600 seats in upper bleachers of the gymnasium
•       Additions of new Daktronics displays and scoreboards in both the PE Center and Nelson Stadium
•       Increasing the size of strength and conditioning space from 2,700 to 3,900 square feet
•       Installing a new competition maple floor in volleyball in the PE Center facility
•       Renovating the athletic training room with a new floor and increased office space
•       Numerous aesthetic enhancements included paint, wall graphics, carpeting, window blinds, and furniture to spaces within the athletic facilities.Â
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Under Gross’ direction, several new strategies have been implemented, enhancing external revenue streams to support athletic scholarships, operations, and capital projects. Membership in the Saints Athletic Association has grown each year, increasing the monetary support of the student-athlete scholarship fund.  Official Carroll Athletics Corporate partners have more than doubled, proving additional support for Fighting Saints athletes and coaches. Encouraging sports-specific giving, $1,000 donors to the entire department has increased by over 200%.
Currently, Gross serves as the Chair of the Frontier Conference Athletic Director’s Association, acts as the Frontier Conference Administrative Supervisor for Men’s and Women’s Basketball, and is a member of the Frontier Conference Membership Committee. He extends his leadership at a national level by serving on the NAIA Return on Athletics Advisory Committee.
Gross came to Carroll after serving as Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. In his six years at UW Milwaukee, Gross oversaw the department's business operations, human resources, capital projects, camps and clinics, corporate sponsorship, and served as the administrator for the baseball, women's volleyball and cross country and track and field programs. Gross was the administrative lead on numerous capital projects, established marketing strategies that resulted in record season ticket sales, and developed a corporate sponsorship program that significantly increased corporate sales.
Before his tenure at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Gross served nine years as an administrator in two high-profile high school athletics programs. He was the Director of Athletics and Recreation for the Mequon-Thiensville School District and athletic administrator at Eden Prairie High School.
He also has extensive experience as a college coach, having served as the Head Men's Basketball coach at NCAA DIII University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and Maine Maritime. Gross served as an Assistant Basketball Coach at Bowling Green State University and Loras College. In addition, to coaching basketball, he was the Men's Head Soccer Coach at NCAA DDIII Maine Maritime and Loras College.
Gross received his Masters of Education in Athletic Administration from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Gross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting and philosophy from Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Charlie and his wife, Barb, have four children: Willie, Kacie, Carlie, and Henry.
