Originally from Tacoma, Cross also served as the head football coach at Interlake High School in Bellevue. As head coach at Interlake, Cross led his squad to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009. He was named Bellevue Reporter “Coach of the Year” in 2008 and 2009 and KingCo Coach of the Year in 2009. Cross led the Saints to two consecutive trips to the Class 2A state tournament, the first two for the school in 22 years.
In his three seasons at Idaho State, Cross played a vital role in the Idaho State Bengals record-breaking offense. Cross served as the outside wide receivers coach his first two seasons. At Illinois State, Cross helped guide the Redbirds to a playoff appearance. The offensive unit led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in passing and total offense with the Redbirds averaging better than 30 points a game while compiling a 9-4 record. Cross was the starting quarterback at Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa for two years and still owns the Mid-States Conference passing record for most attempts/completions in a game. He received a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Peru State College, NE.
The search for a new head coach began with the announcement that Bob Bourgette would retire at the end of the 2015 season. Bob has seen many successes in his time as coach with his tireless dedication to the Kennedy Catholic football program.
“We believe Mr. Cross is the perfect fit to take the reins of a legacy program," said Mike Prato, President of Kennedy Catholic. "After a very rigorous search process, the selection committee recommended Sheldon as the absolute best candidate. Coach Bourgette and the coaches who came before him have established a strong foundation and we are confident Mr. Cross will advance the future and mission of Kennedy Catholic High School in many ways, in and out of the classroom. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”
During the search process, Kennedy Catholic Athletic Director, Annette J. Duvall spoke with Luke Huard, Quarterback Coach at Georgia State who coached with Sheldon at Interlake High School. Huard shared, "Sheldon Cross is a game changing coach. One of the most positive and enthusiastic leaders you will find. The players at Kennedy Catholic will gravitate towards him and play their hearts out!"
