Jordan Gross is returning to his alma mater.
On Saturday night, Utah announced that the three-time NFL Pro Bowler with the Carolina Panthers will be the Utes’ new offensive line coach.
Gross will replace Jim Harding, who left Utah to join Kyle Whittingham at Michigan, on new head coach Morgan Scalley’s coaching staff.
Gross, 45, is an Idaho native who starred for the Utes from 1999-2002 before becoming the eighth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
“I am beyond excited to be back home at the U,” Gross said in a statement. “The opportunity to be a part of Coach Scalley’s staff is the chance of a lifetime and great days are ahead. I can’t wait to give everything I have to the O Line group and carry on the proud tradition of OBLOCK.”
In a decade with the Panthers (the only NFL team he played for), Gross was named an All-Pro in 2008 and garnered Pro Bowl honors in 2008, 2010 and 2013.
Gross has been coaching at Fruitland High in Idaho the past four seasons, where the Utes’ most prized recruit perhaps in program history, offensive lineman Kelvin Obot, just graduated early from.
When Whittingham departed there were questions about whether or not Obot might follow him to Michigan (Obot was seen practicing with the Utes prior to the Las Vegas Bowl), but the hiring of Gross should help in that regard.
“Jordan Gross is not only one of the best offensive tackles to ever play the game, he is also an elite teacher and coach,” Scalley said in a statement.
“Jordan has had many opportunities to coach over the past several years both at the collegiate and NFL levels and I’m elated that our offer to come home was one he felt he couldn’t turn down.”
The official hiring of Gross continues a busy day on the coaching staff front for Utah Saturday. Another former player, Derrick Odum, was named safeties coach, and Kevin McGiven was named offensive coordinator.