Chris Ross, a 1995 graduate of Merrimack College, returned to his alma mater before the 2021-22 season and enters his second year at the program's volunteer assistant coach in 2022-23. 

The Bellingham, Mass. native tallied 13 points in 60 games as a Warrior with five goals and eight assists from 1991-95. Before he rejoined Merrimack, he served as the head coach at Medway High School in Massachusetts for seven seasons, before he took assistant coaching roles at Southern New Hampshire (2018-19) and the University of New England (2019-21). 

During his first year back in North Andover, the team saw tremendous growth, as it won 19 games with Ross on the staff to mark the second-most victories in a single season in school history during the Division I era. The year included six ranked victories and two players signed NHL contracts after it ended, as Declan Carlile signed on with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Zach Uens inked a deal with the Florida Panthers. Carlile also earned Hockey East second team all-star honors and Max Newton was selected as an honorable mention all-star player.