One of our core goals at SportsGuysIowa is to cover NAIA, D3, D2 Iowa Unviersities and Colleges and Iowa High School Sports.
So, our team started taking notes on football programs that in the Fall were going to be great teams to follow and write stories about when we launched our website in late July. One of the key programs we want to follow closely is the Graceland University Football Yellow Jackets out of Lamoni, Iowa. The Yellow Jackets compete in the rugged Heart of American Athletic Conference (HACC) which is arguably the best NAIA Football Conference in the United States.
HAAC member Grandview University is the defending NAIA National Champion and that trophy is sitting right up the road from Lamoni in Des Moines. NAIA Football programs (NAIA grants athletic scholarships) in Iowa are very strong, and we are excited to cover those Iowa based teams closely in 2025.
Graceland Football the past 3 years have been building and building. Head Coach Patrick Ross came to Lamoni after an accomplished career leading Lindenwood (near St. Louis) in NAIA and D2 (including getting to the NAIA national title game).
When coach Ross came to Lamoni in 2022 Graceland had not won a football game in three plus years. By my count he came into lead a team that had lost 28 games in a row. He was not afraid of the challenge and turn the Yellow Jacket turnaround has been stunning. 4-7 in 2022, 6-5 in 2023, and 7-4 in 2024.
Coach Ross and his staff were not afraid of a challenge and have turned the program around impressively.
So, late this week Graceland University announced in a press release that Head Coach Patrick Ross was stepping into a new role as General Manager of Football Operations. His longtime assistant and Offensive Coordinator Phil Staback was named to the new head coach position immediately.
In the announcement from Graceland, they shared that Ross, will begin stepping back from day-to-day responsibilities to focus on player placement, recruiting, and coach mentorship.
“Patrick has made a significant and lasting impact on our football program,” said Athletic Director Brady McKillip. “He’s elevated the program in so many ways, and we’re excited that he’ll continue to contribute in a role that leverages his strengths and relationships. Phil Staback is more than ready to lead us forward and has been a vital part of our progress.”
Staback has over a decade of college coaching experience, including eight years as an Offensive Coordinator.
A former two-time All-American quarterback, Staback played under Ross at Lindenwood University, where they helped guide the program to a 22-3 record and an appearance in the NAIA National Championship.
“It’s an incredible honor to take this next step at Graceland,” said Staback. “Coach Ross has been a mentor to me for years — first as my coach, now as a colleague. I’m proud of what we’ve built together and excited for what’s next.”
“I’m thrilled to have Coach Staback take over. He’s ready, and we have built an incredible staff — the best one we’ve had in years,” said Ross. “My years at Graceland have been some of the best of my career, and I am so proud of the way we have grown this program. I am excited for the future of the Yellowjackets, and I look forward to working with the incredible players and coaches who report to campus soon.”
When we write our Graceland Football preview we will dive into the head coaching change and the outlook for the Rising Yellow Jackets football program in the rugged HAAC conference this fall.
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* Story and Photo Source Graceland University 7.31.25
