De’Vante Cross has been appointed as the new cornerbacks coach for Utah State’s football team, according to an announcement by head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
“De’Vante is an outstanding young coach who will bring tremendous energy, intelligence and perspective to our defensive staff,” said Mendenhall. “I’ve had the opportunity to see his growth firsthand as a player and now as a coach, and he understands exactly what it takes to develop defensive backs who are disciplined, physical and competitive. De’Vante is a technically proficient coach, and our cornerbacks will benefit greatly from his experience, his work ethic and his commitment to helping our players succeed both on and off the field.”
Cross joins Utah State after serving as the defensive backs coach at Utah Tech during the 2025 season. Before that role, he worked under Mendenhall at New Mexico in 2024 as a defensive graduate assistant. His coaching career began at Vanderbilt University in 2023 where he was a quality control analyst.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here at Utah State,” said Cross. “I’m excited to get to work and help this program continue to grow and succeed.”
As a player, Cross spent five years under Mendenhall at Virginia. He played multiple positions including quarterback, receiver, safety, and eventually settled on defense. He appeared in 32 games over three seasons at cornerback and safety with 114 tackles, six interceptions, two sacks, six tackles for loss, and 15 pass breakups. On offense during his college career at Virginia, he also rushed for 27 yards and caught two passes. In 2019 he led the ACC in interception return yards.
After college graduation Cross signed free agent contracts with both the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers.
Cross holds several academic degrees: a bachelor’s degree in history from Virginia (2019), a master’s degree in higher education administration from Virginia (2021), and another master’s degree in physical education from New Mexico (2024).
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