Lee’s Summit North Turns the Page, Hires Former Missouri DC, NFL Coach DeMontie Cross as Head Football Coach

After a season defined by suspensions and unmet expectations, the Broncos tap a veteran coach with deep college and NFL ties to lead the program forward

Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny (51) discusses plays with linebacker coach DeMontie Cross (left) on the sideline in a game against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 29, 2009, at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Dolphins 31-14. / Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images

Lee’s Summit North moved to stabilize its football program Thursday, announcing the hiring of former Missouri defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross as the Broncos’ next head football coach, pending Board of Education approval.

“LSN is excited to announce DeMontie Cross has been hired as our new Varsity Football Coach, pending BOE approval,” the school said in a statement. “DeMontie has over 20 years experience including time with Mizzou, TCU, Iowa State, the Buffalo Bills and Shawnee Mission East HS.”

The hire comes less than a year after a season that began with championship-level expectations but quickly veered off course. Lee’s Summit North spent much of the early portion of last fall ranked inside Missouri’s top 10 before a series of coaching suspensions and administrative issues reshaped the season and ultimately led to a 6–5 finish.

LSN is excited to announce DeMontie Cross has been hired as our new Varsity Football Coach, pending BOE approval. DeMontie has over 20 years experience including time with Mizzou, TCU, Iowa State, the Buffalo Bills and Shawnee Mission East HS. @MissouriScoop @810varsity @PrepsKC pic.twitter.com/7GSFYVBEQ7

— LSN Activities (@LSNActivities) January 9, 2026

Cross replaces Jason Rogers, whose tenure ended after he stepped down while serving a school-imposed suspension early in the season.

A Promising Season Derailed by Turmoil

The Broncos entered last fall viewed as one of the state’s most talented teams, fresh off a run to the Class 6 state championship game and widely expected to contend again.

Instead, the season unraveled almost immediately.

Rogers was suspended to open the year and never returned to the sideline, while another assistant coach was also suspended during the same stretch. Assistant coach Deron Washington was elevated to interim head coach and guided the program through the remainder of the season as the school sought to provide consistency amid uncertainty.

While Lee’s Summit North continued to compete, the cumulative effects of the early disruption were difficult to overcome. The Broncos faded from their early form and finished 6–5 after once appearing poised for a deep postseason run.

Cross Brings Decades of High-Level Experience

Cross arrives with more than 20 years of coaching experience across high school, college and the NFL, along with a proven playing background at the college level.

A Hazelwood East graduate and University of Missouri alum, Cross played free safety for the Tigers from 1994–96. He earned second-team All-Big Eight honors in 1995 and followed that with second-team All-Big 12 recognition in 1996.

After his playing career, Cross began coaching at Missouri before stops at Sam Houston State and Iowa State, where he served as an outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. He later spent five seasons with the Buffalo Bills in a variety of defensive and special teams roles.

In 2016, Cross returned to Missouri as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator under Barry Odom. He later rejoined TCU as the program’s director of player personnel.

A Reset for One of Missouri’s Power Programs

For Lee’s Summit North, the hire signals a clear reset.

The Broncos turn to Cross hoping his experience and structure can help restore stability after a year marked by upheaval and missed opportunity. With talent still in place and expectations never far away, the move represents an effort to reestablish the standard that once made Lee’s Summit North a perennial contender in Missouri’s largest class.

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