He starred as a prep basketball player just outside the city, at Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
While pursuing his graduate studies, Cross spent a year coaching basketball at Marion-Franklin High School in Columbus, Ohio.
In the 1997–98 season UIC would tie a school record with 22 victories and win a share of the MCC regular-season title while earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
In Cross's final season at UIC, the Flames finished 20–14 winning the Horizon League conference tournament championship.
The Energy were affiliated with the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, and Washington Wizards It was also during this season that Cross was named assistant coach of the 2012 NBA Development League East All Star team.
[4] Gene Cross was named head coach of the Erie BayHawks, the NBA D-League affiliate of the New York Knicks in September 2012.
On October 9, 2015, Cross was named lead assistant coach of the Reno Bighorns the NBA D-League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings.
After his successful international coaching stint, Cross re-joined the Sacramento Kings in September 2017 as a college scout.