Men's Basketball
McCray, Korey
Korey McCray
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- korey.mccray@msstate.edu
- Phone:
- 325-3800
Korey McCray enters his seventh season at Mississippi State and his ninth season overall as an assistant coach on Ben Howland’s staff in 2021-22.
McCray has picked up 160 on-court wins, a 20.0 victories per season average over his previous eight seasons with Howland. He has notched six postseason trips during his career, sparked by 2013 and 2019 NCAA Tournament appearances at UCLA and Mississippi State, respectively.
A tireless worker and top-notch recruiter, McCray already owns 13 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. His 13 seasons are highlighted by 11 seasons in Power 5 conferences with previous stops at Florida State, Chipola Junior College, Mercer, UCLA and LSU.
McCray’s main responsibilities on staff include working with MSU’s guards, assisting with scouting reports and engaging in all aspects of recruiting. His efforts on the recruiting trail have been fruitful as McCray has been ranked among the SEC’s top 10 and the nation’s top 30 during three of the last five seasons by 247 Sports.
McCray has landed a pair of 1,000-point scorers at Mississippi State in Aric Holman and Lamar Peters. The pair recently played for the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021 NBA Summer League. Holman (Germany) and Peters (Turkey) also played professionally overseas in 2020-21 after they both spent the 2019-20 season in the NBA G-League.
Holman is one of five players at MSU to amass 1,000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 150+ blocks. His 198 blocks are tied for fourth-most in program history. Peters ranks among MSU’s top 10 in assists (429 – 6th) and three-pointers made (194 – 7th).
The Bulldogs have piled up 86 victories since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, which is tied for fourth among SEC schools. State also has registered three consecutive bids to postseason play when postseason tournaments have been played, headed by a 2019 NCAA Tournament trip and 2021 NIT Runner-Up finish.
Mississippi State has amassed 38 SEC wins over the last four seasons, which sits as the program’s highest four-year mark in almost a decade. The Bulldogs also have captured 10-plus SEC victories during consecutive seasons for the fifth time in program history and earned the program’s best SEC regular season finish in 2019-20 since the 2010-11 campaign.
McCray played an instrumental role in the signing of Iverson Molinar and impact transfer Shakeel Moore from North Carolina State. He also served as the lead recruiter in landing Alden Applewhite, Cam Carter and Andersson Garcia to the 2021-22 roster.
Molinar improved his scoring average by 10.8 points per game between his freshman and sophomore seasons, the seventh-largest SEC jump over the last decade. He ranked among the SEC’s top 5 in points per game (16.7 – 4th) and field goal percentage (47.8 – 5th). Moore tallied 75.3 percent of his points, 76.2 percent of his rebounds, 72.1 percent of his assists and 68.6 percent of his steals against ACC opponents as a freshman in 2020-21.
McCray’s first teamed up with Howland at UCLA, which resulted in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2012 according to ESPN.com. The class was headed by Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad. All three heard their names called during the NBA Draft’s First Round. The Bruins compiled a 25-10 ledger in 2012-13, enroute to the Pac-12 regular season championship.
After UCLA, McCray spent the 2013-14 campaign at LSU on Johnny Jones’ staff. The Tigers came away with a 20-14 record and secured a NIT bid. The team featured three future NBA players in Jarell Martin, Jordan Mickey and Tim Quarterman.
McCray’s first opportunity as an assistant coach at the Division I level came at his alma mater, Mercer, in 2007-08 following a one-year stint at Chipola College in 2004-05. The Chipola squad advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Semifinals.
McCray got his start in the coaching ranks at Florida State as a graduate assistant under Leonard Hamilton’s leadership. He earned a master’s degree in adult education with a minor in higher education at FSU in 2004.
In addition, McCray worked as a skill development trainer based in Atlanta, Georgia beginning in 2004. He had the chance to work with and create tailor-made offseason training programs for NBA talents such as Dwight Howard, John Wall, Anthony Morrow, Jarrett Jack, Jarvis Hayes, Von Wafer, Mario West and Damien Wilkins, among others.
McCray was a four-year player for Mark Slonaker at Mercer in Macon, Georgia. He served as the team captain during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons. The Decatur, Georgia native led the Bears in assists all four seasons. His 344 career assists were second in program history following his career and still sits among the program’s top five. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications with a major in theatre arts and a minor in Christianity from Mercer in 2001.
Since 1999, McCray has served various stints as the CEO and head coach of the Atlanta Celtics AAU travel team. The team was co-founded by his father, Karl McCray and Wallace Prather in 1990. In 2009, he led his Atlanta Celtics U-15 team to a national title and has consistently produced teams at all age levels that rank in the top 10 nationally.
McCray and his wife, Lauren, have a daughter, Olivia.
The Korey McCray File
Hometown • Decatur, Georgia
Family
Wife • Lauren
Children • Olivia
Educational Background
High School • Cedar Grove HS • 1997
Bachelor’s • Mercer • 2001
Master’s • Florida State • 2004
MCCRAY’S COACHING EXPERIENCE
Seasons • School • Position
2016-Present • Mississippi State • Assistant Coach
2014 • LSU • Assistant Coach
2012-13 • UCLA • Assistant Coach
2008 • Mercer • Assistant Coach
2005 • Chipola College • Assistant Coach
2003-04 • Florida State • Graduate Assistant
McCray has picked up 160 on-court wins, a 20.0 victories per season average over his previous eight seasons with Howland. He has notched six postseason trips during his career, sparked by 2013 and 2019 NCAA Tournament appearances at UCLA and Mississippi State, respectively.
A tireless worker and top-notch recruiter, McCray already owns 13 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. His 13 seasons are highlighted by 11 seasons in Power 5 conferences with previous stops at Florida State, Chipola Junior College, Mercer, UCLA and LSU.
McCray’s main responsibilities on staff include working with MSU’s guards, assisting with scouting reports and engaging in all aspects of recruiting. His efforts on the recruiting trail have been fruitful as McCray has been ranked among the SEC’s top 10 and the nation’s top 30 during three of the last five seasons by 247 Sports.
McCray has landed a pair of 1,000-point scorers at Mississippi State in Aric Holman and Lamar Peters. The pair recently played for the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021 NBA Summer League. Holman (Germany) and Peters (Turkey) also played professionally overseas in 2020-21 after they both spent the 2019-20 season in the NBA G-League.
Holman is one of five players at MSU to amass 1,000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 150+ blocks. His 198 blocks are tied for fourth-most in program history. Peters ranks among MSU’s top 10 in assists (429 – 6th) and three-pointers made (194 – 7th).
The Bulldogs have piled up 86 victories since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, which is tied for fourth among SEC schools. State also has registered three consecutive bids to postseason play when postseason tournaments have been played, headed by a 2019 NCAA Tournament trip and 2021 NIT Runner-Up finish.
Mississippi State has amassed 38 SEC wins over the last four seasons, which sits as the program’s highest four-year mark in almost a decade. The Bulldogs also have captured 10-plus SEC victories during consecutive seasons for the fifth time in program history and earned the program’s best SEC regular season finish in 2019-20 since the 2010-11 campaign.
McCray played an instrumental role in the signing of Iverson Molinar and impact transfer Shakeel Moore from North Carolina State. He also served as the lead recruiter in landing Alden Applewhite, Cam Carter and Andersson Garcia to the 2021-22 roster.
Molinar improved his scoring average by 10.8 points per game between his freshman and sophomore seasons, the seventh-largest SEC jump over the last decade. He ranked among the SEC’s top 5 in points per game (16.7 – 4th) and field goal percentage (47.8 – 5th). Moore tallied 75.3 percent of his points, 76.2 percent of his rebounds, 72.1 percent of his assists and 68.6 percent of his steals against ACC opponents as a freshman in 2020-21.
McCray’s first teamed up with Howland at UCLA, which resulted in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2012 according to ESPN.com. The class was headed by Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad. All three heard their names called during the NBA Draft’s First Round. The Bruins compiled a 25-10 ledger in 2012-13, enroute to the Pac-12 regular season championship.
After UCLA, McCray spent the 2013-14 campaign at LSU on Johnny Jones’ staff. The Tigers came away with a 20-14 record and secured a NIT bid. The team featured three future NBA players in Jarell Martin, Jordan Mickey and Tim Quarterman.
McCray’s first opportunity as an assistant coach at the Division I level came at his alma mater, Mercer, in 2007-08 following a one-year stint at Chipola College in 2004-05. The Chipola squad advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Semifinals.
McCray got his start in the coaching ranks at Florida State as a graduate assistant under Leonard Hamilton’s leadership. He earned a master’s degree in adult education with a minor in higher education at FSU in 2004.
In addition, McCray worked as a skill development trainer based in Atlanta, Georgia beginning in 2004. He had the chance to work with and create tailor-made offseason training programs for NBA talents such as Dwight Howard, John Wall, Anthony Morrow, Jarrett Jack, Jarvis Hayes, Von Wafer, Mario West and Damien Wilkins, among others.
McCray was a four-year player for Mark Slonaker at Mercer in Macon, Georgia. He served as the team captain during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons. The Decatur, Georgia native led the Bears in assists all four seasons. His 344 career assists were second in program history following his career and still sits among the program’s top five. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications with a major in theatre arts and a minor in Christianity from Mercer in 2001.
Since 1999, McCray has served various stints as the CEO and head coach of the Atlanta Celtics AAU travel team. The team was co-founded by his father, Karl McCray and Wallace Prather in 1990. In 2009, he led his Atlanta Celtics U-15 team to a national title and has consistently produced teams at all age levels that rank in the top 10 nationally.
McCray and his wife, Lauren, have a daughter, Olivia.
The Korey McCray File
Hometown • Decatur, Georgia
Family
Wife • Lauren
Children • Olivia
Educational Background
High School • Cedar Grove HS • 1997
Bachelor’s • Mercer • 2001
Master’s • Florida State • 2004
MCCRAY’S COACHING EXPERIENCE
Seasons • School • Position
2016-Present • Mississippi State • Assistant Coach
2014 • LSU • Assistant Coach
2012-13 • UCLA • Assistant Coach
2008 • Mercer • Assistant Coach
2005 • Chipola College • Assistant Coach
2003-04 • Florida State • Graduate Assistant
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