Randall McCray is in his third season at Gardner-Webb, and looks to direct his defense back to the top of the Big South Conference in 2015. McCray’s bunch returns 15 men with starting experience and five All-Big South Conference selections.
Over the past two seasons combined, McCray’s defenses have held nine different opponents to less than 100 yards rushing – including FBS foe Wake Forest. In 2014, nose guard OJ Mau earned All-America honors for the second season in a row and linebacker Aaron Cook was a first-team All-Big South selection, filling in well for injured stars Tanner Burch and Chad Geter. Corner Ivan Toomer also earned All-Big South honors in 2014. All five return for the 2015 season at full speed.
McCray’s 2013 defense was one of the most improved nationally, moving up 96 positions from the previous year to finish No. 5 in total defense. GWU set a Big South record by allowing just 296.8 yards per game and led the Big South in rushing defense (122.5 ypg), pass defense (174.2 ypg), pass efficiency defense (114.0 rating), opponent first downs (185), opponent third down conversion rate (32.2%), sacks (27) and opponent fourth down conversion rate (25.0%). Linemen OJ Mau and Shaquille Riddick each earned FCS All-America honors, with Riddick finishing fifth in final voting for the 2013 Buck Buchanan Award. Linebackers Tanner Burch and Chad Geter each earned All-Big South honors, as did cornerback Keon Williams.
McCray coached outside linebackers and was special teams coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh in his last stop prior to Boiling Springs. The Panthers posted six wins and played in the BBVA Compass Bowl that season. Kicker Kevin Harper ranked No. 11 nationally with 1.62 field goals per game. In 2010, McCray served as defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, and his Blue Raiders excelled at pressuring opponents. MTSU ranked No. 10 nationally in tackles for loss and No. 17 in sacks to help the team win six games overall – including five in league play to finish third in the final Sun Belt standings. That finish earned MTSU a spot in the GoDaddy.com Bowl in January.
The Blue Raiders ranked No. 2 in the Sun Belt in scoring defense, passing yards allowed and pass efficiency defense – while pacing the circuit in tackles for loss. Senior defensive lineman Jamari Lattimore earned 2010 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors and later signed a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers. Lattimore saw action in 14 games with the Packers in his second season (2012) in the league. Defensive backs Rod Issac and Jeremy Kellem also earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2010 and defensive lineman Dwight Smith earned honorable mention honors. Issac was drafted in the fifth round (147th pick) of the 2011 NFL Draft by Jacksonville. Prior to his stint in Murfreesboro, McCray spent four seasons in the Big Ten at league power Wisconsin. While in Madison, McCray coached the defensive line for two seasons (2006-2007), served as recruiting coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2008 and coached safeties in 2009.
The Badgers class of signees during the year McCray was in charge of recruiting included 2012 Doak Walker Award winner and two-time All-America running back Montee Ball – who finished as the NCAA’s career touchdown leader (83), first-team All-Big Ten center Travis Frederick and All-Big Ten linebacker Chris Borland. Frederick is the second-rated center prospect for the 2013 draft by CBS Sports and Ball is rated as the No. 4 running back by the same service. Both are projected to go in the top-3 rounds of the draft. The Badgers appeared in four bowl games in those four seasons – beating Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl to cap a 12-1 season in 2006 and beating Miami in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl. During his four seasons in Madison, McCray helped the Badgers to 38 wins.
During McCray’s first season with Wisconsin, the Badgers defense ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring defense and finished fifth nationally in total defense. Two of his linemen – Matt Shaughnessy and Jason Chapman – earned All-Big Ten accolades. Three linemen earned postseason honors in 2007, with Shaughnessy and Nick Hayden earning All-Big Ten selections and Kirk DeCreamer earning a spot on the Freshman All-America squad. Linebackers DeAndre Levy and Jonathan Casillas each earned All-Big Ten honors in 2008 under McCray’s guidance and safeties Jay Valai and Chris Maragos captured All-Conference honors in 2009.
Wisconsin’s defense held every Big Ten opponent it faced to less than 100 yards rushing in 2009. Six McCray pupils went on to play in the NFL from his time in Wisconsin – Shaughnessy (Oakland Raiders), Levy (Detroit Lions), Hayden (Carolina Panthers), Casillas (New Orleans Saints) and Maragos (Seattle Seahawks) and O’Brien Schofield (Arizona Cardinals). Shaughnessy was a second round pick in 2009, Levy was a third round pick in 2009 and Schofield was a fourth round pick in 2010. McCray served as defensive line coach and linebackers coach at Toledo from 2003-2005 and had a brief stint at Rice. In 2005, McCray’s defensive front helped the Rockets to a 9-3 record and a MAC West Division Co-Championship. Toledo went on to a 45-13 win over UTEP in the GMAC Bowl and finished ranked No. 21 nationally in total defense. The Rockets led the MAC in scoring defense, total defense, pass efficiency defense and sacks – and were second in the league in rushing defense. McCray helped Toledo to the 2004 MAC title in his second season with the program. Defensive end J.P. Bekasiak went on to play in the CFL. Linebackers Brock Dodrill and Keon Jackson earned All-MAC honors in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
McCray also has extensive experience on the FCS level, serving as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for a strong Illinois State program in 2002 and serving as linebackers coach for the Redbirds from 2000-2002. In 2002, Illinois State posted a 6-5 record and linebacker Boomer Grigsby earned first-team All-America honors and was named Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Grigsby finished third in Buck Buchanan Award voting after posting 179 total tackles (108 solo) to lead the nation in that category. Grigsby had 23 tackles in a win over Southern Illinois and went on to be drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
McCray also tutored Illinois State All-American Galen Scott at linebacker in 200. Scott is currently on staff at Memphis, and previously served as defensive coordinator at Illinois State. McCray also spent time at Murray State, coaching from 1997-1999 in the OVC and serving as defensive coordinator for the Racers in 1999. That season, Murray State ranked No. 18 nationally in turnover margin. He coached All-America linebacker Ronnie Merritt in 1997. The Racers won 21 games in three seasons with McCray on staff.
The Monroe, N.C., native also had early career stops at Bethune-Cookman (1996) as defensive ends coach, Clemson (1995) as quality control coach and UT-Chattanooga (1993-1994) as defensive line coach. He spent the 1991 and 1992 seasons at South Carolina as a graduate assistant. As a player, McCray was a two-year letterwinner at linebacker and running back at Appalachian State. He was a member of the Mountaineers 1987 SoCon championship team and played on two teams that advanced to the I-AA playoffs.
McCray, the younger brother of Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray, graduated from Appalachian State in 1991 with a degree in communications. He earned a master’s degree in higher education from South Carolina. He and his wife, Michelle, have one son – Matt – and a daughter – Mallory.
