Carroll McCray enters his seventh season at Samford as offensive line coach. Behind the Bulldogs' line, 11 running backs have rushed for more than 500 yards in a season during his tenure. Last year's line upheld the McCray standard for excellence, opening the way for the Bulldogs to average more than 300 yards per game and finish fourth in Division I-AA, with running backs Jerome Russell and Rashad Brewer combining for more than 1,700 yards.
McCray brought 10 years of successful collegiate experience to Samford. He served for five years at the University of South Carolina, assisting in the transition from an independent football program to the Southeastern Conference while working with tight ends, H-Backs, the offensive line and special teams. While at USC, he coached Ernest Dye, the first Gamecock player chosen All-Southeastern Conference and later a first round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 1992. Three of McCray's troops played in the Senior Bowl, and two in the Blue-Gray and East-West Shrine games.
He began his coaching career with Sparky Woods at Appalachian State, where he served two years as a graduate assistant, working with tight ends and tackles and coaching the inside linebackers for three seasons. During his time at ASU, the Mountaineers compiled a 38-19-2 record, advanced to the NCAA I-AA Playoffs in 1986 and to the semi-finals in 1987 after eliminating defending national champion Georgia Southern in the second round.
Four players whom McCray tutored were on NFL rosters last season - Dye, Matt Campbell of the Carolina Panthers, James Dexter of the Arizona Cardinals, and former Samford letterwinner Aaron Bryant, who signed as a free agent and was a member of the prectice squad with the 1999 AFC Champion Tennessee Titans.
McCray was a three-year letter winner at NAIA power Gardner-Webb College as an offensive lineman. He earned his B.A. from Gardner-Webb in 1983 and his M.A. at Appalachian State in 1985.
The Monroe, N.C., native is a graduate of Parkwood High School. He is married to the former Angel Allen of King's Mountain, N.C., and they have a son, Trey (12), and a daughter, Meredith (7).
MCCRAY'S BIO AT A GLANCE
BIRTHDATE: February 4, 1961
HOMETOWN: Monroe, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL: Parkwood H.S. 1979
COLLEGE: Gardner-Webb, B.A. 1983
Appalachian State, M.A., 1985
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Gardner-Webb (Offensive Line), 1979-82
COLLEGIATE COACHING: Appalachian State, Graduate Assistant (Tight Ends, Tackles), 1984-85; Assistant Coach (Inside Linebackers, Special Teams), 1986-88; South Carolina, Assistant Coach (Tight Ends, H-Backs, Offensive Line), 1989-93; Samford, Assistant Coach (Offensive Line), 1994-present
PERSONAL: Married to the former Angel Allen of Kings Mountain N.C., and they have two children, son Trey (12), and a daughter, Meredith (7).
