Following up on something that HoopDirt.com mentioned in the Daily Dirt on 5/3. It’s now been made official…
UNCG men’s basketball has announced the addition former Charlotte assistant coach Andre Gray to the same position. Gray coached three seasons with the Charlotte 49ers, and has 16 years of collegiate coaching experience. Gray is familiar with the Piedmont Triad area, having coached the 2014-15 season with the Winston-Salem State Rams, a team that won 18 games and reached the championship game of the CIAA Tournament.
“I’m very excited to be joining Wes Miller and the UNCG athletic family.” Gray said, “Coach Miller, his players, and staff have done a phenomenal job of building this program into elite status and I look forward to helping him continue that success.”
“Andre is a great addition to our staff.” Head coach Wes Miller said, “I’ve known him for 10 years and I’ve always admired his work ethic. He is familiar with our region, specifically North Carolina and He has great experience coaching and recruiting in this area.”
In his first season at Charlotte during the 2015-16 season, three members of the coaching staff’s first recruiting class earned All-Conference USA honors, one second team selection and two Conference USA All-Freshman honorees. In his second season in Charlotte during the 2016-17 season, the coaching staff’s first signee finished second in C-USA in scoring while earning second team All-Conference USA honors. The 49ers finished the season in the top five in the league in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage and 3-pointers made per game. Charlotte finished second in C-USA and in the top 50 nationally in free throw shooting percentage.
Prior to his season with Winston-Salem State, Gray spent three seasons with the UNCW Seahawks (2011-14) on Buzz Peterson’s staff. Prior to UNCW, Gray worked as an assistant at Southern Conference-rival Western Carolina for three seasons under former head coach Larry Hunter. During that three-year run, WCU posted three-straight winning seasons and two Southern Conference North Division titles. Prior to his first round in the SoCon, Gray worked as an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb in a season that saw the Runnin’ Bulldogs defeat nationally ranked Kentucky in Lexington.
Gray also worked four seasons as an assistant coach at Wingate University from 2003-07. During his time at Wingate, the Bulldogs earned bids to the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Division II Tournament after earning the South Atlantic Conference championship in both seasons. In 2007, Wingate advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, capturing the South Atlantic Region title.
Gray got his start as the head boys’ basketball coach at Clayton Middle School in Clayton, North Carolina. He served as an assistant coach at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford, North Carolina before beginning his collegiate coaching experience as an assistant coach at his alma-mater Methodist College for two seasons. During his time on the Methodist coaching staff, he helped lead the team to a USA South Conference Championship and a 22-6 league record over those two years.
He is originally from Elizabethtown, North Carolina and he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Methodist College in 1998. Gray played basketball at Methodist from 1995-97. As a senior he helped Methodist advance to the 1997 Division III Elite Eight.
Gray is married to the former Tarius Williams.
