April 29, 2008

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina head men's basketball coach Larry Hunter today announced the hiring of Andre Gray to complete his coaching staff. Gray, who comes to Western after one season at Gardner-Webb, replaces former assistant Bobby Woollum, who took a position outside of basketball this past March.

Hunter also announced today that Dustin Ford has been promoted to associate head coach. Ford, a native of Cambridge, Ohio, came to Western prior to Hunter's first season in 2005 and the two begin their fourth-season with the Catamounts.

"Andre Gray comes to Western Carolina very highly recommended and will bring a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to our staff," said Hunter. "He has played and worked at the collegiate level under some outstanding coaches. He has Division I recruiting experience and contacts which should be of help to our existing staff. He is a quality person who will quickly gain the respect of our players and who will represent Western Carolina Basketball very well."

Gray joined the coaching staff at Big South Conference member, Gardner-Webb, in July 2007. He helped the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 16-16 overall record and a 9-7 league mark last season.

Prior to his stint with Gardner-Webb, Gray was an assistant at Wingate University for four seasons. The Bulldogs made the NCAA Division II tournament in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007, capturing the South Atlantic Conference Championships both seasons. In the latter, Wingate advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, winning the South Atlantic Region championship.

Gray was a varsity letter winner at Methodist after transferring from Fayetteville State. During the 1996-97 season, Methodist won the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference / USA South regular season and tournament championships to garner a berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament where it advanced to the Elite Eight.

He graduated in May 1998 with a B.S. in Physical Education, and returned to his alma mater as the top men's basketball assistant coach in 2001, while also serving as the recruiting coordinator and junior varsity head coach. With Gray back on the bench as a coach, the Monarchs claimed the 2003 DIAC/USA South Atlantic Conference regular season championship, and posted a 22-6 league record in his two seasons.

Gray's coaching career began at Clayton Middle School in Clayton, N.C., as the head boy's basketball coach. He then parlayed that experience into an assistant's position at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford, N.C., as an assistant on the boy's varsity squad, while maintaining head coaching status with the boy's junior varsity team, with both positions helping him move him to the collegiate ranks.

A native of Elizabethtown, N.C., Gray has extensive camp experience as well, including the prestigious Five Star Camp. Gray has also worked basketball camps at Duke, Wake Forest and Old Dominion.

In addition to filling out his coaching staff with the hiring of Andre Gray, Hunter today announced the promotion of assistant coach Dustin Ford to the position of associate head coach.

"Dustin has proven himself to be a very talented young coach and is very deserving of this promotion," said Hunter, who coached Ford as a player at Ohio. "He has been a relentless recruiter and has been key figure in identifying and recruiting a large percentage of our recruits over the past three years."

In addition to assisting with the day-to-day operation of the Catamount program, Ford will assume the title and role of recruiting coordinator, a position he previously shared.

"(Dustin) has terrific people skills and is very passionate about his job and responsibilities. He has worked hard at establishing and maintaining relationships with coaches in order to identify and recruit prospects for our program. He is a very knowledgeable coach and has done an excellent job of working with the young men in our program both on and off the court."