Gray named new Nevada boys' basketball coach

By Eric Wade

Daily Mail Sports Editor

Shaun Gray graduated from Bronaugh High School in 2005, after helping the Wildcats to two district championships and an appearance in the Sectional game his senior year. During his high school playing career under then-head coach Tim Judd, Gray realized his true calling -- coaching basketball. Not only did he accomplish his goal of joining a high school coaching staff, but Gray has now reached the top of the ladder, landing the job as Nevada High School's new head boys' basketball coach.

"It's been a goal of mine to be a head basketball coach since I was 16 or 17 years old, in high school," Gray said. "I've past up a few opportunities to maybe go to smaller schools, or to maybe go to schools that were desperate for a head coach and to go places that wouldn't have been a great situation. This is a situation I always wanted to be in and when they offered it to me, it was somewhat emotional."

Gray began his coaching career while he was in college, studying physical education at Pittsburg State University. During that time, Gray didn't exactly find himself in his dream job, but being an assistant baseball coach at Liberal High School was enough to keep him satisfied, at the time, and keep the coaching bug alive in his mind.

"I was just getting my hand, you know, in any coaching I could," he said.

After his graduation from Pittsburg State in 2009, Gray got his first basketball coaching job with the McDonald County School District. There, he went from a junior high coach to the head of the freshman team and eventually, became McDonald County High School's junior varsity coach.

Though that position gave him a secure spot doing the job he loves, when the opportunity came to join the coaching staff at Nevada, Gray had some fairly strong motivation to take the position as Tigers freshman coach. Despite leaving the strong relationships he built at McDonald County, Gray's motivation to make the switch outweighed any reservations.

"Getting back close to home was a big motivation for me," he said of his decision to take the job at Nevada. "I've got a lot of family in Vernon County, in the Nevada, Moundville, Bronaugh area, so I wanted to get back close to them.

"I wanted the opportunity to coach under someone like Coach McNeley, that would give me a great experience and someone who would be a great role model for me, as a future coach. The potential for there to be a head coaching opening here, I honestly thought it would be three to five years."

Gray took over the job as Tigers freshman coach at a time of transition, as not only were the Tigers just one year away from officially joining the West Central Conference, but then-head coach John McNeley was making the transition into the office of athletic director. Rumors fluttered from the moment McNeley was announced as the school's athletic director last June that his career as a coach may be over, but the position at the head of the Tigers program wasn't officially opened until January.

Once the position did open up, Gray found himself on what turned out to be the fast track to his dream job, but still wasn't quite sure whether or not to pursue the position.

"I have a good relationship with Coach McNeley, so I just asked him what his thoughts were on if I should apply or not and he said, you know, he knew I wanted to be a head coach someday," he said. "And regardless of if it worked out this year or not, it would be a good thing for me to go through. So, as soon as basketball season ended, I put my application in."

It wasn't until the first week of April when Gray was the first of several candidates interviewed for the job that he heard much more about his potential to take over as the Tigers' new head coach. After his interview, the waiting game was far from over, as it was another month before Gray was informed that he was, indeed, awarded the position.

"It was a long three and a half, four weeks, I'll say that," he said. "Just playing the waiting game and wondering what was going to happen."

During his time as an assistant on McNeley's staff, Gray knew in the back of his mind that he did eventually want to become head coach, but never really was in a hurry. For that reason, there wasn't really too much stress over whether or not he would get the job.

"We've got really good men of integrity in the AD's office and the superintendent's office now, so I was confident, regardless of if I got the job or not, that they were going to get a good person for the job," he said. "That, I had no doubt of."

Now that the waiting game is over and the announcement has been made, however, the stress has begun to set in. Despite knowing for just two days that he will be McNeley's successor, Gray has already been putting in work and several hours of his time trying to get ready for his first season at the helm of the Tigers program.

"As far as a young, first-time coach, this is just a perfect situation because I've got Coach McNeley and all of his experience in the AD's office," Gray said. "I mean, I bet from the time last night when they told me I got the job until now, I've probably sent him 12 or 15 emails, just asking questions and checking in on things."

That mentorship Gray is getting from McNeley isn't anything new. Throughout his first season with the program, Gray said McNeley was always more than willing to offer any kind of assistance and viewed Gray as a member of his staff, who was worthy of his time.

"From day one, he was nothing but supportive," Gray said of McNeley. "He viewed me as an assistant on his staff, he was open to any ideas that I would give. He made it very clear from the beginning that anything I needed, any advice, he was there to give it and he did give it."

Just as McNeley has stressed throughout his tenure as Tigers head coach, Gray said his main focus as the program's new head coach will be to develop young men who are prepared to be successful in life. Success on the basketball court, Gray said, will come as a by-product of that preparation for life success.

Despite that mentality that puts success as people before success as athletes, however, Gray said he isn't going to be one to make decisions as to which of his players get on the floor based on anything but basketball talent.

"Basketball is not an equal-opportunity sport," he said. "It's a situation where the best rebounders on the team should be pulling the most rebounds, the best defenders should be defending the best players and the best shooters and the best attackers should be taking the majority of the shots and doing the majority of the attacking. There are some people who don't understand that."

That mentality can lead a lot of coaches to develop and stick to a certain style of play, but Gray said he will do what he can to make sure that doesn't happen with his teams.

"I'm not a 'this is how were going to play," kind of guy," he said. "I mean, if I coached at the college level, that would be great because I could recruit kids to play my style. High school basketball is not like that and definitely, small town Missouri high school basketball is not like that because you just get the kids you get and you have to adapt the style and the game plan to fit them."

Gray has already begun his preparations for his first season as Tigers head coach, announcing the decision to the team on Friday and putting into motion his plans to organize a number of open gym sessions, as well as a few scrimmages and other preseason activities to prepare his squad for the 2014-15 season. The first open gym session is set for May 11.

The announcement of Gray's hiring was made official by the Nevada R-5 Board of Education at its meeting Friday morning.