Rick Ray is in his first year at the helm for the MSU men’s basketball team and is the first African-American men’s basketball coach in MSU history.
Before coming to MSU, Ray was an assistant at  schools such as Indiana State, Purdue and most recently Clemson, where he made trips to the NCAA tournament with all three teams.
Ray played basketball for Grand View College in Iowa and was All-American Scholar Athlete in 1993.
Ray answered these questions for The Reflector via email.
 
Q:What does it mean to you to be the first African-American coach in Mississippi State men’s basketball history?
A:It means a great deal to me, but I love the fact that it is not a big deal.  And what I mean by that is that the Mississippi State community has moved past me being African-American being a big deal.  A lot of that is a credit to Sylvester Croom and what type of man he was.
 
Q:How do you think your position of leadership has influenced the black community at MSU?
A:I believe it gives young men and women realistic hope that they can reach positions of leadership without any barriers or restrictions. It also shows the progressive thinking of the Mississippi State administration.
 
Q:Did you ever think your race would affect your potential to become a big-time basketball coach?
A:I did not. I believe that if you look at the history of the hiring practices in basketball, in the collegiate and professional ranks, that it has been by far the most open to hiring African-American head coaches.
 
Q:What initially drew you to MSU, and what is your favorite aspect of the school or of Starkville?
A:There is a history of winning and support here at Mississippi State. That was the initial attraction. The people make the community and the campus, and the Mississippi State community has been so hospitable to me and my family.
 
 Q:Earlier this year, you did a favorite movies list on Twitter. What are your top five favorite movies?
A:5.  “Malcolm X” 4.  “Glory” 3. “King of New York” 2.  “Braveheart” 1. “American History X”
 
Q:What would your ideal day look like in the off season, and what do you enjoy doing most outside of coaching basketball?
A:Having breakfast with my family and taking my son to school in the morning. Meeting with my staff about the team. Returning all my phone calls, getting on the court and doing individual workouts with my players, making some recruiting calls, play some racquetball for a workout, get home around 7:30 p.m. to eat dinner with my family, read my son a couple of books for bed time, watch film, then get to spend a little time with my wife and head to bed around midnight (That would be ideal. I go to bed late, usually around 1:30 a.m. – bad habit.)
 I love music, listen to it all the time.
 
Q: What has been the biggest surprise for you since being at MSU?
A:It’s weird but the interview process for jobs are so secretive now days that you never get to see the campus and facilities until you have already accepted the job.  So, getting the chance to see the Hump, the Mize Pavilion, our offices and the campus finally was a big surprise because of how nice everything was.
 
Q:Obviously, you would like to win every game but has this year’s team met your expectations in other ways?
A:This is not a bad thing, but no, the team has not met my expectations.  I want zero distractions off the court, and we have had some distractions.
 
Q:What would a successful close to the season look like to you?
A:The obvious answer is winning, but beyond that, seeing our guys improve individually and as a team.
 
Q:What encouragement can you give to Bulldog fans struggling to stay energized this year?
A:It has been a tough season for us and the fans.  I can understand the fans being frustrated with us losing, but believe me, no one wants to win more than myself and our team.  I just want everyone to keep in perspective that we have half the scholarship players that we are supposed to have on this team.  Our kids play hard and are easy to cheer for.  You are watching the beginning of what will grow into a successful and special team.