Alumni Update: Nicole McCray named Head Coach
February 23rd, 2006
Former University of Florida All-American middle blocker Nicole McCray (1999-02) was named the new head coach at Georgia Southern University.
McCray, who served as an assistant coach at Georgia in 2005 under former Gator Steffi Legall, becomes the eighth former player or assistant coach under Mary Wise to rise to the ranks of a head coach.
McCray is the second former player or coach with ties to the Gators to be named a head coach in the last two months as former assistant Arlisa Hagan was hired at Georgetown.
The three-time All-American takes over a Georgia Southern program that returns 10 players and three starters from the 2005 squad that finished 21-11 and 13-5 in the Southern Conference.
McCray replaced Kerry Messersmith, who moved on to become the head coach at Alabama-Birmingham.
“Our goal was to identify an individual that will build on the success that Coach Messersmith brought to our program,” said Sam Baker, Georgia Southern Director of Athletics. “In Nicole I think we found that person. She brings great energy to the job and I look forward to watching her impart her vision for the direction of the program.”
The Longview, Texas, native joins Keylor Chan (assistant coach, Northwestern), Meg Colado (player, Central Florida), Arlisa Hagan (assistant coach, Georgetown), Steffi Legall (player, Georgia), Claire Lessinger (player, South Florida), Prentice Lewis (assistant coach, TCU) and Jen Sanchez (player, Incarnate Word) in the list of former players or coaches at Florida under Wise who are current collegiate head coaches.
Congratulations, Nicole! We're glad to see you move up to Division IA - and move away from the SEC <g> Good luck!!
