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We continue our 2016-17 season preview interview series with Georgia State assistant coach Ray McCallum. As a player at Ball State in the 1980s he graduated as the all-time leading scorer in MAC history. If you want the inside scoop on the Big 10 then he is your man, having been an assistant at Wisconsin/Michigan/Indiana. He also has 300 wins on his resume as head coach at Ball State/Houston/Detroit. This offseason he switched school and moved farther down the bench after becoming an assistant to Panthers head coach Ron Hunter. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach McCallum about his son’s blossoming NBA career and his team’s summer trip to the Dominican Republic.
You won a pair of Indiana state titles at Muncie Central High School and were named MVP of the 1979 state title game after scoring 18 PTS: was it extra-special to beat your archrival Anderson to win the title? It was very special because they were in our conference and had beaten us earlier in the year. We were the defending state champions and the 2 schools were only 19 miles apart so it was a huge rivalry. We also played in 2 of the best venues in the state of Indiana. The Fieldhouse (where I played) seated about 5,000 and the Anderson Wigwam seated about 7,000. It was a big deal and kind of like bragging rights for not only the state but within both communities as well.
At Ball State you were named MAC ROY/POY/conference tourney MVP: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? The individual awards were great but coming in off a state championship was the ultimate for me. The thing that I am proudest of is having my number retired at Ball State, but the thing that is most important to me was winning the MAC tournament title and going to the NCAA tournament. To be a part of the school’s 1st NCAA tournament team in 13 years and representing Ball State was my biggest highlight.
You also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best senior in the nation under 6’: did you consider your size to be an advantage or disadvantage on the court? I was one of those guys who was under 6’ tall but I never looked at myself as being under 6’: I think I played bigger and was quicker then my opponents. I could jump and was very athletic, which was an advantage for me. I knew heading into the NBA Draft that it would be used against me, but when I stepped onto the floor I felt as though I was as big as anybody.
You graduated as the all-time leading scorer in MAC history with 2109 PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I developed into a great scorer: I was a small player but I used my fundamentals. I was a sound player who could use both hands as well as my speed/quickness/jumping ability. I also felt that I could shoot with range, which helped a lot. I was a good shooter who defenses had to respect. I worked hard on my shooting and shot 50 FG% for my career. I think that my consistency helped as well: in 116 career games I think I scored in double figures 109 times. I credit that to fundamentals and the work ethic that I had.
As head coach at Ball State in January of 2000 you had back-to-back triple-OT losses on the road: how were you able to bounce back from that to win each of your 3 conference tourney games that March by 3 PTS or less? I talk a lot about eliminating mistakes and then learning from them. We used those losses as learning experiences and talked about them a lot: the key was eliminating mistakes. In the Mid-American Conference and other schools at the mid-major level there is a very fine line between winning and losing. We really used those games to our advantage later in the year.
Your son Ray Jr. played for you at Detroit before making it to the NBA: what was it like to coach him, and how proud are you of all of his success? I was very proud that he came to play for me. The 3 best years I have had as a coach were when I got to coach him. I am really happy that he made the decision to come and play for me. With that said, there was a lot of pressure/expectations because he was coming in as a McDonald’s All-American and being recruited by everyone. I have a lot of respect for him because it is not only hard on the coach but it is also hard on the kid when all eyes are on you. When you turn down premier programs in the country to go to a place that had not been to the tournament in 13 years, it is a lot to ask for a young man who will obviously take the credit or the blame. It was a special time and he is now battling as he goes into his 4th year in the NBA. In my mind he made it even if he did not put in the years he has had so far.
You currently work as an assistant to Coach Ron Hunter: how have you been able to make the transition time and again between head coach and assistant coach? In my 32 years as a coach I have been a head coach for 19 years and an assistant coach for 13 years. I thought that I was a good assistant because I always understood that my agenda was whatever the head coach wanted us to get done. I think that is the job of an assistant: you have to understand that and then do what is best for the program. What better way to get back to being an assistant than working for a great friend in Coach Hunter. I am happy to be a part of his staff and to work with him.
You have several transfers on your roster (from Alabama/Indiana/Murray State/Samford/St. Bonaventure): what is the key to having everyone come together and bond as a team? I think that the character of the guys is the most important. We have the high-major guys who have transferred and come here because of Coach Hunter and his program. To be a part of the program you have to meet a certain criteria. Those young men have met his criteria: high character levels and good hearts. They just want an opportunity and I think that each of them will make the most of it.
Speaking of bonding, what did your team get out of its trip to the Dominican Republic in August? It was truly a bonding trip: there was no basketball involved. It was a mission of service and I think that it helped each coach/player learn about each other and the art of giving back and helping each other. We just became a closer staff/team because it was about emotion/teamwork/spirit and all of the other important things in life.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As coaches we always prepare for victory. We are going to prepare for Game #1 just as hard as we prepare for the Sun Belt tournament: with a plan to win. As coaches you want your guys to be continually growing/maturing as the team gets better. For us it is all about the end of the season so we want to be playing our best basketball in February/March.