Rick Ray is new basketball coach at Mississippi St

By: Associated Press

Posted: Sun 7:16 PM, Apr 01, 2012

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi State has hired Clemson assistant Rick Ray to be its next men's basketball coach.

The university announced Ray's hiring on Sunday and scheduled a press conference for Monday morning.

The 40-year-old Ray has been the top assistant at Clemson for the past two seasons. The Tigers won 22 games and went to the NCAA tournament in 2011. He also spent four years as an assistant at Purdue under Matt Painter and seven seasons as an assistant at Indiana State.

Ray replaces Rick Stansbury, who announced his retirement in March after 14 seasons leading the program.

Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement that Ray fit the model he wanted as a head coach, describing him as "bright, enthusiastic (and) disciplined."

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