Courtesy of Fort Valley State Athletics
FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Division II HBCU Fort Valley State University (FVSU) has announced Kenny Ray as the interim head coach of Wildcat football. He previously held the position prior to the hiring of former head coach Shawn Gibbs, who left his post at Fort Valley State University on December, 6th 2024 to become the head coach at North Carolina A&T.
Ray, who has been with FVSU since February 2020, most recently served as the associate head coach, offensive line coach, and run game coordinator. During his tenure, Ray’s offensive line played a pivotal role in the team’s success, paving the way for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (SIAC) top rushers, including current Green Bay Packer Emanuel Wilson and standout Brandon Marshall. Under Ray’s leadership, the 2024 offensive line allowed the fewest sacks in the SIAC.
Ray’s extensive coaching career spans over two decades, including 15 seasons at Division I HBCU programs such as Tennessee State, Howard, Alabama State, and North Carolina A&T. He also has experience at the FBS level, having coached at the University of Louisiana-Monroe from 1999 to 2003. Before joining FVSU, he spent seven seasons as the offensive line coach and assistant head coach at Gardner-Webb University.
A national search is currently underway to identify the next head coach for Wildcat football.
About Kenny Ray
Kenneth Ray started his first season with Fort Valley State as the Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator in February 2020. He comes to FVSU after spending the past seven seasons as the Offensive Line/Assistant Head Coach at Gardner-Webb University.
Coach Ray spent time as Offensive Coordinator at North Carolina A&T and his line cleared a path for running back Michael Ferguson to finish his career with 2,524 yards and 27 touchdowns – including a 1,000-yard season in 2007. Ferguson finished his career as the sixth-leading rusher in school history.
As a player, Coach Ray was a three-year starter from 1992-1994 at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he helped the Golden Eagles to a pair of winning seasons. USM defeated LSU, 20-18, on the road in his final college game in 1994. During his time at USM, Coach Ray was a teammate of future NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre.