Coastal Carolina officially introduced Justin Gray as the school’s new men’s basketball coach on Thursday, and immediately “Teal Nation” saw what fuels the former Western Carolina head coach. Gray has an outspoken confidence and belief in himself that are infectious.
“It is time for men’s basketball to be that way (where there’s a buzz about a CCU game). It is time for excitement,” Gray said during his introductory press conference. “That’s what I’m really excited about—not if, but when. Not if, but when it happens.”
Gray infused Western Carolina with plenty of buzz during his three seasons in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The Catamounts reached the Southern Conference tournament semifinals and the College Basketball Invitational in 2023 before compiling a 22-10 record this past season that featured wins at Notre Dame, Middle Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. He was 51–46 in his three years at Western.
The 39-year-old inherits a CCU program that finished 9-22 overall and 5-13 in the Sun Belt Conference this past season. He officially replaces legendary head coach Cliff Ellis, who retired in December. CCU associate head coach Benny Moss guided the Chanticleers for the remainder of the 2023–24 campaign.