LORMAN, Miss. – A former NFL quarterback and Division I offensive coordinator, the Alcorn State University football program added another member to its 2020 coaching staff with the hiring of Quinn Gray Sr. as quarterbacks coach, announced by head coach Fred McNair.
Gray was the associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida A&M from 2011-2014.
Most recently, Gray spent three seasons as head coach at Lincoln High School in Florida. He produced nine FACA All-District Players, including the 2019 Tallahassee QB Club Offensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year.
“Coach Fred McNair has given me the opportunity to continue a dream of mine of coaching on the Division I level. I will continue to work as diligently as I have in my new position. I look forward to the new beginning once things are safe and look forward to becoming an Alcornite,” Gray said.
Gray began his coaching career at Andrew Jackson HS as head football coach and assistant athletic director. He developed five Duval Academic County All-County honors and two All-Gateway Conference performers. He led the Tigers to their first-ever playoff appearance in 2010.
He served as head coach at Mandarain HS in 2016 and head coach at Whitefield Academy Mableton in 2015. He was named the 2016 District 5 Florida Athletic Coaches Association 8A Coach of the Year.
“Coach Gray is very knowledgeable of the game. Before he was coaching, he obviously had a lot of experience playing the position himself at all levels including the NFL. Coach Gray is really going to be a force in the film room and will be a mentor to our quarterbacks,” McNair said. “He’s going to come in and greatly help us maintain a high level offensively.”
As a player, Gray spent seven seasons in the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2002 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he stayed through 2007. Gray concluded his NFL career in 2008 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gray also played in NFL Europe, leading the Frankfort (Germany) Galaxy to the NFL Europe championship.
As a student-athlete, Gray became the all-time leader at FAMU in passing yards (7,378), pass attempts (1,113), pass completions (562) and TD passes (57), and he holds the single-game record for most pass attempts (65 vs. North Carolina A&T in 2001).
He also owns three of the top-10 single-game passing performances of all-time in FAMU history: 407 yards vs. S.C. State (2001); 390 yards vs. Morgan State (2000) and 388 yards vs. Bethune-Cookman (2000).
Gray led FAMU to back-to-back MEAC titles in 2000 (9-3) and 2001 (7-4) and consecutive playoff berths (2000, 2001) as a starter. Overall, he was a member of four straight NCAA playoff squads (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), seeing significant playing time during the 1999 season, which included a memorable playoff run to the national semifinals.
In high school, Gray was a three-sport athlete at Dillard HS in Florida, lettering as a star quarterback in football, a pitcher in baseball and in basketball.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Gray holds a B.S. degree in Health and Physical Education (2006) from FAMU. During his time in Tallahassee, he was active in the community, serving as a motivational speaker at various inner-city elementary, middle and high schools.
In addition, he served as director of the annual “Future Legends Foundation” Football and Cheerleaders camp presented by the American Cancer Society.
Gray was inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame in 2020.
Courtesy: Alcorn State Athletics
