Photo by: Parker Waters
Q&A With Coach Ray: McCallum's Experience Key for Green Wave Hoops
Jan 20, 2021 | Men's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane men's basketball program is gifted with an extremely experienced coaching staff. Including head coach Ron Hunter, the staff combines for over 50 years of head-coaching experience, and associate head coach Ray McCallum is responsible for 19 of them. McCallum has coached at the NCAA Division I level in parts of five decades and with 300 head-coaching victories under his belt, he maintains his status as one of the most experienced assistant coaches in the country.
Most recently, McCallum was tasked with leading the Green Wave from the bench in the January 16 home game against Temple in Hunter's absence due to COVID-19 protocols. If any team was positioned better from the standpoint of coaching experience, it was Tulane, and McCallum was prepared to assume the responsibility.
Like many in the coaching profession, McCallum aspires to one day return to the head-coaching ranks.
Q: How have you prepared yourself to become a head coach?
"I'm very proud of the foundations we laid down during my time as an assistant at Wisconsin (1984-93) and Michigan (1993). I've had the opportunity to work at some of the best academic and athletic institutions in the country to get started in coaching. I was the youngest head coach in the country at 31 years old when I started at Ball State, and we laid a foundation there. We went to two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT. Then we went to an NIT at Houston, and another NCAA Tournament and NIT at Detroit. That gave me a lot of experience.
"At Houston, I inherited a team that went 7-23 and hadn't played in the postseason in 13 years and we made the NIT in year two. Then, at Detroit, I led them to their first postseason in 10 years when we made the NCAA Tournament. I'm a guy that's used to rolling up his sleeves, going to work, laying and building foundations. I make programs better. I helped do that at Georgia State and that's what we plan to do at Tulane.
Q: With your ability to help build and lead basketball programs, how will that translate to similar success at Tulane?
"Coach Hunter and I played against one another in college, and we've always talked basketball growing up in the (coaching) profession. We've always pulled for each other's teams. When the opportunity came up after leaving Detroit, he called me and told me to join him at Georgia State so we can win some more championships, go back to the NCAA Tournament and put me in position to be a head coach again. We won two championships before coming here. I've coached in 10 NCAA Tournaments and the people I've worked with have been crucial to my opportunities. We didn't make an NCAA Tournament in my time at Wisconsin, but I shared an office with Stan Van Gundy and Sean Miller. We were all on the staff together, so my basketball tree is pretty big."
Q: What are the things you're proud of during your time as a head coach?
"I got to coach my son at Detroit, and we went to an NCAA Tournament. He was an NBA Draft pick and a professional basketball player. That's definitely up there. I develop young men and that's what shows over the years with the number of all-conference players, player of the year picks and freshmen of the year. The majority of my guys have graduated and have earned academic honors. The combination of helping develop young men and winning is most rewarding."
Q: Why did you choose coaching collegiately over any other level of basketball?
"I feel like I can and have been able to positively impact the lives of young men. Most guys that truly love the game want to go to college and have an opportunity to go to the next level. I was no different. I was drafted by the Indiana Pacers. I think I can help guys more than some others because I was able to accomplish it while not being a big guy. I think I can help guys become the best they can be. When you're not a big guy, you have to have a tremendous amount of will and determination to develop your skills, IQ and body. I have that will, determination and competitive fire not to be denied."
Q: What helped you prepare at a moment's notice to serve as the head coach in Tulane's game against Temple on January 16?
"I remember when I had to fill in for the rest of last year's game at SMU, and I moved over. I've been in that situation before. When last week came about, we always say to 'expect the unexpected,' and we gave everything we had to do the job. I know how to motivate players because I was the last player on my team as a junior in high school. The next year, I was MVP of the state championship game. I'm used to overcoming the odds."
Most recently, McCallum was tasked with leading the Green Wave from the bench in the January 16 home game against Temple in Hunter's absence due to COVID-19 protocols. If any team was positioned better from the standpoint of coaching experience, it was Tulane, and McCallum was prepared to assume the responsibility.
Like many in the coaching profession, McCallum aspires to one day return to the head-coaching ranks.
Q: How have you prepared yourself to become a head coach?
"I'm very proud of the foundations we laid down during my time as an assistant at Wisconsin (1984-93) and Michigan (1993). I've had the opportunity to work at some of the best academic and athletic institutions in the country to get started in coaching. I was the youngest head coach in the country at 31 years old when I started at Ball State, and we laid a foundation there. We went to two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT. Then we went to an NIT at Houston, and another NCAA Tournament and NIT at Detroit. That gave me a lot of experience.
"At Houston, I inherited a team that went 7-23 and hadn't played in the postseason in 13 years and we made the NIT in year two. Then, at Detroit, I led them to their first postseason in 10 years when we made the NCAA Tournament. I'm a guy that's used to rolling up his sleeves, going to work, laying and building foundations. I make programs better. I helped do that at Georgia State and that's what we plan to do at Tulane.
Q: With your ability to help build and lead basketball programs, how will that translate to similar success at Tulane?
"Coach Hunter and I played against one another in college, and we've always talked basketball growing up in the (coaching) profession. We've always pulled for each other's teams. When the opportunity came up after leaving Detroit, he called me and told me to join him at Georgia State so we can win some more championships, go back to the NCAA Tournament and put me in position to be a head coach again. We won two championships before coming here. I've coached in 10 NCAA Tournaments and the people I've worked with have been crucial to my opportunities. We didn't make an NCAA Tournament in my time at Wisconsin, but I shared an office with Stan Van Gundy and Sean Miller. We were all on the staff together, so my basketball tree is pretty big."
Q: What are the things you're proud of during your time as a head coach?
"I got to coach my son at Detroit, and we went to an NCAA Tournament. He was an NBA Draft pick and a professional basketball player. That's definitely up there. I develop young men and that's what shows over the years with the number of all-conference players, player of the year picks and freshmen of the year. The majority of my guys have graduated and have earned academic honors. The combination of helping develop young men and winning is most rewarding."
Q: Why did you choose coaching collegiately over any other level of basketball?
"I feel like I can and have been able to positively impact the lives of young men. Most guys that truly love the game want to go to college and have an opportunity to go to the next level. I was no different. I was drafted by the Indiana Pacers. I think I can help guys more than some others because I was able to accomplish it while not being a big guy. I think I can help guys become the best they can be. When you're not a big guy, you have to have a tremendous amount of will and determination to develop your skills, IQ and body. I have that will, determination and competitive fire not to be denied."
Q: What helped you prepare at a moment's notice to serve as the head coach in Tulane's game against Temple on January 16?
"I remember when I had to fill in for the rest of last year's game at SMU, and I moved over. I've been in that situation before. When last week came about, we always say to 'expect the unexpected,' and we gave everything we had to do the job. I know how to motivate players because I was the last player on my team as a junior in high school. The next year, I was MVP of the state championship game. I'm used to overcoming the odds."
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