Missouri State head football coach Dave Steckel announced several staff changes Monday, including the addition of assistant coach Jason Ray and the elevation of Sean Coughlin and Mack Brown as co-offensive coordinators.
The promotions of Brown and Coughlin fill the void on the Missouri State staff left by the departure of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco, who accepted an assistant coach post at the University of Central Florida in December. Coughlin, who is entering his 11 season on the Bears’ staff, will continue to mentor the MSU offensive linemen, while Brown will shift roles and work with the Bears’ signal-callers after tutoring the wide receivers in his first year with the program.
“After great thought, I felt it was important to name Mack and Sean as co-offensive coordinators to provide continuity and a solid foundation moving forward and for the future of our program,” Steckel said.
Brown moves into the role of co-offensive coordinator after a whirlwind first year in Springfield that saw the Overland Park, Kan., native work with the Bears tight end and wide receiver position groups while also helping coordinate MSU’s special teams units. Eight different receivers recorded at least 10 receptions for the Bears this past season, while a pair of MSU special teamers earned all-conference recognition, including sophomore return specialist Deion Holliman, who was a first-team All-MVFC pick after leading the nation in combined kick return yardage.
Brown joined Steckel’s first MSU staff last winter following a three-year stint as a graduate assistant at Missouri, where he helped MU post dramatic statistical improvements in numerous offensive categories and back-to-back SEC East Division championships.
Over the last nine seasons, Coughlin's linemen have earned 10 MVFC all-conference selections, including 2015 honorable mention choice Riley Shantz. Three of Coughlin’s pupils have moved on to the NFL ranks, including David Arkin, a 2011 fourth-round pick, who remains active on the practice squad of the St. Louis Rams. Under Coughlin’s watch, the 2014 Bears were fourth overall in the Valley in rushing yards per game (180.7) thanks to an offensive line that included three All-MVFC honorees.
This past fall, Shantz earned league-wide recognition, starting the first 10 games of season — including the last eight at center — blocks as the stabilizing veteran force in the middle of the MSU line.
Ray will join the Bears after previous coaching stops at Wyoming (2009-12), Oklahoma State (2013-14) and fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference member UNI (2015). This past fall, the Porter, Okla., native helped guide UNI to a 9-5 mark, a third-place finish in the MVFC and an NCAA Division I FCS Quarterfinal berth. Ray, who coached the Panther wide receivers, helped guide a balanced offense that ranked fourth in the Valley in scoring (29.5 points per game) and featured seven different players who reached double-figures in receptions on the year. UNI posted six wins over Top 25 opponents in reaching the quarterfinal round of the FCS Playoffs for the 13th time in school history. “Ray has a wealth of knowledge and experience and that has been evident in his playing and coaching career,” Steckel added. “He has been successful at every stop as a coach at Wyoming, Oklahoma State, and most-recently UNI. He has great intensity, enthusiasm and knowledge and will be a great addition to our offensive staff.”
Prior to joining the UNI program, Ray spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State mentoring the Cowboys receivers and return specialists. In 2014, he guided a position group that saw six different receivers notch double-digit reception totals, while first-team All-Big 12 and league newcomer of the year Tyreek Hill ranked second nationally in combined kick return yardage (996).
The Cowboys turned in one of the strongest offensive performances in school history in 2013, ranking 14th nationally in scoring and registering the No. 5 passing offense in program history to earn a berth in the 2014 Cotton Bowl Classic. Second-team All-Big 12 performer Josh Stewart — who set a Big 12 Conference record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown — ranked fourth nationally in punt return average (18.2), while Justin Gilbert led the conference in kickoff return yardage (26.6 yard per return).
Ray also spent four years on Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen’s staff, helping lead the Cowboys to a pair of bowl game appearances during his stay in Laramie. He coached the Cowboys’ running backs for three seasons, overseeing the development of All-Mountain West performer Alvester Alexander, who capped his Wyoming career with 2,127 yards and 27 touchdowns to rank among the top 10 rushers in school history in both categories.
As a student-athlete, Ray was a three-year letterwinner, second-team academic All-Big 12 selection and 2007 team captain as a wide receiver at Missouri, where he was a part of four different bowl-qualifying Tiger squads from 2003-07. Ray served a leadership role on Mizzou’s 2007 Big 12 North championship team that set a program record for wins (12) and garnered the school’s first No. 1 national ranking in 47 years. In addition to playing a key role on an MU offense that ranked No. 5 nationally and paved the way to a Cotton Bowl bid as a senior, Ray was a part of the Tigers’ Independence Bowl teams of 2003 and 2005, as well as the 2006 club that earned a trip to the Sun Bowl.
Ray earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration-Marketing with a minor in English from Missouri in 2007. He served as a development associate for the Tiger Scholarship Fund, where he assisted with prospective donor solicitation, coordinating special events and projects and cultivating stewardship toward his alma mater’s primary athletics fundraising operation before beginning his coaching career.
The new staff alterations and Ray’s hire are subject to formal approval by the Missouri State Board of Governors at its next regularly-scheduled meeting.
