Mead Names Mccray Coach Starting In ‘97

Bob McCray, longtime coach and educator, will coach the Mead High School football team starting in 1997, principal Steve Hogue announced Friday.

Until then, the 52-year-old McCray will continue as an assistant under current Mead coach Mike McLaughlin, who will become head coach at the new Mount Spokane Mead High School. The remainder of McLaughlin’s staff also will move to the new school, which opens in fall 1997.

“We’re going to be real small high schools - four grades at 1,200,” McCray said. “We won’t have the depth we’ve had in the past, and people have to understand that. But again, it’s more opportunities for children.”

McCray’s staff will include Mead track coach Gary Baskett, in addition to Mead teacher Jason Reich and several new faces. Don Beloved and John Barrington, from Mead Junior High, will join Northwood Junior High teachers Sean Carty and Ken Russell on McCray’s staff. They will also teach at the high school.

McCray will run the offense and Baskett will coach the offensive line, McCray said. Other roles are undefined, he added.

A 1967 graduate of the University of Idaho, McCray has been at Mead since 1992. During that time, he has served as counselor, foreign-exchange student advisor, assistant football coach and head softball coach.

McCray also has extensive experience as a college football assistant.

He was offensive line coach at Oregon (1977-81) and New Mexico (1973-76), coached linebackers at Hawaii (1968-70) and was offensive coordinator at Community Colleges of Spokane (1984-90). , DataTimes