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Home Run Hire
BY MICHAEL CANDELARIA
The name Ricky Ray has a certain ring to it. Stetson’s search committee surely thought so — in April unanimously recommending Ray to become the university’s new Director of Athletics. With final approval by President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, he officially began that role May 6, replacing Jeff Altier ’82, MEd ’87. Altier retired after 27 years in the position and spent a total of nearly five decades at Stetson.
Ray has a stellar résumé to match his name. He arrived on campus from William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in intercollegiate athletics and professional sports. At William & Mary, Ray oversaw marketing, ticketing, creative services, communications and licensing for the college’s 23 NCAA Division I sports. During his two years there, he set revenue records and served as interim CFO.
Ray began his career in various external roles at Georgia Southern University. He then became a broadcaster for East Carolina University; served as director of External Affairs for the Carolina Mudcats, a minor league baseball team; and was general manager at Troy University in Alabama. Also, he worked as deputy athletics director for his alma mater, Campbell University in North Carolina, where he earned a BA in Mass Communication. He earned a Doctor of Education from Marshall University in West Virginia.
Further, as a student at Campbell, he worked in the communications office for the athletics department, including as a broadcaster when the Campbell women’s basketball team played the Hatters in the Edmunds Center.
What’s the Ricky Ray game plan for Stetson? Just before arriving on campus — as he was literally driving on the move to DeLand — he outlined his approach, along with insight about Stetson.
INITIALLY, WHAT STRUCK YOU MOST ABOUT STETSON?
I had some experience on the Stetson campus in high school. We came down for camp every summer (from North Carolina). I was familiar with the campus and the university, and the area, from that time.
I went to Campbell (for undergraduate school), and at that point we were still in the same conference. I was able to get back down to Stetson in college to broadcast some games. So, I had known about Stetson for a long time. And knew about the beautiful campus and the great location.
When I got the call from the search firm about the job opening and started digging a little deeper, it was evident there’s a ton of potential here. I thought Stetson combined a lot of the things I liked at other places. I worked at a private school that had Pioneer League football and nationally ranked baseball (Campbell has appeared in five straight NCAA regionals). I was working at a high academic institution with competitive sports (William & Mary). There were just a ton of different facets of Stetson that were really appealing. That includes the town and all the things DeLand has to offer.
AT YOUR INTRODUCTORY CONFERENCE, YOU MENTIONED “KEEPING THE MOMENTUM ALIVE GOING FORWARD.” WHAT DID YOU MEAN?
There has to be no better time to be interviewing to be an athletic director than when the institution is coming off its first NCAA tournament (at Stetson in men’s basketball). And the timing of it was such that I was able to watch the ASUN Championship game. And then I did a Zoom interview a couple of days later, and then we hit pause for the NCAA tournament. All of that was going on at the same time, and it was so much fun to watch how the institution (Stetson) was responding — how DeLand was responding, and all the national media coverage.
The thing now is how do we take that momentum, all that media attention, all that goodwill, and use that to move both basketball and the athletic department, as well as the university, forward. There was a ton of excitement about it, and how do we grow from there? So, that will be the key thing: hitting the ground running. We can use the championship to grow not only the interest in basketball, but all our teams and our programs.
PRESIDENT ROELLKE HAS PRAISED YOU ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL ACUMEN WITH REGARD TO FUNDRAISING. HOW BIG A DEAL WILL FUNDRAISING BE FOR YOU?
It will be a big deal. And I think it’s not just fundraising as philanthropy, but revenue generation as a whole. I look at it as one larger goal. Yes, we need philanthropy to continue, but we also need our ticket revenue and our corporate sponsorship revenue to grow. I’m really going to be diving into all of it and seeing how we can improve our fan experience and reach new patrons.
We’re going to have to put in the effort and the time to identify how to grow all those different revenue streams. It’s no secret that it is getting more and more expensive to do the things that you have to do in athletics, especially for the well-being of the student-athletes. Growing our resources will be key.
What are your thoughts about promoting the wellbeing of student-athletes?
It’s crucial to pay attention to their development. There are so many different facets of a student’s college experience, and then you have the student-athlete part of it — the time commitment it takes and the addi- tional mental focus and physical strain. So, we have to be really focused on things to help our student-athletes, whether that’s mental health, nutrition or other areas in the holistic model that we can focus on.
I think we’ve got a ton to offer here at Stetson for students: great academics, great location, a beautiful campus, good people. So what are the other things that we can do to make the entire experience worthwhile? It’s been my experience that happy students become happy graduates, and that’s an important piece for them and the institution.
What will be your approach in working with coaches?
I’m looking forward to getting to know them further. On the night of my announcement (April 4), I think I had either a phone call or text exchange with every head coach. I wanted to reach out as fast as I could, just so they had my number and could start the conversation to get to know them a little bit. We’ve been talking during this transition period, as well — getting to know them, and I need to get to know all the details of their program.
It is important to know each of them and what they are about. As part of the transition, I sent out a form (questionnaire), and I ended the form with “tell me about yourself.” I want to get to know the coaches as people and understand them, what they stand for, and I think that helps you understand a little bit more about them professionally as well.
What's your thought about athletics contributing to the overall college experience for students, as a whole, on campus?
I think, number one, we must think of ways to integrate the student body into what we are doing — students singing the anthem, student groups performance at halftime, and making sure we are intentionally inviting them to our games. Anything that we can do to bring our student body into our space, and to include them in what is going on, is great for everybody. It helps the entire enterprise. And we want to be part of that overall student experience. Athletics offers an opportunity for students to do some things on weekends and nights, where they can have some fun and take a break. We want to make that a space where everybody is welcome. My experience in athletics as a student is the main reason I am in this field, and I believe there is a place for everyone in our campus community to participate.
Will the local DeLand community be a priority, a big part of the general fan experience?
Absolutely. That’s been a major focus of what I’ve done in the past, and that’s all part of growing revenue. You must have a good experience for fans. But then we’ve also got to get out and try to meet people where they are. We have to find them. One of the things that I have learned about DeLand and the surrounding communities is there’s an opportunity to spread the word. If you didn’t grow up there, we (the Hatters) don’t have to be your favorite college team, but we can be your second favorite team and a place for you to enjoy a game.
If you’re from another state and a fan or graduate of an institution there, that’s great. You still need something to do with your family, or for entertainment. We want to get you involved with us, supporting our student-athletes. And then I think we must get out, make sure we’re part of the community. And by we, I mean, the athletics department, our student-athletes and me. I want to get out and try to be a part of the community — to help us be a part of what the community is trying to achieve and make sure the Hatters are included in ways to help the region grow further.
You got into broadcasting before becoming an administrator. Why broadcasting?
I thought that was my career path. When I was doing that, and I might be dating myself, but it was before streaming. If you were a broadcaster at that point, you were on TV or you were on the radio. Those were the only options. So, obviously it was a lot harder to get jobs; there was not an ESPN+ type option at that point.
I pursued broadcasting for a while and realized that I enjoyed the administrative side and the difference you can make there. And after spending a little time in minor league baseball, I realized I missed campus. At that point, there was a big difference between pro sports and college sports, and I missed being on campus and getting to know the student-athletes. Everywhere I have been since, they’ve let me be the PA (public address) announcer or broadcast a game or two — just to scratch the itch a little bit, and that’s always appreciated.
The thing that I enjoyed the most about broadcasting, and this sounds very coach-speak in a way, I always enjoyed the preparation for the game. I enjoyed that almost more than calling the game — getting the game notes together. I loved that part of it, and the game was secondary.
Finally, what do you enjoy doing, and what about your dog, Rigby, whom you mentioned in your campus introduction?
Rigby just perked up in the passenger seat when he heard his name. I think he will enjoy the warmer weather. I have always joked that all good music was made in the ’60s or the ’90s. I’m a huge Beatles fan; that’s where Rigby’s name came from. I’m a North Carolina native, so I have grown to be a big Carolina Hurricanes (hockey) fan.
Growing up in North Carolina made a town like DeLand appealing. I grew up in the suburbs of Raleigh (in Zebulon); my parents were raised on the coast (in North Carolina). So, that’s where a lot of my love for the beach comes from. I’ve always loved the ocean and seafood and the trips down to the coast when I was younger, and DeLand has a lot of those characteristics. It feels like a great place to live.
