Korey McCray has 15 years of experience at the power-conference level, highlighted by Florida’s 2025 national championship. McCray now enters his fourth season at Florida in 2025-26.
The Gators third national championship in program history and first in 18 years capped a 36-4 record in the 2024-25 season. Florida also earned its fifth SEC Tournament title and sixth Final Four appearance, both the team’s first since 2014.
The championships all came as part of a memorable 12-game win streak to end the season that began March 1. The 12-game run to close the season included nine top-25 wins, a total that eclipsed any full-season total in program history. Eight of the nine ranked wins in that run were vs. teams in the top 12, and UF finished the season with a program-record 12 top-25 wins.
The Gators’ run to the title tied for the toughest path all-time for a #1-seed (1993 North Carolina) and the third-toughest in NCAA Tournament history. Florida’s epic run featured four comeback wins, including rallying from 12 points down in the national championship game, closing the game on a 35-21 run over the final 16 minutes. The resilient Gators rallied from nine down in the Final Four to defeat top-seeded Auburn, from nine back with 3:00 to play in the Elite Eight vs. Texas Tech and from six down with nine minutes remaining in the second round vs. UConn.
The Gators entered the NCAA Tournament with a No. 1 seed for just the third time in program history, joining the 2007 and 2014 squads as top-seed earners. Florida used the SEC Tournament to get hot, posting a dominant run becoming the first team to knock off three straight ranked opponents to win the event. The Gators averaged 95.0 points per game vs. #21 Missouri, #5 Alabama and #8 Tennessee, including an SEC Tournament-record 104 points in the semifinal win vs. Alabama.
Florida’s 27 regular season wins marked the second-most in program history (29, 2013-14), and the Gators posted a 14-4 record in an SEC that ranked among the best conferences in college basketball history. UF’s 13-0 start to the season was the team’s second-best start in program history, as the Gators navigated its nonconference slate undefeated (17-0, 2005-06).
Florida finished the season 8-2 in top-10 matchups, including wins in the final seven, after entering the season 6-16 all-time in such matchups. UF also doubled its all-time wins vs. the #1 team, routing top-ranked Tennessee in Gainesville and picking up a road win at Auburn.
The 73-43 win over the Vols was the largest defeat of a #1 team since UCLA’s 32-point win vs. Houston in the 1968 Final Four and the third-largest against a top-ranked team all-time. The Gators bounced back from an early 10-point deficit at Auburn, outscoring the Tigers 43-23 over the final 14 minutes of the first half and eventually leading by as many as 21. The pair of #1 wins were Florida’s first ever in regular season play. Coupled with the Auburn win, the Gators’ road win at #7 Alabama gave UF multiple top-10 road wins in a season for the first time.
The Gators’ +15.2 scoring margin for the season led the SEC and was the third-highest in program history, while UF led the nation and set program records in points (3,391), field goals (1,182) and rebounds (1,673), also setting the UF record in 3-point field goals (390). The Gators’ 84.8 points per game were also the second-highest ever at Florida, only behind the 2023-24 mark of 85.6.
In 2024-25, the Gators had their first ever first-team All-American in Walter Clayton Jr., who added Final Four and NCAA West Region Most Outstanding Player and SEC Tournament MVP honors. Will Richard – the first commit to Todd Golden, McCray and the new coaching staff in 2022 – earned Final Four and SEC Tournament All-Tournament Team honors, leading the Gators with 18 points and eight rebounds in the national championship game.
Clayton added first-team All-SEC recognition, while Alex Condon garnered third-team honors. The senior trio of Clayton, Alijah Martin and Richard were the highest-scoring trio in Florida history during the season, and Clayton posted a Florida-record 713 points.
Even before the national title, McCray helped guide the Gators back to national prominence, returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2024. UF posted 24 wins in 2023-24, its most since 2016-17, and advanced to the SEC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2014.
The Gators tallied four top-25 wins in 2023-24 and had their highest-scoring team in program history with 85.7 points per game, ranking in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and offensive rebounding percentage.
Florida’s overtime win at 10th-ranked Kentucky marked Florida’s first top-10 road win since 2003 and the 12th all-time win at Kentucky. Florida backed up the win at Kentucky with a home victory over #12 Auburn, an 81-65 rout that UF led by as many as 29. The Gators closed their home season in style with a 105-87 win vs. #16 Alabama, the most points UF has ever scored in regulation vs. a ranked opponent. Just 10 days later, Florida blitzed 18th-ranked Alabama, 102-88, in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
In UF’s first SEC Tournament semifinal since 2019, the Gators battled back from 18 points down to defeat Texas A&M, marking the fifth-largest comeback in team history and earning the first trip to the SEC Tournament championship game since 2014.
The Gators’ success grew directly out of the coaching staff’s evaluation and recruiting efforts in 2023, as four incoming transfers were regular starters, including three All-SEC players in Walter Clayton Jr., Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel along with Micah Handlogten, who was one of the nation’s top offensive rebounders. Unranked freshmen Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh provided valuable frontcourt minutes, with Condon earning SEC All-Freshman recognition.
Clayton and Pullin became Florida’s first duo of All-SEC guards in 11 years and Florida’s #8 scoring duo over the past 50 seasons. Clayton, Pullin and Samuel became the first trio in Florida history to all score 500 points in a season. Samuel, who earned AP All-SEC honors, posted 11 double-doubles, the most by a Gator since Al Horford’s 16 in 2006-07. Handlogten (108) and Samuel (102) put up the #2 and #3 offensive rebounding totals in school history, respectively, and became the first Florida teammates to post 100 offensive rebounds in a season.
Seven different players combined for 38 total 20-point performances, including eight games with multiple 20-point scorers and one game (the road win at Kentucky) with three 20-point scorers. Those eight games with multiple 20-point scorers match Florida’s total such games over the previous six seasons.
Pullin, who earned first-team All-SEC honors, posted a Florida-record 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio, a number that also ranked #1 among all SEC players during the 2000s.
Clayton earned SEC All-Tournament Team honors, averaging 18.5 points as the Gators played four games in four days. The Lake Wales native followed that up with 33 points in the NCAA Tournament game vs. Colorado, including 26 in the second half and the Gators’ final 16 points of the game.
Samuel stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in the win at Kentucky, becoming the first player in the nation since Tim Duncan to post that line in a top-10 road win.
Alex Condon, UF’s leading shot-blocker, also became the first Gator in the 2000s to grab 10 offensive rebounds in a game (at Ole Miss) and became the first Florida freshman in the 2000s to post multiple 15-rebound games.
In McCray’s first season at Florida, the Gators notched a win vs. #2 Tennessee, matching the highest-ranked win both in regular season win and at home win in Florida history. The Gators also topped #20 Missouri and defeated rival Florida State in Tallahassee, as the Gators staged a 19-point comeback – fourth-largest in program history – to earn the team’s first road win in the series since 2012.
McCray was instrumental in the signing and coaching of Riley Kugel, who earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 2022-23, as his 12.6 points per game in SEC play marked the most by a Gator freshman in more than a decade (Bradley Beal, 2011-12). In addition, Colin Castleton earned first-team All-SEC and All-Defensive Team honors and was named USA Today’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Castleton set a Florida record and ranked third in the nation with 3.0 blocked shots per game before suffering a season-ending broken hand on Feb. 15.
The Gators found an identity on the defensive side of the ball, climbing into the top 10 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings during the course of the season prior to Castleton’s injury. The Gators’ 5.18 blocked shots per game ranked eighth in the nation.
Prior to UF, McCray most recently coached seven seasons at Mississippi State from 2015-22 in addition to spending two seasons as an assistant coach on Ben Howland’s UCLA staff.
A tireless worker and top-notch recruiter, McCray already owns 14 years of collegiate coaching experience. highlighted by 12 seasons in Power 5 conferences. His previous stops include UCLA, LSU, Florida State, Mercer and Chipola Junior College.
McCray’s main responsibilities at Mississippi State included working with MSU’s guards, assisting with scouting reports and engaging in all aspects of recruiting. His efforts on the recruiting trail were fruitful, as McCray has been ranked among the top recruiters in the nation and the SEC multiple times by 247 Sports.
McCray landed a pair of 1,000-point scorers at Mississippi State in Aric Holman and Lamar Peters. He also played an instrumental role in the signing of first-team All-SEC honoree Iverson Molinar and impact transfer Shakeel Moore from North Carolina State.
McCray helped lead the Bulldogs to 86 victories from 2017-21, which was tied for fourth among SEC schools during that span. State also registered three consecutive bids to postseason play when postseason tournaments were played, headed by a 2019 NCAA Tournament trip and 2021 NIT runner-up finish. The Bulldogs captured 10-plus SEC victories in 2019 and 2020, reaching double-digit SEC wins in consecutive seasons for the fifth time in program history.
McCray first teamed up with Howland at UCLA, which resulted in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2012 according to ESPN.com. The class was headed by Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad. All three heard their names called during the NBA Draft’s first round and helped the Bruins to a Pac-12 championship.
McCray spent the 2013-14 campaign at LSU on Johnny Jones’ staff. The Tigers came away with a 20-14 record and featured three future NBA players in Jarell Martin, Jordan Mickey and Tim Quarterman.
McCray’s first opportunity as an assistant coach at the Division I level came at his alma mater, Mercer, in 2007-08 following a one-year stint at Chipola College in 2004-05. The Chipola squad advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Semifinals.
McCray got his start in the college coaching ranks at Florida State as a graduate assistant under Leonard Hamilton. He earned a master’s degree in adult education with a minor in higher education at FSU in 2004.
After his time in Tallahassee, McCray worked as a skill development trainer based in Atlanta beginning in 2004. He had the chance to work with and create tailor-made offseason training programs for NBA talents such as Dwight Howard, John Wall, Anthony Morrow, Jarrett Jack, Jarvis Hayes, Von Wafer, Mario West and Damien Wilkins, among others.
McCray was a four-year player for Mark Slonaker at Mercer in Macon, Georgia. He served as the team captain during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons. The Decatur, Georgia, native led the Bears in assists all four seasons. His 344 career assists were second in program history following his career and still sits among the program’s top five. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications with a major in theatre arts and a minor in Christianity from Mercer in 2001.
Since 1999, McCray has served various stints as the CEO and head coach of the Atlanta Celtics AAU travel team. The team was co-founded by his father, Karl McCray and Wallace Prather in 1990. In 2009, he led his Atlanta Celtics U-15 team to a national title and has consistently produced teams at all age levels that rank in the top 10 nationally.
McCray and his wife, Lauren, have a daughter, Olivia, and a son, Kassius.
Korey McCray Timeline
| Florida |
2022-present |
Associate Head Coach |
| Mississippi State |
2015-22 |
Assistant Coach |
| LSU |
2013-14 |
Assistant Coach |
| UCLA |
2011-13 |
Assistant Coach |
| Mercer |
2007-08 |
Assistant Coach |
| Chipola College |
2004-05 |
Assistant Coach |
| Florida State |
2002-04 |
Graduate Assistant |
| Mercer |
1997-2001 |
Student-Athlete |
