Summer Spotlight Series: Ray discusses "process" in return to Red Springs

Jun. 11—RED SPRINGS — Tim Ray is glad to be back home in Red Springs, and he's felt the community support since returning to be head football coach. But the new Red Devils coach wants to make it clear that turning the program back into a winner will be a process.

Ray discussed his return to Red Springs on the Inside Sports Summer Spotlight Series this week on robesonian.com.

"Being back home, it's exciting," Ray said. "The community gets excited about that. I just want everybody to understand it's a bit of a process, and we're going to take it step by step and try to be the best we can be every day. That's our biggest thing is just taking it day by day and getting better."

Ray, a 2011 Red Springs graduate, returns home after four years as head coach at Goldsboro, where he acquired an 18-24 overall record. The Red Devils program he inherits from previous coach Lawrence Ches won a conference championship in 2019 and played in a de facto conference championship game in the spring of 2021, but went just 1-6 last season and will return a young group this fall.

"I'm bringing a different system offensively and defensively than what they've played in," Ray said. "I understand what their level of knowledge of football is, because pretty much the same guys that coached them coached me growing up. So I understand where they are and I'm trying to keep them where they are, keep learning the game and getting better at the game."

To see the full interview, including Ray's thoughts on what he learned at Goldsboro, facing St. Pauls in the state playoffs last year, what his high school jersey number was and his memories of playing for the Red Devils, visit robesonian.com.