Two seasons ago, Isaac Ray was a leader for Panther basketball under head coach Brett Flory. Fast forward to 2022 and Ray enters his first season on the Mulvane basketball coaching staff.
Coaching wasn’t on Ray’s radar growing up, but he always liked basketball. It has provided him with a way to stay around the game and teach the game.
It all started last season when Ray helped Bryan Chadwick in high school practice. This was his first exposure to coaching and opened the door to a whole new career.
This summer Ray and classmate Blake Chadwick coached the Wichita Padres together, which featured four Derby athletes. Ray said it was a fun summer coaching the team and it was great helping the Derby players develop into the type of players coach Brett Flory wants in his program.
“Being a coach wasn’t something I wrote down as something I wanted to do,” Ray said. “But with my love for the game and the opportunities that arose, I jumped on board and I’m loving it so far.”
One of Ray’s former coaches, Mike Abasolo, is Mulvane’s head coach and asked if Ray wanted to join the coaching staff as the C-Team coach. Ray accepted the job and is enjoying his new gig. The team only had seven days of practice before their first game, and Ray is starting to see the freshmen and sophomore team start to improve.
“We didn’t get off to the best start, but we’ve already seen some improvement, which is what I like to see because it’s so early,” Ray said. “Guys are starting to understand concepts and play better together, so we’re taking steps in the right direction.”
The Wildcat basketball program runs a Derby-like offense where there is freedom for the offense, so it was easy for Ray to pick up and coach. His familiarity with the offensive scheme allowed him to come in and practice instead of spending time learning set plays. The defensive scheme is a little less aggressive than the Panther defense, which Ray has had to adapt to.
Like most players-turned-coaches, it took some time for Ray to get used to all the demands of running a team. Ray said it was an adjustment to look at both sides of the ball simultaneously so he could make adjustments. Learning how to instruct his players has also been one of the most significant adjustments.
“As a player, it’s a lot easier to see what you did wrong, and you can go out and fix it,” Ray said. “As a coach, you have to give your players the right tools to go out and fix it. It’s really just learning to meet the players and explain what we have to do in a way they can understand.”
Ray said he’s felt he blames himself more after a loss, and after games he’s trying to figure out how he could have done better, regardless of the outcome. He loves being part of a team and knows it creates a special bond for his players. He wants to be a manager who encourages his players to do their best on and off the court, just like his managers did when he was at Derby.
Coach Flory saw Ray’s love for the game and as he became more vocal, he saw Ray’s coaching potential. Flory is always proud to see a former player succeed.
“Isaac used to be pretty soft-spoken as a student, but as he matured, he came out of his shell,” Flory said. “He loves the game and he’s an amazing human being so he’ll be great as a coach at Mulvane and wherever he goes after that. Maybe we should try to get him back to Derby one day but he’s so great for him.”
