Ray McCartney - Assistant Football Coach/Defensive Line - Football Coaches

Ray McCartney

Title:
Assistant Football Coach/Defensive Line
Email:
ray.mccartney@usma.edu
Phone:
6266

Ray McCartney is in his second season with the Army football program where he coaches the defensive line.

In his first season at Army West Point, McCartney helped Army record 55 tackles for losses and 10 quarterback sacks.

McCartney mentored seniors Joe Drummond, Mike Ugenyi and Richard Glover and helped develop young talents John Voit and Jordan Smith. Glover registered 34 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss in 2014, while Drummond recorded 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Ugenyi posted 37 tackles and three tackles for loss. Voit played in 11 games in his first season at West Point and collected 13 tackles, while Smith added depth in all 12 games.

McCartney joined the Army staff after spending 13 seasons at Wake Forest working for 2006 National Coach of the Year Jim Grobe. During that time frame, the Demon Deacons won 77 games, tied for most in school history and made more appearances in bowl games (five) than any other era in the history of the program. McCartney served as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator during his tenure at Wake Forest.

During McCartney’s time in Winston-Salem, N.C., Wake Forest won the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 2006 and played in the BCS Orange Bowl in 2007.

A tireless and well-known recruiter, McCartney has recruited or coached 23 players that went onto the NFL.

McCartney most recently coached three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference nose tackle Nikita Whitlock who was a semifinalist for the Bednarick Award, presented to the best defensive player in college football and runner-up for the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year Award.

McCartney also recruited and developed Alphonso Smith, an ACC Rookie of the Year who later earned All-America accolades before being selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the NFL Draft.

Another athlete coached by McCartney is Calvin Pace, a stalwart for the New York Jets who was the 18th overall pick in the NFL Draft. He also recruited linebacker Stanley Arnoux who was a four-year starter and fourth-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints. Arnoux was a member of the Saints’ Super Bowl squad in 2009 after running the fastest time by a linebacker at the NFL Combine earlier that year. Joe Looney, a fourth-round choice by the San Francisco 49ers, was also recruited by McCartney.

In all, McCartney has had 15 of his defensive linemen compete in the NFL, including Pace, whom McCartney guided to All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year accolades.

While at Wake Forest, McCartney coached or recruited two first-team All-Americans, an ACC Player of the Year and two ACC Rookie of the Year winners. Ten of his defensive lineman claimed All-ACC honors.

McCartney also coached at Ohio University, Ball State University, Bowling Green State University and Wittenberg University.

McCartney earned a varsity letter in 1977 at Guilford College before an injury ended his playing career. He graduated in 1980 with a degree in physical education and earned a master’s degree in teaching with an emphasis in sport management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985.

McCartney was raised in Pelham Manor, N.Y. He is married to Gwendolyn Torres-McCartney, a career entrepreneur and has a 17-year old stepson, Spencer Van Fleet, who competes in archery and other outdoor sports as well as golf.