Tanya Ray was named the seventh head coach in UAM women's basketball history on March 28, 2011.
During her time at UAM, she has coached four All-Great American Conference selections, including current UAM senior Jordan Goforth, who was an All-GAC first team selection last year and is currently 13th all-time at UAM and seventh in GAC history in scoring.
Ray's Blossoms captured the 29th winning season in program history during the 2014-15 season. Coming into the 2015-16 season, she has totaled a 39-68 record in four seasons.
Ray came to UAM after serving as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level for the previous 11 seasons. She was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro for nine seasons (2002-11). Before joining the staff at ASU, Ray served two seasons (2000-02) as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
During her time at Arkansas State, Ray helped lead the Red Wolves to a total of 155 wins, an average of just over 17 wins per year. ASU posted three 20-win seasons during Ray’s tenure and in 2003-04, the Red Wolves captured their first-ever Sun Belt Conference East Division championship. The next year, ASU advanced to the second round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), and in 2006-07, made its third postseason appearance in four years, advancing to the second round of the WNIT before falling on the road to eventual runner-up Wisconsin.
Also during her time at ASU, Ray coached a total of 14 all-conference selections, two WNBA Pre-Draft Camp participants and four professional contract signees.
In addition to her coaching and recruiting duties at ASU, Ray also handled the team’s travel budget and coordinated the scheduling of opponents, among other duties.
During Ray’s tenure at Oklahoma State, she was the team’s film exchange coordinator, while also helping with on-court coaching, recruiting and travel organization.
Ray entered the coaching ranks as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for one season (1999-2000) at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, where she helped lead the Lady Buccaneers to a 23-8 overall record and an appearance in the regional finals, where they lost to eventual national champion, Tyler Junior College.
Ray’s playing career consists of a four-year high-school stint at Brenham (Texas) High School, one-year stints at the University of Texas-San Antonio and South Plains College of Levelland, Texas, and finally a two-year stint at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
The Brenham, Texas native is a 1999 graduate of St. Mary’s with a bachelor’s degree in exercise-sport science. She also holds an associate’s degree from South Plains College in general studies.
