Feb. 8, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke men's soccer coach John Rennie has announced the addition of Marshall Ray to his staff. Ray will serve as assistant coach and will assist with recruiting, player development and day-to-day operations of the program.

Ray comes to Duke after four seasons at Division I Drury University, the last two as the program's head coach. At the time of his hiring, Ray, at 25, was the youngest head coach in Division I, a distinction current assistant Mike Jacobs held in 1997 as the head coach at Iona. As the coach at Drury, in addition to the traditional responsibilities of a head coach, Ray met the unique challenge of managing a Division I program at a Division II school.

During his time at Drury, Ray also served as staff coach of the Tracker Soccer Club out of Springfield, Mo, creating individualized training sessions and arranging training of the players by members of the Drury squad.

Ray spent the spring of 2001 as a professional player, competing for the Nashville Metros. During his stint with the Metros, Ray served as an instructor at the team's youth soccer camps.

Ray, an experienced naturalist, has worked with several different conservation organizations, doing research and organizing and implementing environmental education programs.

A 2000 graduate of the University of Evansville, Ray played his collegiate soccer there, completing an internship in the school's economics department in the spring of 2000.