Kristi Gray is the new head coach of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team.
She is the 13th head volleyball coach in University of Louisiana at Lafayette history.
"We are extremely excited to have Kristi Gray join the Ragin' Cajuns family," said Dr. Bryan Maggard, UL Lafayette's director of Athletics. "She is a proven winner who is committed to achieving excellence in all aspects of our Louisiana Volleyball program."
Gray comes to the Ragin’ Cajuns from Odessa College, where as head coach from 2016-2021 she molded the team into one of the country’s top junior college programs.
Her teams were 125-37 during her five seasons. In 2021, Odessa College finished sixth at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Volleyball Championship.
In 2019, Gray led Odessa College to a school record 33 wins. The team claimed the Western Junior College Athletic Conference title. It also finished 10th at the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship, the school's first appearance in the tournament.
"I am so excited to lead Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball forward into a new era," Gray said.
"Getting to know each student-athlete, their goals and the legacy they want to leave, will be an important first step. Recruiting high level student-athletes to join in what we will be building at E.K. Long Gymnasium will be a tremendous focus of mine," she added.
At Odessa College, Gray was named conference coach of the year three times – in 2016, 2019 and 2021. She was named district coach of the year twice – in 2019 and 2021.
A native of Wimberley, Texas, Gray earned a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Texas Tech University in 2012. She is currently completing postgraduate studies at Midwestern State University.