4/16/2015 The Marietta Daily Journal - Whitefield Academy hires Quinn Gray as new football coach Thursday, April 16, 2015 contact us subscriber services Cobb News Network: Marietta Daily Journal Cobb Business Journal Cobb Life Magazine CobbFootballFriday digital sign in local news cobb business lifestyle state/national blogs marketplace today's mdj Whitefield Academy hires Quinn Gray as new football coach articles go by Carlton D. White [email protected] April 16, 2015 12:26 AM | 555 views | 0 | 3 | | Whitefield Academy athletic director Lynn Dupree was determined to hire to a new football coach that fit certain criteria. The new coach had to have a personal relationship with Jesus and be someone that can come to Whitefield and move the program to another level. After an exhaustive search that included more than 100 interviews, Quinn Gray, Sr. has been hired as the new football coach for the Wolfpack. Gray, a four-year letter winner at quarterback at Florida A&M University where he holds all of the school’s passing records, was the quarterbacks coach at his alma mater for the past four years as well as the Rattlers’ offensive coordinator the past Quinn Gray spend six years in the NFL, and was an two seasons. assistant coach and coordinator at Florida A&M. Now he’s the head coach at Whitefield Academy. Gray spent six seasons in the NFL before coaching Andrew Jackson (Fla.) High School, beginning in 2010. He also interned under mentor and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as part of his Bill Walsh National Football League Minority Coaching Fellowship last summer. “Our criteria was to find a coach who had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as well as an individual with several years of experience,” Dupree said. “Quinn definitely fits that mold. He has extensive experience beyond high school and college, and being around respected guys like Jim Caldwell, Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy has really humbled him. “He comes from a coaching family. His dad (Otis Gray, Jr.) was a legendary coach and Quinn is a young man that’s followed in his footsteps his whole life. Quinn’s age, his experience and his passion was a great fit for us.” Quinn replaces Jimmy Fields who went 43-42 in eight seasons at Whitefield. “Taking this Whitefield job was more of a calling,” Gray said about leaving the collegiate coaching ranks. “After things went down at the university where I was at (there was a head coaching change midseason), I got into heavy prayer and really asked God to show me where I needed to be and what I needed to pursue, and it was clear he wanted me on the high school level being able to influence the young men of today and helping them get to where they needed to be in terms of growing and maturing as young men. “I think the opportunity within these last few weeks with Whitefield coming about has really been something that God has heaven sent. With the experience that I’ve had these last couple of years on the college level has definitely put me in the position to help these young men develop and get themselves to where they need to be in terms of football and the game of life.” Quinn found out about the job through his friend, former Florida State wide receiver and NFL player Peter Warrick, who has a son attending Whitefield. “I sent my information over to Whitefield, and (Dupree) told me their search had already narrowed down to the top three,” Gray said. “I left it alone after that. I got back into my prayers and sent out some more resumes, but about a month and half later I got a call from (Dupree) asking me if I was still interested. “Again, I just think it was meant to be and ordained and Whitefield is where I’m supposed to be, http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/26582923/article-Whitefield-Academy-hires-Quinn-Gray-as-new-football-coach? 1/3 4/16/2015 The Marietta Daily Journal - Whitefield Academy hires Quinn Gray as new football coach because if it wasn’t then, Lynn, being the person and type of man that he is, wouldn’t have reached out to me at all if it wasn’t supposed to be.” Offensively, Gray says he is “a spread guy,” but he says he wants to get a grasp of the talent at Whitefield and narrow down what the team will do offensively to fit his personnel. “Fans can expect to see a team that is Christ-driven that plays football at a level where everyone is accountable,” he said. “We’re going to be a team to be reckoned with that plays physical and with good sportsmanship.” Defensively, the Wolfpack will attack and not be “a team that likes to bend but not break.” “Offensively, I’m an attacking sort of guy, and I like to be that same way on defense. I want to dictate what I’m going to get in a football game. I want to make people have to make adjustments and put people in situations where they have to think. If we’re controlling the flow of the game, then we’re putting people in bad situations where they have to think and do things that they don’t necessarily want to do. We’re going to attack weaknesses everywhere that we can.” Quinn was on campus last week for an interview and will start working on campus Monday. He Baggage Handlers Caught Stealing Luggage has a wife, the former Ms. Shemeka Pittman, four children, Quine’, Quinn, Jr., Ashton, and Capitol Scare: Gyrocopter Lands on Lawn Londyn and two step-children, Destiny and David. Reid: McConnell a 'Lump of Coal' 'Flomax a killer': Does Tamsulosin Cause sponsored from around the web Diabetes and Cancer? 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