Ray Harper
Head men's basketball coach
Ray Harper has annually chased the national championship, reaching nine national title games in 12 years as a head coach. Harper guided Oklahoma City University to the NAIA Division I crown last season in his third title game in a row and led Kentucky Wesleyan to six consecutive NCAA Division II championship games, winning titles in 1999 and 2001.
Only John Wooden led his school to more consecutive NCAA championship game appearances (seven). Harper set an NCAA record with six consecutive 30-win seasons from 1998-2003. Harper has 11 20-win seasons, eight 30-win seasons, eight conference championships and seven conference tournament titles in his career. Kentucky Wesleyan named its basketball court after him and retired his jersey.
This past season, Harper directed OCU to its third consecutive Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship and the second SAC Tournament title in three years. Harper was named NAIA coach of the year as well as conference coach of the year, the latter honor for the third time in a row. Harper coached NAIA player of the year Ollie Bailey and two-time NAIA Tournament most valuable player Kameron Gray.
In 2006-07, Harper guided OCU to the second most wins (35) in the program’s storied history and the regular-season conference title. The Stars started 29-0.
At his first season at OCU, Harper led the Stars to the national title game. OCU overcame a 6-5 start to finish 29-8. Along the way, the Stars put together a 14-game winning streak and won the conference regular-season and tournament titles.
He had more wins through seven seasons than any coach at the Division I and II levels. He reached 200 wins in 224 games, faster than Division I record holder and Hall of Famer Clair Bee, who won 200 in 231 games.
With Kentucky Wesleyan, Harper had been Division II coach of the year seven times and had his team ranked in the top three in six consecutive seasons: No. 3 in 1998; No. 1 in 1999; No. 2 in 2000; No. 2 in 2001; No. 1 in 2002; and No. 3 in 2003. Harper coached two national players of the year and seven all-Americans, including Antonio Garcia, who was named to the 50th anniversary all-Elite Eight team.
In tournaments, Harper’s teams won 14 of 18 tournament titles and 18 of 25 total championships. Kentucky Wesleyan won four Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season titles, four conference tournaments and five regional championships.
In 2003, Harper was assistant coach for the USA Basketball men’s junior world championship team. He helped the USA team to a 7-1 record and a fifth-place finish at the FIBA World Championships in Greece.
Harper put in 11 seasons as an assistant at Kentucky Wesleyan, serving seven as associate head coach, for Wayne Chapman and Wayne Boultinghouse. During that time the Panthers won two NCAA Division II championships, eight Great Lakes Valley Conference titles, 20-plus games nine times and made eight trips to the NCAA tournament. Prior to becoming a Kentucky Wesleyan assistant, Harper served as graduate assistant at Virginia Commonwealth.
As a player, Harper became Kentucky Wesleyan’s first all-American as a senior and also earned most outstanding player in the regional, all-region and all-conference. Harper finished his college career with 1,187 points and 605 assists, ranking fourth on KWC’s all-time list with 442 assists and an 83.2 percent free-throw percentage.
Harper started his college career at the University of Texas, where he was Southwest Conference rookie of the year. He played for Abe Lemons, who once said Harper was “smart, nerveless and an outstanding passer and, when he’s hot, can flat bomb the basket from 30 feet. He plays best under pressure.”
Harper is a native of Bremen, Ky. He scored 3,033 points during his high-school playing career and was all-state as a senior and a two-time district player of the year.
Harper graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and from Western Kentucky in 1995 with a master’s in secondary education. He is married (Shannon).
Career Record
| Season |
School |
W-L |
Pct. |
Conf. W-L |
Pct. |
Conf. Finish |
Conf. Tourn. Finish |
Nat'l Finish |
| 1996-97 |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
21-8 |
.724 |
14-6 |
.700 |
Fifth |
– |
– |
| 1997-98 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
30-3 |
.909 |
16-2 |
.889 |
First |
Champion |
Runner-up |
| 1998-99 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
35-2 |
.946 |
20-2 |
.909 |
First |
Champion |
Champion |
| 1999-00 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
31-3 |
.912 |
18-2 |
.900 |
First |
Champion |
Runner-up |
| 2000-01 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
31-3 |
.912 |
17-3 |
.850 |
Second |
Champion |
Champion |
| 2001-02 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
31-3 |
.912 |
19-1 |
.950 |
First |
Runner-up |
Runner-up |
| 2002-03 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
31-4 |
.886 |
18-2 |
.900 |
First |
Third |
Runner-up |
| 2003-04 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
22-8 |
.733 |
14-6 |
.700 |
Third |
Champion |
Regional first round |
| 2004-05 |
Ky. Wesleyan |
15-12 |
.556 |
9-11 |
.450 |
Fifth |
– |
– |
| 2005-06 |
Oklahoma City |
29-8 |
.784 |
16-2 |
.889 |
First |
Champion |
Runner-up |
| 2006-07 |
Oklahoma City |
35-2 |
.946 |
17-1 |
.944 |
First |
Semifinals |
Champion |
| 2007-08 |
Oklahoma City |
31-7 |
.816 |
18-4 |
.818 |
First |
Champion |
Champion |
| KWC Totals |
9 years |
247-46 |
.843 |
145-35 |
.805 |
5 GLVC Titles |
5 GLVC Titles |
2 NCAA II Titles |
| OCU Totals |
3 years |
95-17 |
.848 |
51-7 |
.879 |
3 SAC Titles |
2 SAC Titles |
2 NAIA Titles |
| Totals |
12 years |
342-63 |
.844 |
196-42 |
.824 |
8 Titles |
7 Titles |
4 Championships |
