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Ray Lopes

Ray Lopes

Teams coached: Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State record: 50-37 (.575)
Overall record: 50-37 (.575)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  0
  • WAC Regular Season Champion:  1  (2003)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2012-2014 Washington State (asst)
2009-2012 Idaho (assoc. HC)
2008-2009 Idaho (asst)
2006-2008 Idaho Stampede (asst)
2005-2006 San Antonio Spurs (scout)
2002-2005 Fresno State
1994-2002 Oklahoma (asst)
1993-1994 Washington State (asst)
1989-1993 UC Santa Barbara (asst)
1988-1989 Weber State (asst)
1987-1988 West Valley CC (asst)

Ray Lopes Facts

  • Raymond Lopes
  • Hometown: New Haven, Connecticut
  • Alma Mater: College of Idaho (BA, 1987)
  • The CT-native moved to Hayward, CA while in high school and started his college career at West Valley CC in Saratoga, CA
  • Finished his degree and career at the College of Idaho, starting for two years under head coach Marty Holly
  • Started coaching at West Valley CC, then spent one year assisting Denny Huston at Weber State
  • Joined Jerry Pimm‘s staff at UCSB in 1989, coaching the Gauchos for four seasons
    • Was part of one NCAA Tournament and two NITs during his time working under Pimm
  • Hired by Kelvin Sampson in 1993 to be an assistant at Washington State, then followed Sampson to Oklahoma a year later and coached there for the next eight seasons
    • In nine seasons with Sampson, Lopes was part of nine NCAA Tournaments, including the Sooners’ 2002 Final Four run
    • Time at OU would end in controversy, as Lopes (along with Sampson) was found to have made excessive recruiting phone calls that went beyond what the NCAA allowed
  • Became the head coach at Fresno State in 2002, winning the WAC title and WAC COY in his first season
    • Went 50-27 over three seasons, but resigned for similar phone call violations in 2005
    • Given a three-year show cause penalty by the NCAA, forcing him into the pro game for a bit
  • Worked as a scout for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs in 2005-06, then spent two seasons as the associate head coach with the NBA D-League’s Idaho Stampede (under head coach Bryan Gates)
  • Returned to college in 2008, becoming an assistant to Don Verlin at Idaho; elevated to associate HC in 2009
  • Left Idaho in 2012 to be one of Ken Bone‘s assistants at nearby Washington State, his second stint there
    • Bone and his whole coaching staff were let go following the 2013-14 seasons
  • Along with his wife, Pierrette, has two daughters and one son

Ray Lopes Coaching Tree

  • Shantay Legans (Portland, Eastern Washington)
  • Andy Newman (CSU Northridge, CSU San Bernardino, Texas Permian Basin, CSU Fullerton)