Rick Ray Fired by Mississippi State: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Following another disappointing season in which the team finished 13-19, Mississippi State has announced the firing of head basketball coach Rick Ray. 

A full statement from school athletic director Scott Stricklin was released on his official Twitter account:

The Bulldogs have struggled during Ray's tenure, losing at least 19 games in each of his three seasons and failing to make the NCAA tournament. Their 6-12 mark in the SEC this season was the third worst, ahead of only Auburn and Missouri. 

However, the struggles weren't all Ray's fault; he took over a program that was in turmoil following the retirement of Rick Stansbury. This firing isn't being met with the kind of understanding usually associated with a floundering major-conference program, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN noted on Twitter:

Regardless of whether Ray really was given a fair chance based on what he had to work with after taking over, this is a results-driven business. Mississippi State hasn't had the results an SEC team can get away with, even during a rebuild. 

Ray's career has hit a small speed bump, but given how he cleaned up the mess in Mississippi State, it shouldn't take him long to get another job. Mississippi State will get a jump on trying to speak with some of the hot coaching candidates around the country.