Football head coach Pete Lembo on Monday named Nick Kray as Ball State’s new director of football operations and player development.
For the past two years, Kray worked as Yale University’s director of football operations until he decided to make the jump to Division I-A.
Q: What are some of the most important aspects of being a director of football operations and player development?
A: I told the [football players] the other day: “I’m here for you. I’m not here to coach you. I’m here to help you guys off the field.” They can come to me and tell me if they have an idea. ... I’m there for them. I’m there for them also in the aspect of helping out with jobs, trying to find these guys summer jobs in the offseason. Anything with academics, too. Things off the field, I’m there for those guys.
Q: How have you grown since you started?
A: I would say the biggest thing is organization. ... You need to be very organized to make sure everything flows nicely. You also have to have a can-do type of attitude. People will come to you and ask if something can get done, and your job is not to say that we can’t get it done, but find a way to get it done. You need to figure out how we can make this work or how can I accomplish this goal. One of the main reasons I chose to do this is that you have to be extremely personable. I love talking to people, no matter if you’re the janitor of a company or the president. ... Everyone has something to offer.
Q: Why do you think Ball State is a good fit for you?
A: It’s an opportunity. At Yale, I liked doing what I did there. But I want to reach further. I’ve heard a lot about the staff from [special teams coordinator and running backs coach Justin] Lustig and met [offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach] Joey Lynch, as well. I’ve heard a lot of good things from them about the staff and how it’s just a lot of great people here. ... This is a great opportunity as director of operations at a D1 program. But it’s also a great fit because the people here are special.
Q: What are your thoughts on the team you’re coming to?
A: What’s nice is walking the halls. It made me feel good for players to stop and talk to me ... and trying to get to know me personally, which I think is really cool. It seems like a really tight-knit family type of atmosphere here, and I mean those guys could’ve just said their name and walked away. But no, it was, “Where have you been?” and “Do you know this person?” and “I played high school with him.” Just trying to find out a little bit about me.
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