View source for Ray Tanner

{{Short description|American college athletics administrator and former baseball coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Ray Tanner
| image = Ray Tanner USC.jpg
| caption = Tanner in 2012
| current_title = [[Athletic director]] [[emeritus]]
| current_team = [[South Carolina Gamecocks|South Carolina]]
| current_conference = [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]
| current_record = 
| contract = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|3|25}}
| birth_place = [[Smithfield, North Carolina]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1977&ndash;1980
| player_team1 = [[NC State Wolfpack baseball|NC State]]
| player_positions = [[Shortstop]]
| coach_years1 = 1980&ndash;1987
| coach_team1 = [[NC State Wolfpack baseball|NC State]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1988&ndash;1996
| coach_team2 = NC State
| coach_years3 = 1997&ndash;2012
| coach_team3 = [[South Carolina Gamecocks baseball|South Carolina]]
| admin_years1 = 2012&ndash;2024
| admin_team1 = [[South Carolina Gamecocks|South Carolina]]
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|1,133|489|3|record=y}}
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = * 2x [[College World Series|National Championships]] ([[2010 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|2010]], [[2011 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|2011]])
* 3x [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] Regular season Championships (2000, 2002, 2011)
* SEC Tournament championship ([[2004 SEC Baseball Tournament|2004]])
* 6x SEC East Division Championships (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012)
* [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] Tournament championship ([[1992 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament|1992]])
| awards = * 3x National Coach of the Year (2000, 2010, 2011)
* 1990 ACC Coach of the Year
* 3x SEC Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2011)
| coaching_records = 
}}

'''Donald Ray Tanner Jr.''' (born March 25, 1958) is a former baseball coach at the [[University of South Carolina-Columbia|University of South Carolina]]. Tanner began this role after leading the [[South Carolina Gamecocks baseball|South Carolina Gamecocks baseball program]] for sixteen seasons. He is currently the athletic director [[emeritus]] and a senior advisor to the president at South Carolina<ref>{{Cite web |title=Donati named new Gamecocks' director of athletics |url=https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2024/12/donati-named-gamecocks-athletics-director.php |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=University of South Carolina |language=en}}</ref> after being replaced as athletic director by Jeremiah Donati on December 5, 2024.  

His record at South Carolina was 738–316 (.700). He led USC to three consecutive [[College World Series]] appearances in [[2002 College World Series|2002]], [[2003 College World Series|2003]], and [[2004 College World Series|2004]]; three consecutive College World Series Finals appearances in [[2010 College World Series|2010]], [[2011 College World Series|2011]], and [[2012 College World Series|2012]]; two College World Series Championships in [[2010 College World Series|2010]] and [[2011 College World Series|2011]]; and coached the [[USA Baseball]] National Team during the 2003 summer. On April 11, 2010, Tanner recorded the 1,000th win of his career with a 2–0 victory over [[Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt]], becoming the 44th Division I coach to reach the milestone.<ref>[http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/11/1239755/usc-takes-vandy-series-tanner.html USC takes Vandy series; Tanner gets 1,000th win]</ref>

==Playing career==
After graduating from South Johnston High School near his home in [[Benson, North Carolina]], Ray Tanner attended [[North Carolina State University]], in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] from 1977 to 1980. He played for [[Sam Esposito]], starting four seasons at shortstop and third base.

==Coaching career==

===NC State===
Tanner became an assistant coach to NCSU coach Sam Esposito immediately after his playing days were over. He remained in that position from 1980 to 1987, when Esposito retired and Tanner was named his successor. At age 28, he was one of the youngest head coaches in the country. During his first season the Wolfpack reached the NCAA tournament, playing in the East Regional. His teams earned bids to the NCAA tournament during seven of his nine seasons as head coach at NCSU, including five straight from 1990 to 1994. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1990.

His nine-year record at NC State was 395–173–3.

===South Carolina===
Tanner arrived at South Carolina prior to the start of the 1997 season. Tanner guided the Gamecocks to a 33–24 record in his first season in 1997 and finished fourth in the competitive SEC. The Gamecocks were greatly improved in 1998 and finished with 44 wins and a berth in the [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA tournament]]. In 1999, Tanner led the Gamecocks to the SEC East Division title for the school's first division crown. Starting in 2000, Tanner help guide South Carolina to one of the most successful stretches in program history. The Gamecocks made the [[College World Series]] in 2002, 2003, and 2004. The 2002 team finished runner-up after losing to the [[Texas Longhorns]] in the championship game. The South Carolina baseball team has made the NCAA tournament every year since 2000, and they currently have the longest streak of NCAA tournament appearances in the Southeastern Conference. The [[2010 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team]] won the College World Series championship after taking the series 2-0 over the [[UCLA Bruins]]. The championship was the first men's NCAA championship in school history. The [[2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team]] completed the season 55-14 and won the program's second national title after sweeping the championship series against the [[Florida Gators]] 2-0. This marked the first time that a team repeated as national champion since 2006-2007. On the way to the second championship, the Gamecocks went 10-0 in the NCAA tournament and set new records by winning 16 straight NCAA tournament games and 11 straight [[College World Series]] games. Both streaks were started in the 2010 season.

In his 16 seasons, through 2012, Tanner has posted a 738–316 overall record with six College World Series appearances.  Under Tanner, the Gamecocks have made 14 NCAA tournament appearances, advanced to the Super Regionals ten times, and have posted fourteen 40-win and five 50-win seasons. Tanner led the Gamecocks to the 2010 and 2011 NCAA College World Series Championship. In addition, South Carolina won the 2000, 2002 and 2011 SEC regular season championships and the 2004 SEC Tournament championship. The Gamecocks claimed six Southeastern Conference Eastern Division titles (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012) with Tanner as head coach. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2011.<ref>[http://www.gogamecocks.com/2011/05/24/116737/ggf-sec-names-tanner-coach-of.html Tanner Named SEC Coach of the Year]</ref> Tanner was also named National Coach of the Year in 2000 after the Gamecocks finished the season with a 56–10 record, in 2010 after the team finished 54–16, and in 2011 after a 55-14 campaign.

On July 13, 2012, Tanner was named director of athletics at South Carolina.

==Team USA==
[[File:Ray Tanner speaks to soldiers.jpg|right|thumb|Tanner speaking to soldiers at the [[Warrior Transition Unit]].]]
Ray Tanner has a longstanding commitment to [[USA Baseball]]. He served as an assistant coach in 1993 and again in 1995 and 1996, coaching at the [[1996 Olympics|Olympics]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia]]. During these stints he coached together with college baseball legends such as [[J. Stanley "Skip" Bertman|Skip Bertman]] and [[Ron Polk]]. During the summer of 2002, Tanner served as the head coach of the USA Baseball National Team, composed of some of the top college players. The team went undefeated during the regular season, including a sweep of its biggest rival, [[Japan]]. The only two losses came at the [[Pan American Games]] to [[Nicaragua]] and [[Cuba]]. The team finished the tournament as the runner-up. The win total of 27 is the highest in team history.

==Personal==
Tanner grew up in [[Benson, North Carolina]]. He received a bachelor of science degree in recreational administration from NC State in 1980 and is married to the former Karen Donald, a native of [[Charleston, South Carolina]]. The couple has three children. On November 10, 2010, Tanner was initiated into the Chi Omega chapter of [[Kappa Sigma]] fraternity at South Carolina. According to the University of South Carolina's website, "Coach Tanner's involvement with Kappa Sigma comes from the chapter's commitment to the Ray Tanner Foundation, which is dedicated to bettering the lives of economically and medically disadvantaged children.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110723183134/http://www.sa.sc.edu/greeklife/2011/07/19/kappa-sigma-initiation-of-coach-ray-tanner-featured-in-national-magazine/ Kappa Sigma Initiation of Coach Ray Tanner Featured in National Magazine]</ref>"

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=[[NC State Wolfpack]]
|startyear=1988
|conference=[[Atlantic Coast Conference]]
|endyear=1996
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1988 NCAA Division I baseball season|1988]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 45–16
 | conference   = 13–6
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship|NCAA Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1989 NCAA Division I baseball season|1989]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 35–21–2
 | conference   = 10–10
 | confstanding = 4th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1990 NCAA Division I baseball season|1990]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 48–20
 | conference   = 14–7
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship|NCAA Regional]]  
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1991 NCAA Division I baseball season|1991]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 48–20
 | conference   = 11–10
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship|NCAA Regional]]  
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference tournament
 | season       = [[1992 NCAA Division I baseball season|1992]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 46–18
 | conference   = 15–9
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship|NCAA Regional]]  
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1993 NCAA Division I baseball season|1993]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 49–17
 | conference   = 15–7
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship|NCAA Regional]]  
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1994 NCAA Division I baseball season|1994]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 46–18–1
 | conference   = 13–11
 | confstanding = 5th
 | postseason   = [[1994 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1995 NCAA Division I baseball season|1995]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 36–24
 | conference   = 14–14
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1996 NCAA Division I baseball season|1996]]
 | name         = NC State
 | overall      = 42–19
 | conference   = 14–13
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = [[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship|NCAA Regional]]  
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = NC State
 | overall    = 395–173–3
 | confrecord = 119–87
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|
|name=[[South Carolina Gamecocks baseball|South Carolina Gamecocks]]
|startyear=1997
|conference=[[Southeastern Conference]]
|endyear=2012
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1997 NCAA Division I baseball season|1997]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 33–24
 | conference   = 13–17
 | confstanding = 4th <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[1998 NCAA Division I baseball season|1998]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 44–18
 | conference   = 19–10
 | confstanding = 2nd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[1998 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = division
 | season       = [[1999 NCAA Division I baseball season|1999]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 35–23
 | conference   = 15–15
 | confstanding = 1st <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2000 NCAA Division I baseball season|2000]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 56–10
 | conference   = 25–5
 | confstanding = 1st <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2000 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Super Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2001 NCAA Division I baseball season|2001]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 49–20
 | conference   = 17–13
 | confstanding = 3rd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2001 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Super Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2002 NCAA Division I baseball season|2002]]
 | name         = [[2002 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 57–18
 | conference   = 21–8
 | confstanding = 1st <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2002 College World Series|College World Series Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = division
 | season       = [[2003 NCAA Division I baseball season|2003]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 45–22
 | conference   = 19–11
 | confstanding = 1st <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2003 College World Series|College World Series]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference tournament
 | season       = [[2004 NCAA Division I baseball season|2004]]
 | name         = [[2004 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 53–17
 | conference   = 17–13
 | confstanding = T–2nd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2004 College World Series|College World Series]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2005 NCAA Division I baseball season|2005]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 41–23
 | conference   = 16–14
 | confstanding = 3rd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2006 NCAA Division I baseball season|2006]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 41–25
 | conference   = 15–15
 | confstanding = 4th <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2006 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Super Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2007 NCAA Division I baseball season|2007]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 46–20
 | conference   = 17–13
 | confstanding = 2nd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Super Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2008 NCAA Division I baseball season|2008]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 40–23
 | conference   = 15–15
 | confstanding = 5th <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2008 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2009 NCAA Division I baseball season|2009]]
 | name         = South Carolina
 | overall      = 40–23
 | conference   = 17–13
 | confstanding = 2nd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2009 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA Regional]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | season       = [[2010 NCAA Division I baseball season|2010]]
 | name         = [[2010 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 54–16
 | conference   = 21–9
 | confstanding = 2nd <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2010 College World Series|College World Series champions]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | season       = [[2011 NCAA Division I baseball season|2011]]
 | name         = [[2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 55–14
 | conference   = 22–8
 | confstanding = T–1st <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2011 College World Series|College World Series champions]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = division
 | season       = [[2012 NCAA Division I baseball season|2012]]
 | name         = [[2012 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 49–20
 | conference   = 18–11
 | confstanding = 1st <small> (East) </small>
 | postseason   = [[2012 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|College World Series Runner-up]] 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = South Carolina
 | overall    = 738–316 (.700)
 | confrecord = 287–190 (.602)
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
|overall=1133–489–3 (.698)
}}

==Achievements==

* Career record of 1133–489–3 (.699)
*National Coach of the Year in 2000, 2010, and 2011
*21 NCAA tournament appearances
**10 Super Regional appearances, including 5 consecutive from 2000 to 2004
**6 College World Series appearances, including three consecutive from 2002 to 2004 and 2010 to 2012
**2002, 2012 national runner-up
**2010, 2011 national championship
*2000, 2002 & 2011 SEC Championships
*1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2011 & 2012 SEC East Championships
*1992 ACC Tournament Title
*2004 SEC Tournament Title
*Five 50-win seasons
*Second-highest winning percentage among college baseball coaches in [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] history
*Eight first-round draft picks at South Carolina

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
*[[List of college baseball career coaching wins leaders]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/tanner_ray00.html South Carolina profile]

{{Southeastern Conference athletic director navbox}}
{{Navboxes
| list1 =
{{NC State Wolfpack baseball coach navbox}}
{{South Carolina Gamecocks baseball coach navbox}}
{{South Carolina Gamecocks athletic director navbox}}
{{2010 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball}}
{{2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball}}
{{Baseball America College COY}}
{{Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference Baseball Coach of the Year navbox}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Ray}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:NC State Wolfpack baseball coaches]]
[[Category:NC State Wolfpack baseball players]]
[[Category:People from Smithfield, North Carolina]]
[[Category:South Carolina Gamecocks athletic directors]]
[[Category:South Carolina Gamecocks baseball coaches]]
[[Category:People from Benson, North Carolina]]