Howard University Athletics

Rayford Petty Head Coach (Interim)
Elon, 1979
First Season
Rayford “Ray” Petty enters his second campaign as head football coach of the Howard
University Bison.  The highly respected Petty served as head coach of the Bison from 2002-06. He also served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator here under head coach Gary Harrell.
 
Prior to Howard, Petty served as defensive coordinator at both Delaware State and Norfolk State.  He spent four seasons with the Hornets, and amongst his team’s defensive highlights, DSU earned a No. 3 MEAC ranking in turnover margin (+0.5 pg) with a total of 22 forced turnovers and four touchdowns scored. In 2008, the DSU defense was ranked second in the MEAC in pass efficiency defense (79.5) and opponents’ first downs (15.3 pg), and third in total defense (288.4 ypg) and pass defense (1441. ypg).  The Hornets were named MEAC champions in 2007 and Petty’s unit garnered national rankings in pass efficiency defense (No. 9/105.33), scoring defense (No. 13/18.4 ppg) and overall pass defense (No. 14/169.7). That year, Delaware State finished No. 1 in the MEAC in scoring defense.
 
Prior to coaching at DSU, Petty posted a 25- 30 record as the head coach of Howard (2002-06).  Under Petty’s defensive genius, Howard set a NCAA FCS mark in 2003 for most returned fumbles for touchdowns with eight.  In 2011, the
defense ranked among the nation’s best in tackles for losses, sacks and pass defense.
 
His resume is impressive as he has helped developed  former or current National Football League draftees/signees Antoine Bethea (currently with the Indianapolis Colts), Marques Douglas (retired), Ronald Bartell, Jr (currently with the Detroit Lions), Tracy White (retired) and Geoff Pope (retired).
 
During his first stint with the Bison, he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1992-99. Petty was the defensive coordinator for the Bison during both the 1993 and 1996 seasons when the team captured Black College National championships. Howard went 11-0 during their 1993 season, earning them an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs as well as the MEAC championship. In 1996, the Bison defeated Southern University in the Heritage Bowl.
 
He received his undergraduate degree from Elon College. He and his wife Hazel have one daughter, Chantell and one son Shawn.