Ray began his Lackawanna College coaching career in the spring of 2018, ironically as a defensive coach, before eventually switching to offense. Coach Dayton is entering his fourth season as the offensive coordinator at Lackawanna for the 2025 campaign.
Ray came to the Falcons as a linebackers coach in 2018, but switched the next season to be the team's offensive line and tight ends coach. As a coach on the defense, he helped the Falcons earn several rankings in the top 10 in the country in various statistical categories. Ray aided 4 linebackers in signing scholarships to four-year universities, with 3 of them signing FBS/FCS NLI’s.
Switching to offense the next season for 2019, coach Dayton oversaw a Falcons offense that overpowered opponents, averaging nearly 43 points per game and giving up only 14 sacks all season long. The Falcons went undefeated through the regular season, before dropping their final game in the 2019 NJCAA National Championship.
After two seasons away, Dayton returned to the program for the 2022 campaign to help as a co-offensive coordinator. After former OC Josh Pardini transitioned to an administrative role after the first month of the season, Dayton officially took over, helping guide the Falcons to a 7-3 overall record and a balanced offensive attack throughout the year, averaging 172 yards on the ground and 172 yards through the air per game.
Lackawanna College increased its offensive output in 2023, averaging 452.8 yards per game, and splitting that evenly once again, putting up 227.6 yards per game on the ground, and 225.2 yards per game through the air. Dayton's offense averaged 6.7 yards per play, and he helped develop 1st-Team NJCAA All-American Terrez Worthy, who ran for nearly 1,500 yards, tops in the country.
The 2024 Falcons were productive again, averaging 374.5 yards per game as an offense, balancing out 182.3 yards on the ground per contest and putting up 192.2 yards per game through the air. The Falcons averaged just under six yards per play, scoring 39.6 points per contest. Under Dayton's direction, running back Maurice Edwards ran for 978 yards and eleven touchdowns. Edwards' 978 yards is seventh all-time in a single season, while his eleven touchdowns for the year placed him in a four-way tie for third in Lackawanna College history.
Ray has extensive experience as a coach and as a player. He served as a high school football coach in New York state as head coach at Oxford and Unadilla Valley, and an assistant coach at Harpursville and Binghamton-Seton Catholic.
Ray graduated from Alfred State and played at both Alfred State and Mansfield University.
