Men's Basketball | 10/27/2026 2:04:00 PM

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Blake Gray and Thomas Messinger have joined the Navy men's basketball program as assistant coaches, head coach Jon Perry announced today.

"We are excited to welcome Blake and Thom to our Navy basketball family," said head coach Jon Perry.  "Both understand that coaching at Navy is about more than basketball; it is about developing young men who are prepared to lead, ready to serve and committed to something bigger than themselves.  We are grateful to have Blake and Thom and their families join our staff.  They share a belief in our mission and our commitment to represent the Naval Academy with great pride."

Gray spent the last seven seasons in various roles on the staff at Tennessee Tech.  He spent two seasons as the director of basketball operations, three years as an assistant coach and then was the program's associate head coach for two seasons.

The native of Huntsville stayed in-state to attend Alabama where he spent three years as a student manager, three seasons as a graduate assistant and two more years as the director of player development.

Alabama compiled an 82-46 record during his undergraduate days, which featured a trip to the 2011 NIT finals and a berth into the 2012 NCAA Tournament.  Once on staff, the Crimson Tide advanced to postseason tournaments in each of his last four seasons in Tuscaloosa, including reaching the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

He earned a bachelor's degree from the school in 2014 (accounting) and attained master's degrees in 2015 (sport management) and 2017 (marketing analytics).

"Blake brings experience from Tennessee Tech, along with a passion for teaching and helping players grow," said Perry.  "He's a strong recruiter who builds meaningful relationships, and his energy and commitment to our players will add value to our program every day."

"I am excited to join Coach Perry's staff at the Naval Academy," said Gray.  "The opportunity to be a part of a first class institution and organization is something my family is incredibly grateful for. We look forward to serving the midshipmen and building relationships throughout the Navy community. Go Navy!"

Messinger arrives in Annapolis after having spent three seasons as an assistant coach at NJIT.  

After the team won a combined 13 games in his first two years in Newark, NJIT won 16 games during the 2025-26 season.  The Highlanders also won a school-record 10 conference games during his final season, played host to a quarterfinal round game as a top-four seed in the America East Conference for the first time since joining the conference for the 2019-20 season and made their first trip to the semifinals.

Messinger began his coaching career at Hargave Military Academy. He first served as the head coach of the school's varsity program for two seasons (2014-14 to 2015-16).  He was named the Virginia Independent Conference Coach of the Year and also Hargrave's Coach of the Year over those two seasons.

Messinger was elevated to an assistant coach and later the associate head coach for Hargrave's Postgraduate Team, a position in which he served for five seasons (2015-16 to 2019-20).  The team compiled a 203-15 record during his five years, which featured 49 players who advanced to NCAA Division I schools and teams that won the 2016 National Prep Championship, reached the 2017 and '20 Final Fours and the Elite Eight round of the tournament in 2019.

He then served as the head coach of the team for three seasons (2020-21 through 2022-23), during which time his squads posted an overall record of 114-8, were ranked among the top-three teams in the country all three years and was the nation's top-ranked team in his final season with a 44-2 record.

Messinger was named the Next Up Recruits National Postgraduate Coach of the Year and the Elite Prep League Coach of the Year in his final season, which included his team winning the EPL regular season and tournament titles.

Messinger also served as Hargrave's Director of Admissions (2014-16) and Director of Athletics (2018-20).

The native of Northampton, Mass., graduated from Northampton High School and spent a postgraduate year at Deerfield Academy.  He was named the team's MVP and earned All-NEPSAC and All-Region honors in his lone year at Deerfield.

Messinger then attended Emerson College where the team won a program-record 24 games during this freshman season (2007-08).  He left the school ranked second in the conference's history with 252 career three-point field goals made and with a three-point percentage of 44.0 percent.  Messinger was named the team MVP and was a Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Star selection as a senior.

A member of the school's President's List for academics and an academic all-conference honoree, he graduated from Emerson in 2011 with a degree in marketing, then attained a master's degree in teaching from Smith College in 2012.

"Thom brings a strong work ethic, attention to detail and a team-first approach," said Perry.  "He's an excellent recruiter who understands how to identify and connect with young men who are a great fit for the Naval Academy and our program.  His commitment to preparation will help us continue to compete at a high level."

"It is a tremendous honor to be joining the basketball staff at the Naval Academy," said Messinger, "and I am deeply appreciative to Jon Perry and the rest of the coaches for this opportunity.  This program has a storied history and a track record of success, defined by both on-court triumphs and in helping to prepare selfless leaders off the court. I am eager to get to work to continue the mission in both areas, and my family and I are thrilled to be joining the Navy community."

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Navy will close its exhibition season Wednesday night when the Mids travel to Emmitsburg, Md., to play a 7 p.m. game at Mount St. Mary's.  Links to ESPN+ video and live stats form the game can be found at NavySports.com.

The Mountaineers placed sixth in the (now) Metro Conference last season and were tabbed to place eighth this season.  The Mount posted an overall record of 15-17 and a conference mark of 7-9 during the 2025-26 campaign.

Navy opens its regular season Monday, Nov. 2 at George Washington (7:30 p.m.) and begins its home slate Thursday, Nov. 5 vs. Delaware State (7 p.m.).