Andre Gray has been fired as head basketball coach at Elizabeth City State. He has been replaced on an interim basis by alumnus John Richardson III.

Gray coached only one full season at the CIAA school. His Vikings were 13-16 a year ago and started this season 4-11. He was let go following the Jan. 6 loss to Livingstone.

ECSU won its first game under Richardson, 71-65 against Shaw Jan. 9, snapping a four- game losing skid.

Richardson is a former assistant coach at Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech and won two State champion- ships at Woodside High in Newport News.

Assistant Coaches Trey Sumner and Kevin Anzenberger have remained with the program.

The Vikings will come to Richmond to play Virginia Union Jan. 31 and to Ettrick to face Virginia State Feb. 3.

ECSU joined the CIAA in 1957 and won CIAA tournament crowns in 1981 under coach Robert Vaughan and in 2007 under Shawn Walker.

The program’s all-time star player might be Mike Gale who went on to play in the NBA from 1972 and ’82.