Ronald J. Slay (November 15, 1890 â September 18, 1948) was an American college football, college basketball, and college baseball coach, athletics administrator, and educator. A teacher of science and modern language, he was appointed by the faculty of Mississippi Normal CollegeâÂÂnow known as the University of Southern MississippiâÂÂin Hattiesburg, Mississippi as school's first head football coach in 1912. He served in that capacity for one season, compiling a record of 2âÂÂ1. Slay was also the head basketball coach at Mississippi Normal in 1912âÂÂ13 and from 1918 to 1920, tallying a mark of 9âÂÂ7, and the school's head baseball coach from 1914 to 1916 and in 1919, tallying a mark 4âÂÂ5.