The Civilian Marksmanship Program just added a heavy hitter to its roster. Hank Gray, a name synonymous with precision shooting and Olympic-caliber coaching, has officially joined CMP as its new Training and Education Manager.
For nearly 40 years, Gray has been a force in the competitive shooting world. From the National Matchesto the global stage of the Paralympic Games, his fingerprints are all over modern marksmanship. Most recently, he’s been both a competitor and instructor with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) and a rifle coach for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
His résumé reads like a highlight reel: National titles, including the 2017 NRA Conventional Prone Champion crown; six medals and an Olympic quota as assistant coach at the 2018 World Championships in Changwon, Korea, and decades of mentoring athletes at Small Arms Firing Schools and marksmanship clinics nationwide.
If you’ve walked through the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center in Camp Perry, Ohio, you may have already “met” him—he’s immortalized in the center’s sprawling mural, a nod to his marksmanship legend.
“I’ve known most of the long-time employees of the CMP, either since before they even started working with the CMP or shortly after they got hired on,” Gray said. “When Christie Sewell (CMP Chief Programs Officer) and Jerry O’Keefe (CMP CEO) approached me with the idea of joining the team last January during the Camp Perry Open, it quickly turned into an opportunity I couldn’t pass up … the position seemed like the perfect fit.”
Gray’s immediate focus? Building a structured coach education system—something that CMP State Directors have long requested.
“I’m looking to get that started as soon as possible in the junior air rifle and air pistol programs and then begin to expand into our other disciplines as well,” he said.
“Finding additional ways to enhance our ability to promote excellence in marksmanship and firearms safety remain at the top of my list as I settle in and search for innovative partnerships and ideas,” he added.
Born in Belgrade, Montana, Gray grew up learning the fundamentals of shooting through a local BB gun program and weekend hunts with his dad. That early spark led him to air rifle, smallbore and running target competitions. Later, he earned a biochemistry degree in Colorado Springs, strategically close to the Olympic Training Center.
In 2003, he joined the Army and began a 22-year journey that saw him rise to Sgt. 1st Class, competing, coaching and managing operations for the International Rifle Team. Along the way, he earned a master’s degree in sport and exercise science, the Bronze Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge and even deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, where he helped train Afghan and NATO forces in marksmanship.
Gray’s personal life is no less impressive. His wife, Nathalia Tobar Prado, is a Team USA pistol shooter and national record holder. The pair recently moved from Ft. Benning, Georgia, to Anniston, Alabama, where Gray will work out of CMP South.
Their CMP connection was sealed during the 2025 Camp Perry Open, where Nathalia shot back-to-back personal bests—shattering the national record by six points.
“After nearly 20 years of traveling to Camp Perry with some pretty big successes, I can definitively say January 2025 was absolutely the most successful trip I’ve ever had up there.” Gray recalled.
Now, as he settles into his new role, Gray’s vision is clear—a fusion of experience, innovation and respect for the sport’s tradition.
“The CMP is an exciting place to work and truly has an amazing staff,” he said. “We’ve got a few new projects brewing that will even further build upon the legacy of the organization as the ‘Home of Marksmanship.’ Stay tuned, and I look forward to seeing you out on the firing line!”
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