Shawn McCray is a lifelong Newark resident,  currently serving as an Attendance Counselor for Newark Public Schools, specifically, Central High School. Shawn also serves as the head Basketball Coach at Central. He has been coaching since 2002, becoming the Head Coach in 2006. Since his tenure as a coach, Central has won numerous Championships, including the 2011 State Championship.

Shawn is the founder of the Zoo Crew Basketball Program, which was started in 1996 to give inner city youth the recreational outlet needed in Newark around that time. Since its inception, the program has serviced thousands of youth in and around the Newark area, implementing summer leagues, camps, all-star games, and providing a safe environment for youth ages 5-21. He is also the owner of Zoo Crew Apparel, a brick and mortar that has been in operation since 2017.

Shawn has also tried his hand at politics running for Central Ward Councilman in 2014, 2018, and 2022, nearly winning in 2018 and 2022. He has been inducted into three Hall of Fames:

• 2016 Keystone College Athletic Hall of Fame
• 2018 Caldwell University Athletic Hall of fame
• 2021 Newark Athletic Hall of Fame

 Shawn received in BA in Sociology with a Minor in Criminal Justince from Caldwell College.