Meet Mr. Reggie Wright

By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com

Reggie Wright’s never been someone to look too far ahead into the future, but Monday, Wright started making plans for new surroundings and a new challenge.

Delaware State announced Wright, a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State, as its fourth head coach in the last five years.

“Just like a lot of things in my life, my dad always told me to not look so far ahead, just make sure you prepare yourself and when opportunities come, you’re prepared.”

Wright, 28, has spent the last five seasons as an assistant to Duane Goldman and Mike Mena at Indiana University and feels his ascent to a head coaching position at the Division I level was built around passion.

“I developed this passion for coaching when I went to Indiana,” said Wright. “We started having some success and I developed a passion for success.”

“Just prepare myself to be the head guy some day. I feel like I’ve been coaching as long as I’ve been wrestling,” he said.

Wright doesn’t see his age as any hindrance and being a Division I coach in his 20’s wasn’t even an afterthought.

“I just never thought about it that way, never thought about being young and being a head coach, just thought about being prepared when the opportunity comes my way.”

“I’ve been part of two successful programs, -- Oklahoma State and being coached by one of the best wrestlers and the best coaches in the country. And with Duane and Mike at Indiana, I feel like it’s a great mixture to bring into a program.”

The opportunity comes on the heels of a well-publicized rift between the Delaware State administration and former coach Earl Walker.

“I don’t really want to concentrate on what’s gone on in the past,” said Wright. “I want to work on the future. I’m looking at the positives.”

One of Wright’s first goals is trying to retain wrestlers that signed in the fall and start the recruiting process of building the program.

“First of all, recruiting is huge. (We want) good athletes with good reputations and good academics and build the program with local talent. It’s huge, that way you have community support.”

Two of Delaware State’s biggest early signees were Tommy Abbott of St. Mark’s in Delaware and NHSCA Senior National Champion Eric Olanowski of Kellam High School in Virginia Beach. He’ll also have some convincing to do to keep some of the current DSU wrestlers from transferring.

“I want to retain those kids,” said Wright. “I want to build this program and most of those kids are local. That’s what I’m going to do first – I want to meet with those kids and get them back on board.”

Wright will have some new recruiting grounds to scour and a new qualifier.

“It’s all about building positive relationships,” he said. For me to be successful here, the key factor would be for me to get out and build positive relationships.”

“That’s the case with recruiting. Networking with coaches in the area, things of that nature, but like I said, I want to recruit the local talent and then you’ll get your kids from the Midwest and the West Coast, but I’ll get it done here by building positive relationships.”

Wright said the commitment to wrestling at Delaware State was the biggest selling point.

“I’ve seen programs be successful without an allotment of scholarships, but anytime you have 9.9 scholarships, any coach can tell you that you need all of those scholarships to even have a chance,” explained Wright.

“Just the increase in scholarships was huge for me. I know that it’s a work in progress and you have to build a program and it takes a time. Anybody can build a team, it takes 3-5 years to build a program.”

“The full allotment of scholarships is the first indicator that the administration has made a commitment to the program,” added Wright.

He also had some help.

“My previous mentors all were pushing me towards Delaware State,” said Wright. “Anytime an administration is making a commitment to wrestling, it’s a place you want to be. It wasn’t a problem accepting the job. This is somewhere I plan on being for a long time.”

Wright said he will miss his time at Indiana, but feels he made the right move.

“It’s hard leaving the young talent, the Escobedos, Coughlins and Hernandezes, it’s hard leaving those guys,” said Wright. “But as far as a professional standpoint – it’s not that hard.”

“I feel like I’m ready to move on and become a head coach,” he said.”
Wright hasn’t even had a chance to consider a potential coaching staff.

“I’m taking everything in right now, I’m getting married in July and I’m trying to plan that, get guys back on board and build some relationships and re-locate. Right now, I haven’t thought that far ahead,” said Wright.

InterMat Lead Writer
Jason Bryant