Steve Wright joined the Embry-Riddle men's basketball coaching staff in the summer of 2016, bringing 38 years of coaching experience to Daytona Beach. Wright's resume is filled with notable achievements, not the least of which was a 697-247 career record in the high school coaching ranks in the state of Kentucky. Wright's .738 career winning percentage closely mirrors Ridder's' .728 (672-251) career mark and between them, the pair have over 1,300 wins. Wright's nearly 700 wins rank eighth all-time in basketball-rich Kentucky high school history.
Wright reached the pinnacle of Kentucky basketball in 2005 when his South Laurel squad claimed the state championship in the midst of a four year streak of reaching the round of 16 from 2004-08. In total, Wright claimed 15 district championships, eight regional titles and nine trips to the Kentucky state tournament, an impressive achivement considering there is no classifications in the Bluegrass State as all schools compete in the same tournament. Wright registered three quarterfinal finishes as well as claiming a pair of Kentucky AAU State Championships.
Wright began his head coaching career at Walton-Verona High School before taking over at Laurel County/South Laurel where he spent 21 seasons with the Cardinals. Wright took the Pulaski Southwestern job in 2011 and immediately led the Warriors to their only region title and the state semifinals in his first season. Wright posted a 121-41 record at Southwestern before stepping away following the 2015-16 season.
Wright racked up 24 different Coach of the Year honors over his career and has been inducted into five separate Hall of Fames. He served as president of the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches from 1998-2002 and was selected to coach in several All-Star games, including the 2007 McDonald's All-American Game.
Wright graduated from Northern Kentucky in 1979 and earned Master’s degrees from Xavier (1984) and Union (Ky.) (1990).
Steve and his wife Lisa have three children; Stephanie (Harris), Courtney (Swanner) and Eric; and two grandchildren: Mason and Kaden.
