Joby Wright
Joby Wright (born September 5, 1950)
Teams coached: Miami RedHawks, Wyoming Cowboys
Miami (OH) record: 61-29 (.678)
Wyoming record: 53-60 (.469)
Overall record: 114-89 (.562)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1992)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1993)
- MAC Regular Season Champion: 2 (1992, 1993)
- MAC Tournament Champion: 1 (1992)
Awards:
- MAC Coach of the Year: 1 (1993)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1993-1997 | Wyoming |
| 1990-1993 | Miami (OH) |
| 1981-1990 | Indiana (asst) |
| 1980-1981 | Indiana (grad. asst) |
Joby Wright Facts
- Joseph Wright
- Born September 5, 1950
- Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
- Alma Mater: Indiana University (BA, 1979 & MA, 1981)
- Was a star basketball player at Johnson HS (GA) and then played for coach at Lou Watson at Indiana
- After playing two seasons for Watson, Wright played his final year for Hall of Famer Bob Knight
- Served as team captain and earned All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 1971-72
- Drafted with the 5th pick in the 2nd round of the 1972 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics
- Spent one year in Seattle, three seasons in Europe and two partial seasons in the ABA with the Memphis Tams, San Diego Sails and Virginia Squires
- Coaches Wright played for include Tom Nissalke (Seattle) and Bill Musselman (San Diego and Virginia)
- Returned to IU in 1978 to complete his bachelor’s degree and earn a master’s in physical education
- Spent a year as a graduate assistant and then nine years as a full assistant coach under Knight
- During this time, Wright was a part of two Hoosiers’ NCAA Championships (1981 & 1987)
- Hired in 1990 to be the head coach at Miami (OH), going 61-29 in three seasons with the program
- Won the MAC title twice and MAC Tournament in 1992, earning bids to the 1992 NCAA and 1993 NIT
- Left for Wyoming in 1993, coaching the Cowboys for the next four seasons
- Was not as successful in Laramie, going just 53-60 overall and resigning in 1997
- Later coaching roles include a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters (coaching them in actual competitive games, as opposed to the exhibition matches) and the Cincinnati Stuff in the short-lived IBL
- More recently, Wright has worked with NBA Africa and runs the Joby Wright Basketball School and Wright Way Foundation
Joby Wright Coaching Tree
- Pat Kelsey (College of Charleston, Wintrop)
- Scott Spinelli (Chicago State, Boston College)
