Wofford College has announced that Dwight Perry has been named the head coach of the men’s basketball program. Perry has spent the last four seasons at Wofford, two as an assistant coach and two as associate head coach. On Dec. 5, 2022, he was named interim head coach.
In his four seasons with Wofford, the team has posted winning records in all four campaigns. He has seen six different players earn All-Southern Conference honors, along with coaching five players who earned All-Freshman team accolades.
“We are pleased to have Dwight Perry as the head coach of the men’s basketball team,” said Dr. Nayef Samhat, Wofford’s president. “He understands and feels strongly about upholding the values and integrity of the athletics program here at Wofford. Over the course of this past season, he has risen to the challenge of leading a young and committed team with great dignity and enthusiasm.”
According to Richard Johnson, director of athletics, Perry has earned this opportunity. “He did a great job during the past season of bringing stability to the program and building a culture of teamwork, grit and competitiveness. We look forward watching the program move forward under his leadership.”
“I am thankful for Dr. Samhat and Richard Johnson for their belief in me,” said Perry. “Wofford is a special place. I am looking forward to building off the many great coaches and players that are part of the tradition here who build that foundation of Wofford basketball. We are going to move the program in a positive direction both on and off the court with these student-athletes. I am ready to get to work.”
“I am very excited about the selection of Coach Perry,” said sophomore Corey Tripp. “When he came in and took over as interim head coach, we were looking for some hope. He changed the program and our culture. He allowed guys to be themselves and I am excited for the future.”
Highlights of the season were a road win over Texas A&M and a win over UNC Greensboro in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. Overall the team was 17-16 on the season and an 8-10 mark in the Southern Conference to finish sixth in the standings. Senior B.J. Mack was named first team All-Southern Conference by the coaches and media, while Jackson Paveletzke earned the league’s Freshman of the Year and All-SoCon third team.
During the 2021-22 campaign, Perry helped guide Wofford to a 19-13 overall record with a 10-8 league mark in his first season as associate head coach. Highlights during the season include a road triumph over Georgia and a home win over Samford. B.J. Mack and Max Klesmit garnered Second and Third-Team All-Southern Conference honors, respectively.
In the 2020-21 season, the Terriers were 15-9 overall and 12-5 in the Southern Conference. The team played only six non-conference games due to the pandemic, including a win over Coastal Carolina. Following the season Storm Murphy was named to the All-Southern Conference first team and three players earned All-Freshman Team honors.
In his first season with Wofford, Perry made an immediate impact, scouting upsets of No. 17 North Carolina and the second-seeded Furman Paladins in the Southern Conference Tournament en route to Wofford’s second consecutive SoCon Championship appearance. The team was 19-16 overall and 8-10 in league play, while Nathan Hoover was named All-Southern Conference.
Prior to Wofford, Perry spent five seasons at Furman University, assisting the Paladins to a 91-68 overall record with three 20-win seasons and a shared regular season title in 2016-17 over the span, while helping recruit and coach 17 All-Freshman and All-Conference selections, including two SoCon Players of the Year and one Freshman of the Year.
The Durham, North Carolina, native served as a graduate assistant under former Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart for two seasons before being named as the Rams’ video coordinator for the 2013-14 campaign. During his three-year stint in Richmond, Va., the Rams posted an 82-26 record and made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including appearances in the round of 32 in both of Perry’s seasons as a graduate assistant.
A 2010 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Perry played three seasons for the Wildcats and earned a degree in business management. He was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He served as an intern with Stanford’s men’s basketball program for two years before joining VCU, where he earned a master’s degree in sport leadership in May of 2013.
Perry married the former Brittany Gee in August of 2016, and the couple has two sons, Dwight III (Trey) and Ashton.
He is the 19th head coach in Wofford men’s basketball history, which dates back to 1906.
INTERIM TAG REMOVED: Perry named Head Basketball Coach at Wofford
