A successful leader at multiple levels, Steve Wright was named assistant coach at the University of Missouri on Tuesday, announced by Whitten Family Head Coach Dennis Gates.
Wright joins the Tigers after spending the previous two seasons on the Duquesne staff. During his time with the Dukes, the team won the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship, advanced to their first NCAA Tournament since 1977 and earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 1969. Overall, Duquesne won 38 games in his two seasons on campus.
“It’s great to welcome Steve and his family to Missouri,” Gates said. “Having worked with him in the past, Steve is familiar with our culture and what we demand on the court, in the classroom and in the community to run a successful program. He is well-established in the grassroots of basketball and recruiting is a strength of his. Steve has also been a winner at multiple stops and we’re excited to see him continue that at Mizzou.”
Prior to his time at Duquesne, Wright broke into the Division I ranks as a member of Gates’ Cleveland State staff in 2019-20 as video coordinator before serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater of Bowling Green for three campaigns.
“I’m thrilled to reunite with Coach Gates at the University of Missouri” Wright said. “Coach Gates is a tremendous leader and I look forward to building on the success that he and his staff have already established in their short time on campus. I’ve followed along closely during the past three seasons and there isn’t a more passionate fanbase in the country to work with. I can’t wait to get to work and join the Mizzou family.”
Wright also has had successful tenures at the high school, junior college and AAU ranks during his career.
Prior to his stint at CSU, Wright was the head coach at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2017-19. During his time at PHS, he mentored McDonald’s All-American and NBA draft pick Darius Bazley – the most recent player to go from high school to the NBA as he was selected 23rd overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019.
In 2018, Wright was named the Greater Miami Coach of the Year, while also taking home District 16 Coach of the Year honors.
From 2013 to 2016, Wright spent three seasons as assistant coach at Columbus State Community College. In his final season with the Cougars, Wright helped guide CSCC to a 25-8 record and a trip to the NJCAA Division II Tournament. Furthermore, he served as an assistant coach at the University of the Cumberlands (NAIA Division I) in Williams, Kentucky, in 2012-13.
Wright’s coaching career also includes stints on the AAU circuit. He was head coach for 17U King James AAU (Akron, Ohio) from 2014-16, and assistant director/head coach for Under Armour’s C2K AAU 16U (Columbus, Ohio) from 2017-19.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wright played at Bowling Green from 2003 to 2006. The point guard saw action in 78 games with 64 starts, leading BGSU in assists and steals in 2003-04 and steals again in 2004-05. Overall, Wright averaged 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals as a Falcon, before completing his career at Northern Kentucky, where he was an NCAA Division II All-American in 2007.
Wright went on to play first-team professional basketball in Germany and Finland from 2007 to 2011.
Wright joins a Mizzou program that has earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three years under the leadership of Gates. During the 2024-25 campaign, the Tigers posted three top-five wins for the first time since 1988-89, finishing sixth in a SEC that earned a record 14 bids to the NCAA Tournament.
