Second Season at Duquesne
Steve Wright, who has coached at the Junior College, NAIA and Division I levels, joined the Duquesne basketball staff in July of 2023.
In his first season with the program, Wright helped the Dukes to an overall record of 25-12 (.676), including a mark of 10-8 (.556) in the Atlantic 10. Duquesne claimed its first A-10 Championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Championship since 1977 as well as its first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1969.
Wright came to Duquesne following three seasons as an assistant coach on Michael Huger's staff at his alma mater, Bowling Green.
Wright, who also has over five years of combined head-coaching experience at the high school and AAU levels, served as video coordinator on Dennis Gates' staff at Cleveland State (2019-20) prior to making to move to BGSU. DU Head Coach Dru Joyce III was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on Gates' 2020 CSU staff.
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 current NBA forward Darius Bazley (Oklahoma City Thunder/Phoenix Suns). In 2018, Wright was named the Greater Miami Coach of the Year while also taking home District 16 Coach of the Year honors.
From 2013-16, 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 (.757) 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, Ky., in 2012-13.
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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.
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Wright played for Dan Dakich at Bowling Green (2003-06), where he saw action in 78 games with 64 starts. Wright, a point guard, led BGSU in assists and steals in 2003-04 and steals again in 2004-05.. He 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 2007-11.
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A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wright attended Colonel White High School. He earned his liberal arts degree from BGSU in 2006, and his master's degree in teaching from the University of the Cumberlands in 2015.
Wright and his wife, Whitney, have two daughters, Camryn and Jordyn.
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