Hoover J. Wright
 | |
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
July 1928[1] Hebron, Maryland |
| Died |
March 7, 2003 (aged 74) Cypress, Texas |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1966–1979 | Prairie View A&M |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 31–67–2 |
Hoover J. Wright (July 1928 – March 7, 2003) was an American football and track and field coach.
Football coaching career
Early coaching posts
Wright’s coaching career began at Shorter College in North Little Rock, Arkansas. At Shorter, he was head football coach, men's and women's basketball coach, and track coach. His next post was at Paul Quinn College where he was the athletic director and head football coach.[2]
Prairie View A&M
Wright was the ninth head football coach at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas and he held that position for ten seasons, from 1966 to 1968, and 1973 to 1979. His career coaching record at Prairie View was 31–67–2.[3][4] He led the team to their last winning record in 2003[2] until the 2007 season under Coach Frazier.[5]
Track and field
Honors
Wright also found success as a track and field coach at Prairie View. He was the head coach of the programs for over 40 years and his teams secured two NAIA Indoor titles and one NAIA outdoor title.[6] In 2005, he was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame.[7][8] The school has since honored him by naming their annual track meet after his legacy.[9]
He served as the meet referee of the NCAA National Championship track meet in 1987.[10] He was also placed in the Drake Relays Hall of Fame in 1986 for his excellence as a coach.[11]
Overcoming tragedy
At age 71, Wright was seriously injured during a bus crash on the way to a track meet where four of his athletes were killed and five were seriously injured.[12][13] Later that season, Wright was able lead his team to put the tragedy behind them by defending their Southwestern Athletic Conference indoor track championship.[14]
Personal life
Wright earned a bachelor's degree from Maryland State (now called University of Maryland Eastern Shore) and a master's degree from Penn State. He also completed post-graduate work at the University of Iowa and the University of North Texas.[15]
References
- ↑ Lubbock Online Tragic crash still weighs on Prairie View A&M
- 1 2 USA Track and Field News
- ↑ Prairie View A&M University coaching records
- ↑ "Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University Directory". The Sports Network.
- ↑ Henry Fraizer III Coaching Records
- ↑ CSTV.com Hoover Wright profile
- ↑ Prairie View A&M News Hoover Wright to be honored at 2005 ... Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
- ↑ Texas A&M Athletics news Track Coaches Hall of Fame
- ↑ Black Sports The Magazine May 2006 issue
- ↑ New York Times N.C.A.A. Track
- ↑ Drake Realays Coaches Hall of Fame
- ↑ ESPN.com "Four killed, five seriously hurt in van crash"
- ↑ Washington Post Conditions Improve, February 14, 2000
- ↑ Amarillo.com Triumphantly overcoming tragedy
- ↑ Prairie View A&M News Hoover Wright Career Perspective (Broken link)
