University of Memphis men’s basketball head coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway announced on April 17 the addition of assistant coach Steve Wright, completing his coaching staff for the upcoming season.
The hiring is seen as a significant move for the program, bringing in an experienced coach with a background at multiple levels of basketball. “We are excited to welcome Steve and his family to Memphis,” said Hardaway. “Steve possesses valuable experience at multiple levels and will bring a diverse perspective to our staff. Steve is a proven winner with a championship pedigree and we look forward to his positive impact on our program.”
Wright joins Memphis after spending one year as an assistant under Dennis Gates at Missouri, where he helped guide the team to 20 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2025-26 season. While there, Missouri wing Mark Mitchell earned All-SEC Second Team and NABC All-Central District honors under Wright’s mentorship.
Before Missouri, Wright served two seasons as an assistant coach at Duquesne University. During that period, Duquesne won the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2024, advanced to its first NCAA Tournament since 1977, and achieved its first tournament win since 1969. Overall, Duquesne recorded 38 victories while Wright was on staff.
Wright began his Division I coaching career as video coordinator at Cleveland State in the 2019-20 season before moving on to Bowling Green—his alma mater—for three years as an assistant coach. His experience also includes high school coaching at Princeton High School in Cincinnati from 2017-19, where he mentored McDonald’s All-American and NBA draft pick Darius Bazley.
His career further spans roles in junior college basketball at Columbus State Community College and NAIA-level competition with University of the Cumberlands (KY), along with positions leading AAU teams such as King James AAU (Akron) and Under Armour’s C2K AAU (Columbus).
As a player, Wright competed for Bowling Green from 2003-06 before finishing his collegiate career at Northern Kentucky University where he was named an NCAA Division II All-American in 2007. He later played professional basketball overseas until 2011.
The Tigers expect that Wright’s broad range of experiences will benefit both players and coaches heading into next season.
