With the official introductory press conference for Alabama State head men’s basketball coach Chris Wright now concluded, the mission has now been made clear.
Returning to the state of Alabama, where he once served as head coach at Talladega College from 2018-2022, Coach Wright comes to the Hornets with a winning mindset.
“Alabama State family, we’re coming here to win and win big,” said Coach Wright. “We’re coming here to win SWAC championships and meaningful games in March. I’m not a guy that likes to make a lot of promises, but I can promise you this: you’re not going to find anyone that’s going to care more or work harder than I am into getting our program where we all want it to be.”
According to Alabama State Athletic Director Dr. Jason Cable, over 200 applicants were in line for this position, but it was Wright’s standard of excellence that stood out above the rest.
Winning resume stood out for Chris Wright
Winning is something Coach Wright is used to, having been a head coach since 2010, boasting a career record of 332-121 with just one losing season.
Entering his 15th season as a head coach, he will have the task of turning around a team that finished 10-22 overall, marking their 10th season below .500 in the past 11 years.
This includes leading Talladega to the NAIA national championship game in 2022, and doing so at Langston in 2024 and this past season.
However, winning on the court is not the only thing on the mind of the Alabama State coach, saying he has a greater purpose for his players.
“For [Talladega and Langston] to go to three national championships in five years, it’s an amazing accomplishment,” said Coach Wright. But what I’m most proud of what we did at Langston is 94% of our seniors that came through graduated. Like many students that to go HBCUs, [they are first-generation college students. I, too, was a first-generational college student, so education to me is extremely, extremely important. Our young men succeeding in the classroom is going to happen. It’s a priority to me, it’s going to be a priority to the staff that we surround ourselves with, and that will not take a backseat to winning.”
