PHOTO ABOVE:  Jody Wright, (right), who grew up in Caryville, visits with media in March 2018 after his 700th win.

KNOXVILLE, TN (WLAF) – The Caryville Elementary School Gym where Jody Wright, and before him, his late father Gene, was introduced to the game of basketball is long gone.  However, the lessons first learned in that little cracker box of a gym and the successes that have followed live on and will be showcased tonight when the younger Coach Wright is inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. 

The 38th annual dinner and induction ceremony takes place this evening at the Knoxville Convention Center.  Wright is one of nine coaches and athletes who will be honored.  Doors open at 6 pm with the induction ceremony starting at 7:30 pm.

VERY TOP PHOTO:  Wright (left) spends some time with a couple of his former players after he won his 700th game at Jody Wright Arena at Fulton High School.

In 34 seasons as head basketball coach at Fulton High School, Wright has won more than 700 games, claimed three state titles, had five runner-up finishes and appeared in 18 state basketball tournaments.  Those are the numbers we all know.  However, not many remember another number, two.  In Wright’s very first season as a head coach, his team won two games.

Knoxville News Sentinel photographer Saul Young (left) snaps a photo of Wright (right) in March of 2018.  Wright’s team had just won his 700th game.

When he first learned of the honor back in the spring, Wright said, “I want to thank everyone for all the kind remarks and comments the past few days.  Any honor a coach receives is shared with so many people.  In this case, a bunch of outstanding assistant coaches that I call my friends and hundreds of young men who bought in to what we call the process.”

Wright’s home town of Caryville and first basketball coach, Len Pierce, no doubt are proud, and it goes without saying that the older Coach Wright, Gene, would have been one proud father had he been able to attend tonight’s ceremony.

Congratulations, Coach Wright.

Caryville’s Jody Wright wins Number 700 – March 5, 2018

Fulton is Murfreesboro-bound.  Again.

There they were sitting on the front row of bleachers in the gym at Happy Valley High School.  It was March 1990.  Former HVHS Warriors Walter “Buck” Van Huss (1,021 wins) and Charlie Bayless (960+ wins) were chatting hours before Happy Valley was to host Fulton in a sub-state basketball game.  In-between two of the winningest high school basketball coaches in the history of the game was 29-year old Jody Wright.  And I had a front row seat to the conversation.

Little did I know Buck would never coach another game.  He died later that summer.  I had no clue that Charlie would coach until he was 88-years old.  And Jody.  Well.  I felt deep down he’d be successful.  But even in my best dreams for his success, I would never have thought he’d win 702 games.

Fast forward 28-years, three state titles, countless trips to the state tourney at Murfreesboro, and now 700 Falcon wins later, Jody starts getting his team ready this afternoon for one more ride to Murphy Center.  That comes after last night’s 90 to 57 win over Unicoi County on the floor of Jody Wright Arena.

The one-time Caryville Cardinal said after the milestone win, “I’m just a small part of the puzzle right there but it’s been a good run and the main thing is I’m glad were still playing.”

Fulton learns tonight who it will be playing in next week’s state tourney.

You may be wondering where those two other wins were earned.  In Wright’s first head coaching assignment, at Maynardville High School, he was 2 & 20-something just part of the learning experience like that March afternoon in 1990 with Buck and Charlie. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 07/25/2019-6AM)

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