April 22, 2008

Maryville -- Maryville College introduced Todd Wright as its new women’s basketball coach during a press conference held at the College’s Cooper Athletic Center today. Officially starting his new duties May 1, Wright will begin recruiting and preparing for the upcoming season immediately.

Wright, formerly the head women’s basketball coach and assistant professor of health and physical education at Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tenn., replaces Coach Jeff Pardue, who resigned March 17 after compiling a 28-9 record.

In introducing the new coach to the media, members of the campus community and alumni, Maryville College Associate Athletics Director Kandis Schram explained that approximately 90 people applied for the position. A committee composed of Athletics Director Randy Lambert, Associate Athletics Director Kandis Schram and current basketball players narrowed the pool to two for on-campus interviews.

“We conducted phone interviews with our top five candidates and wanted to bring in the best male candidate and the best female candidate, and I believe we did that,” Schram said. “At the end of the interviews, we felt like the most qualified and the one with the most experience was Todd Wright. He has coached both high school girls and college women and this experience will help him be effective in recruiting and winning on the collegiate level. I think he has the experience to continue the winning tradition of women’s basketball here.”

The new coach’s employment background has included positions utilizing both his interest in college-level basketball and his bachelor’s degree in math education. He is a 1995 graduate of Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn. He attained his master’s degree in human performance and sport studies from the University of Tennessee in 1999.

Prior to joining the staff at Roane State in 2005, he was head women’s basketball coach, athletics director and mathematics teacher at Oliver Springs High School in Oliver Springs, Tennessee.

Wright has a career coaching record of 56-36 on the collegiate level and was 150-49 in six seasons at Oliver Springs. His 2008 squad at Roane State was ranked No. 24 nationally by the National Junior College Athletic Association.

In joining the Maryville College Athletics Department, Wright inherits a program that has posted six Great South Athletic Conference regular-season titles, five conference championships and 15 NCAA national tournament appearances.

Wright opened his comments to the crowd of over fifty fans of the Scots in attendance. “I want to begin by thanking God for opening this door and this opportunity. My family has been such a strong support system and I appreciate their support through my journey as a coach”, stated the Oak Ridge native. “Roane State and their administration was a very supportive environment and I thank everyone who made our program better from the players to our Director of Athletics. Finally, I want to thank Maryville College. I do not take this position for granted and I want to give everything that I have got to continue their success. I am excited about the opportunity and challenge that lies ahead.”

Wright was asked by the media about his immediate plans for the program and his future style of play. “I want our players to appreciate the quality of education and experiences that Maryville College has to offer and on the court hunger for opportunities to return to the post-season. We have missed the tournament the past two seasons and I look forward to seeing our players rewarded for their hard work. Make no mistake about it, I want to win!” Wright wants to be a team that pushes the ball up and down the court with a great deal of tempo. “I need to spend some time with our players and see what they can do. I am excited about what we have in the program and I look forward to seeing them develop.”

In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Wright will also be assigned athletic administrative duties to be determined by Schram.

Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state’s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.

(Maryville College sports information)