South Carolina assistant Jody Wright expected to land Murray State head job
South Carolina tight ends coach Jody Wright is expected to be named the next head football coach at Murray State, GamecockCentral’s Chris Clark has learned.
Wright has spent the last two seasons on staff at South Carolina after replacing Erik Kimrey as the Gamecocks’ tight ends coach.
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The expected departure of Wright creates two openings on the South Carolina staff after running backs coach Montario Hardesty was let go earlier this month.
Shane Beamer is expected to add veteran assistant James Coley to his staff to fill one of those openings, though his exact title is not yet confirmed and there could be additional shuffling of roles.
Wright spent the two seasons prior to his time with Carolina with the New York Giants, one as an offensive assistant and the other as a defensive assistant, after spending 2019 as Special Assistant to the Head Coach with the Browns.
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Prior to that, Wright spent 2018 as UAB’s offensive line coach and assistant head coach after three seasons as Director of Player Personnel for Nick Saban at Alabama. That was a bit of a return to home for Wright who spent 2010 as the Tide’s offensive graduate assistant and 2011 and 2012 as an offensive analyst.
The Jacksonville State graduate’s time in Alabama sandwiched a year at UAB as assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2014.
Prior to Wright’s Alabama stops, he spent five seasons at various roles at Mississippi State where he crossed paths with Beamer and former Gamecock defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, who gave Wright his first job.
A graduate of Pickens Academy in Carrollton, Ala., Wright played for his father, Lynn, in high school. He was named an All-State running back during his final two seasons.
