First-Year Mizzou Assistant Steve Wright Hired by Memphis

After only one season under Dennis Gates, Wright is heading to the AAC to coach under Penny Hardaway.

Jan 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail shot of a basketball going through the hoop prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Missouri assistant coach Steve Wright has been hired by Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers, per multiple reports. Wright spent only one season in Columbia before taking a new job in the American Athletic Conference.

Wright previously was at Duquesne as an assistant and was there for two seasons. He helped the Dukes win the 2025 Atlantic 10 conference tournament, which also qualified them for their first NCAA Tournament birth since 1977. Wright was with Bowling Green for three seasons before that and started his Division 1 coaching career under Dennis Gates at Cleveland State in 2019.

“Having worked with him in the past, Steve is familiar with our culture and what we demand on the court, in the classroom and in the community to run a successful program," Gates said in a statement when Wright was hired. "He is well-established in the grassroots of basketball and recruiting is a strength of his."

Wright is the first assistant coach to leave Gates' stuff during this offseason.