Reuben Wright joined the Bulls staff in January of 2021 as a defensive analsyt.
Wright came to USF from Western Carolina where he joined the coaching staff as the running backs coach in 2017. For the 2019 campaign, Wright returned to the defensive side of the football and assumed the role as the defensive line coach.
In 2017 and 2018, Wright worked with a very talented group of Western running backs that included All-America tailback Detrez Newsome. He helped mentor the eventual Los Angeles Chargers signee to his third-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season in 2017. During the 2018 season, tailbacks Connell Young and Donnavan Spencer split the reps and both eclipsed the 500-yard mark behind 1,000-yard rushing QB Tyrie Adams.
Before coming to Western, Wright made eight different coaching stops at the high school level. He served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for a season at Greenwood High School in Greenwood, S.C. Prior to that, he spent four seasons as the head coach on the sidelines at Carolina High School and Academy in Greenville, S.C., where he mentored Zykiesis Cannon who went on to play at Louisville.
Wright's coaching stints also include serving as the assistant head football coach at Eastside High in Taylors, S.C.
Wright has also spent two seasons at Presbyterian College where he worked primarily along the defensive line. In his first season with the Blue Hose, he mentored end Sherman Burnett to All-State honors. His unit ranked inside the national top 20 for tackles for loss. He also helped recruit three-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, Justin Bethel.
Before making the jump to the collegiate ranks, Wright spent two years as the defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator at Blythewood High (S.C.) under head coach Jeff Scott. While at Blythewood, he helped mold the Bengals in their inaugural season in 2006, as the squad posted a 14-1 overall record and won the 2006 South Carolina AAA state title. Wright's defense featured all-state performer and Georgia signee, Charles White, and held opponents to just 14.7 points per game in the 2006 season.
Additional prep coaching stops in the Palmetto state include serving as defensive coordinator at Seneca High (2004-05), and as an assistant coach at Northwestern High (2001-04) where he helped the program to a Big 16 state runner-up finish in 2001.
His coaching career started at Greer High (1994-2000) where he patrolled the sidelines for seven seasons. The Yellow Jackets went undefeated, 15-0, and won the AAA state championship in 1994, and made two Upper-State runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2000.
Wright earned his bachelor's degree in history from the Catawba College in 1994 before earning his Master's in education from Converse College in Spartanburg. He was captain of the 1993 Catawba football team.
Wright is married to Ms. Dena Wright, and has two children, daughter Kennedy and son Cade.
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