Former Proviso East state champion Reggie Wright hired as Fenwick wrestling coach

Two-time IHSA champion Reggie Wright of Proviso East is the new wrestling coach at Fenwick, the school announced Tuesday.

Wright replaces Chris Ruffino, who stepped in for his father, legendary Jerry Ruffino, for the 2012-13 season. Chris Ruffino, a former Catholic League wrestler of the year at Fenwick, resigned following the 2013-14 season.

“Reggie [who holds two Master’s degrees, from Indiana and Northern Illinois] understands the balance of academics and athletics,” Fenwick Athletic Director Scott Theis said in a statement. “Further, Reggie’s success on the mat and experience coaching will make him a great addition to Fenwick.”

Wright, 35, graduated from Proviso East, where he was a two-time IHSA state champion in 1995 and ’96. He was a national junior college champion for Triton College, and later attended Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time Big 12 champion and NCAA All-American.

He spent six years as an assistant coach at Indiana University, where he coached 10 All-Americans and six academic All-Americans, including two-time NCAA champion Joe Dubuque. Wright was head coach at Delaware State for one season before resigning in 2008.

“I am very excited to be joining the Fenwick Friar family,” Wright said in a statement. “This is a terrific opportunity for me to live my purpose in life of helping student athletes by sharing my love of Christ through the sport of wrestling.

“I look forward to the challenge of continuing the success of the prestigious program that Jerry and Chris Ruffino have built over the years. I believe that my experiences in wrestling for the legendary hall of fame coach Bill Cartwright [Proviso East] and the two-time Olympic champion John Smith [OSU] will help me lead Fenwick.”