Andrew Wright: It takes an organization

by Jack Warren, host of the Top Coach Podcast

On the occasion of Andrew Wright’s departure from the University of Charleston (WV) to join the New York Yankees organization, all I can say is – the rich just continue to get richer. Seems the Bombers know a good thing when they see it, even when hidden in the coal mining hills of West Virginia.

While I haven’t spoken to anyone associated with the Yankees, it is obvious to anyone who’s paid the least bit of attention to what’s going on there in Charleston that the baseball program has been a hotbed of innovation since Coach Wright appeared on campus. It was just a matter of time before someone was going to come in and make him an offer he couldn’t refuse. I always thought it would be a D1 program. Who knew the Yankees were watching?

Anyone who’s followed Top Coach for the last couple of years knows we’re big fans of what’s going on down there in Charleston. Coach Wright is one of college baseball’s best innovators, challenging his players and staff to continually ask, “what if?” What if we tried this? What if we looked at this differently? When others brood about budget constraints, Coach Wright comes at it from a creative standpoint, thinking about how it could be done differently.

Going one step further, Wright takes his understanding of the game and applying effective baseball principals and practices, then moves it to the next level. He understands that to turn his team into a self perpetuating organization, he has to run it like a CEO. 

One visit with Coach Wright in his office or over lunch or sitting in on a staff meeting clearly demonstrates that it’s not all about baseball. It’s about putting into place the repeatable practices that foster success, as well as removing the obstacles that stand in the way of a growing, vibrant organization. It’s about delegation and responsibility. It’s about organization and innovation. And, yes, it’s about culture.

Although Andrew Wright will take his talents to a new organization, you will not have heard the last of him on the collegiate level. You see, scores of staff and players over the last few years got to experience “The Wright Way” (that’s on me – don’t send hate mail to Coach Wright) for the last several years. A new generation of young coaches will have figured out early on that when it comes to success on the field, it takes an organization.  

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Jack is available to speak to your team or organization or at your next function. He also provides individual and organizational coaching and consulting. You can get more information on these services at Jack’s professional services site, JackWWarren.com.