North Park makes Wright choice

North Park athletics photo

The North Park athletic department decided to stay in house and introduced Chris Wright as its new head women's soccer coach Monday morning. Wright succeeds Paul Thomas, who resigned late last week for family reasons.

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North Park was 5-9-2 last season, Thomas' only season as head coach. Wright will be North Park's third head coach in three seasons.

While the 2013 season will be Wright's first season as head coach, he has previously served for two years as a graduate assistant and for four months as the interim head women's soccer coach for the Vikings. Since his arrival in 2011, Wright has assisted NPU to its best overall record in six seasons and their best conference mark in nearly 10 years.

"Chris knows the players in the program and the recruiting class, and he has been an integral part of improving this program the past two years," North Park athletic director Jack Surridge said. "He has a tremendous work ethic and he is ready to continue executing a plan he helped to design. He is respected by the players and his peers on the staff."

Prior to NPU, Wright served as an assistant men's soccer coach at Concordia (Neb.). In 2010, he assisted the Bulldogs to their best finish in over eight years. After coming to the United States from Nottingham England in 2007, Wright coached at Housatonic High School in Connecticut as well as Challenger Sports in North Carolina and the Summer Soccer Club of New Jersey.

"North Park University is a first class institution and it is a privilege to be named the new head women's soccer coach," Wright said. "Having worked with the team for the past two seasons, I have been able to witness first-hand the talent and character of the squad. I am excited to play a part in writing the next chapter within the women's soccer program and look forward to building the foundation left by Coach Thomas."

Wright is a product of Nottingham's Forest FC's Youth Academy. As a player, he also represented Nottinghamshire County, where he won the U18 East Midland conference title, and reached the final four of the National Cup. As a player and a coach at Sheffield Hallam University England, Wright earned his B.S. in Physical Education and Youth Sport. In 2013 he completed his Master's in Education from North Park. He holds the UEFA B License, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, NSCAA Director of Coaching, and an NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma.