Wright named Troy defensive coordinator

STAFF REPORT

BSN

TROY, Ala. — Troy University football head coach Gerad Parker finalized his on-field defensive staff with the announcement of Dontae Wright as the Trojans’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach on Friday, Jan. 19.

Both Parker and Wright are Lawrence County High School graduates.

Wright takes over Troy’s defensive coordinator role following four seasons on Neal Brown’s staff at West Virginia where he coached the Mountaineers’ safeties.

West Virginia is coming off its first nine-win season since 2016, highlighted by a victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, where West Virginia yielded just 10 points to a Tar Heel team that entered the game with the nation’s seventh-best offense.

In 2022, safety Aubrey Burks earned All-Big 12 first-team honors from Pro Football Focus and second team honors by the Associated Press, finishing second on the team with 66 tackles. Burks followed that with another all-conference campaign in 2023 after recording a pair of interceptions, six pass break ups and 48 tackles, while spear Jasir Cox was named a third-team selection by PFF in 2022.

In 2021 Big 12 games, West Virginia tied for second in the league in interceptions and was third in passing defense, giving up only 211.2 yards per game through the air. The Mountaineers were fifth in the nation in red zone defense and ranked 18th in fewest first downs allowed.

Safety Sean Mahone made his mark on and off the field. He was named a finalist for the National Football Foundation’s Campbell Trophy, also known as the Academic Heisman, and was a member of the Scholar-Athlete team, one of college football’s most prestigious academic teams.

Safety Alonzo Addae finished as West Virginia’s third-leading tackler (73), had three pass break ups and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. He signed a professional contract with the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks after being drafted as the No. 13 pick of the 2021 CFL Draft.

The West Virginia defense had an outstanding year in 2020, leading the nation in pass defense and ranking fourth in total defense (291.4), 21st in scoring defense (20.5), 23rd in interceptions (11), 24th in pass efficiency defense (121.52) and 28th in rushing defense (131.8).

Wright spent two seasons at Western Michigan prior to his stint at WVU, and his safeties helped the Broncos turn around their scoring defense in 2019, yielding 25.9 points per game, the best for the program since surrendering just 19.8 in 2016 and nearly nine points per game better than the 34.5 points a contest allowed in 2018. The group held three of its final five opponents to fewer than 150 passing yards.

Prior to WMU, Wright served as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech for two seasons (2016-17), mentoring the specialists and the defensive ends. At the beginning of the 2017 season, Wright was promoted to defensive coordinator.

In 2017, the Golden Eagles yielded 15.8 points per game, dropping more than 11 points from the 2016 average of 26.9. Wright guided the 2016 defensive squad to five Ohio Valley Conference wins.

Before joining Tennessee Tech, Wright spent three seasons (2013-15) at Morehead State. He was the defensive coordinator for the 2015 season and worked with the defensive line, special teams and was a recruiting coordinator during his tenure.

As the defensive coordinator, he lowered Morehead State’s points allowed per game by 18.3, which was the second-largest improvement from the previous year for all Division I schools, FBS and FCS. The Eagles ranked in the top 10 in the FCS for interceptions (18) and turnovers (28) and in the top 20 for tackles for loss.

Wright also made a coaching stop at Centre College and spent two seasons (2010-11) at North Alabama, helping the Lions to a combined 18-8 record and an NCAA Division II Playoff appearance.

Wright was a graduate assistant at Kentucky from 2007-09, working with the linebackers his first season and the defensive line the last two. During his time in Lexington, the Wildcats made two Music City Bowl appearances and one Liberty Bowl trip.

As a player, Wright was a four-year linebacker at Miami (Ohio) from 2003-06 and was a part of two Mid-American Conference East Division championship teams. The RedHawks won the conference outright in 2003, earning a spot in the GMAC Bowl. They won a division crown in 2004 and participated in the Independence Bowl.

A native of Louisa, Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Miami in 2007. Wright is married to the former Jillian Slone, and the couple is expecting their first child in June.