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Considered one of the best teachers and tacticians in men's collegiate tennis, Peter Wright has developed a reputation for getting more out of his players than perhaps any coach in the nation.
Wright's coaching talent hasn't gone unnoticed. Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2001 and in 1997, he received his first coaching award in 1994 when he was named Wilson/ITA Regional Coach of the Year for guiding the Bears back to postseason play after Cal had missed the Big Dance the previous two seasons. Wright and the Bears have become a fixture in the NCAA Tournament almost every year since.
The ninth coach in the 115-year history of Cal tennis, Wright has compiled a 190-137 (.581) career record during his tenure in Berkeley. Last season, with a 14-10 overall record (4-3 Pac-10, tied for third), the Bears made their eighth consecutive postseason appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the 13th of the 14 years under Wright's guidance. Then junior transfer Pierre Mouillon earned 2007 All-Pac-10 Conference First Team honors, reaching the Pac-10 Singles Championship semifinal under Wright's tutelage.
In 2006, with a 16-7 overall record, the team ended the season ranked No. 21 in the final ITA poll. In addition, Wright also coached 2006 Pac-10 Men's Player of the Year, Conor Niland to All-America honors. In all, under Wright, nine Cal players have combined to receive 13 All-America selections. The 2005 Bears advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and ended the year with a No. 23 national ranking. Wright's 2003 squad completed the season ranked fourth nationally, and boasted two All-Americans and three all-conference selections. That team's 21-5 record surpassed the 2002 mark of 19-7, which at the time was considered the school's all-time best squad since joining the Pac-10. In 2003, the Bears finished in second-place in conference play, which is California's best-ever showing in one of the most competitive conferences for collegiate men's tennis. The 2002 season also marked the first time that Cal enjoyed a series sweep of UCLA since 1953 and the first time ever that the Bears beat Stanford, UCLA and USC in the same season.
A four-year letterman during his collegiate career at Cal, Wright worked his way to the No. 1 singles and doubles positions in the Bears lineup before joining the men's professional tour in 1986. In his six years as a pro, Wright played in numerous tournaments around the world including Wimbledon and the Australian Open. In addition to a doubles victory over Pete Sampras, Wright's career highlights include playing Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic, David Wheaton, Marc Rosset, Jonas Bjorkman and Tim Henman.
Wright's tour highlights include representing Ireland in the Davis Cup from 1988-95. His parents, Stanley and Elizabeth, were born and raised in Ireland, allowing Wright to compete as an Irish national. He has won numerous Irish national singles and doubles championships, and was instrumental in Ireland's upset victories over Greece, Spain and Belgium as the nation captured the 1992 European Cup. In addition to playing in the Davis Cup for Ireland, Wright served as the Irish Davis Cup captain from 1995 - 2003. He also served as the head coach of the 1996 Irish Olympic tennis team in Atlanta.
Wright's community involvement includes serving as vice-president of Youth Tennis Advantage, whose organizational mission is to inspire inner-city kids to achieve their full potential through tennis and academic programs. In 2001, he established the Bear Trax program at Cal, which brings YTA children from Oakland to the Berkeley campus for academic tutoring with Cal students and tennis instruction with the Golden Bear men's and women's teams.
A Berkeley native, Wright was born in San Francisco on Dec. 8, 1963, attended Berkeley High School and earned a B.A. in Social Science from Cal after returning to school in 1991. His wife of 15 years, Fionnuala, is a former Irish national tennis champion and a former member of the Irish national basketball team. The Wrights currently reside in Berkeley with their sons, Thomas and Michael, and daughter, Carly.
