Peter Wright ’91, head coach for Cal men’s tennis
During a quarter-century as the ninth head coach for Cal men’s tennis, Berkeley native Peter Wright ’91 has taken the team to 23 NCAA Tournaments. In 2016, he was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Now, Wright’s name will be linked to future coaches who fill his tennis shoes.
A $3 million gift from anonymous donors has endowed the head coach position, which after Wright retires will be retitled the Peter Wright Director of Men’s Tennis. “I was incredibly touched,” he says of the donors’ generosity and thoughtfulness. “It’s a tremendous honor.”
After playing for Cal under Coach Bill Wright (no relation), who emphasized having fun while being competitive, Peter Wright embarked on a “pretty unremarkable” career as a pro player — before returning to Berkeley to find his calling in coaching. “My father was a teacher at Berkeley High, so I guess there’s teaching in my blood,” he says. Wright currently enjoys the extra benefit of coaching his son Thomas on the team.
“Gifts like this one ensure that we’ll have a tennis program long into the future. The endowment model provides us with security moving forward,” says Wright.
In 2016, the Alex and Marie Shipman Director of Men’s Golf Endowment marked Cal’s first such gift to be earmarked for a coach. Cal Athletics aims ultimately to endow all of its head coaching positions, in order to build a sturdier foundation for student-athletes.
