Wofford names Dwight Perry its next men's basketball coach, removes interim tag
Wofford has named Dwight Perry its next men's basketball coach, after he spent the last four seasons as an assistant in his first two seasons and the associate head coach the past two.
He was first named the team's interim coach in early December after Jay McAuley took a leave of absence and eventually stepped down, amid reports of player unrest.
“He did a great job during the past season of bringing stability to the program and building a culture of teamwork, grit and competitiveness. We look forward watching the program move forward under his leadership,” said athletics director Richard Johnson in a school release.
“Wofford is a special place. I am looking forward to building off the many great coaches and players that are part of the tradition here," Perry said. "We are going to move the program in a positive direction both on-and-off the court with these student-athletes. I am ready to get to work.”
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Perry led Wofford to a 12-12 record as its interim coach, including an upset win over Texas A&M.
Wofford finished the season 17-16 and sixth place in the Southern Conference with 8-10 record. The Terriers lost to Chattanooga in the semifinals of the conference tournament and failed to earn a postseason bid.
The Terriers should return some key players for Perry's first full season in charge including sophomore guard Corey Tripp, who scored 8.8 points and grabbed 3.3 rebounds a game.
“I am very excited about the selection of Coach Perry,” Tripp said. “When he came in and took over as interim head coach, we were looking for some hope. He changed the program and our culture. He allowed guys to be themselves and I am excited for the future.”
Before his four-year stint at Wofford, Perry spent five seasons at Furman and three at VCU as an assistant under Shaka Smart. Perry is a graduate of Kentucky, where he played for the Wildcats from 2006-09.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Wofford basketball names Dwight Perry its next men's coach
