by Alan Hoskins
One of Kansas City’s most prestigious awards will bestowed on long-time Kansas City Kansas Community College instructor and high school swimming coach Wiley Wright Monday – the Coach of Character Award presented at the Champions of Character Foundation Awards Luncheon at the Kansas City Convention Center.
In his 31st year as swimming coach at Shawnee Mission East High School, Wright will be one of five recipients of 2015 Character Awards. Dayton Moore, the general manager of the world champion Kansas City Royals, will be the featured speaker at the luncheon which will be emceed by sports anchor Michael Coleman of KCTV, Channel 5.
An outstanding swimmer at Wyandotte High School, the Kansas City, Kan., Public School District added Wright to its “Reasons to Believe” Honor Roll in 2011 for his contributions both as an educator and a coach. Wright continued his competitive swimming at the University of Kansas, from where he holds a degree in business.
Following graduation, Wright entered the mortuary science program at KCKCC and has been an instructor in the program for 31 years and now is in his 24th year as coordinator of the program.
Wright has had unprecedented success as swimming coach at Shawnee Mission East, winning eight Kansas state championship and 19 Sunflower Conference titles. In recognition of his success, when Shawnee Mission East opened its new swimming facility it unveiled the named Wiley Wright Natatorium.
Other recipients of NAIA Champions of Character Awards will include Michael Wheeler, Citizen of Character; Leticia Rodriguez, High School Student-Athlete of Character; Tyler Keith, Collegiate Student-Athlete of Character; and Rich Hunter of Sports Management Associates, Company of Character.
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.