Husband-and-Wife Coaching Legends Bobby and Carolyn Wright Named to Hall of Fame -Chattahoochee Valley Sports

The Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 class of inductees, with husband-and-wife coaching icons Bobby Wright and Carolyn Wright among those selected.

The Wrights will be inducted alongside Mark Levy, Aileen Morales and John Shinkle during a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 21, 2026, at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.

Bobby Wright, a pillar of the Phenix City athletic community, brings nearly five decades of coaching, teaching and leadership to the Hall of Fame. A standout basketball player at Buena Vista High School, Class of 1970, Wright went on to play collegiately at Fort Valley State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1974.

He began his coaching career at Carver High School before starting a transformative tenure at Central High School in 1977. Over 44 years at Central, Wright served as assistant football coach and later defensive coordinator, leading defenses that recorded 59 shutouts and held opponents to an average of 10.8 points per game over 26 seasons.

As head basketball coach from 1989 to 2021, Wright compiled a 675–223 career record, winning 19 area championships, seven regional titles and advancing to seven Final Four appearances, including state runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2016. He also served as athletic director for Phenix City Schools from 1998 to 2020 and founded Bobby Wright’s Fundamental Basketball Camps, mentoring youth athletes for three decades.

Carolyn Wright, a trailblazer in coaching and education, has spent more than 40 years shaping young athletes through leadership and discipline. A graduate of Tuskegee Institute High School, she continued her academic and athletic career at Alabama State University, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees while competing in volleyball, track and cheerleading.

After beginning her career in Montgomery, Carolyn Wright spent 32 years at Central High School in Phenix City, serving as head girls track coach and head volleyball coach. Her teams combined for a 593–375 record, 11 area titles, four regional championships and four Final Four appearances.

She also served as associate athletic director for Phenix City Schools and held multiple leadership roles with the Alabama High School Athletic Association. In 2020, Bobby and Carolyn Wright were jointly inducted into the AHSAA Hall of Fame, recognized as Alabama’s winningest husband-and-wife coaching duo.

Their induction into the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame honors not only championship success, but decades of shared commitment to student-athletes, schools and the broader community.