Coach Wright Leaves Pike For College Ranks (From Richmond Palladium-Item) State champion to Indiana All-Star. Collegiate standout to high school head coach. Billy Wright's path has now reached another destination -- Western Illinois University. The Richmond High School graduate recently was hired as an assistant at the Division I school. He's already busy on the recruiting trail, too. "So far, so good," Wright, 33, said by cell phone Wednesday from a gym in Louisville, Ky. "My next trip is Florida, so I'm looking forward to that." And to the opportunity this new challenge brings. Wright will work under Jim Molinari, who is in his first season at Western Illinois. Molinari coached Wright at Bradley University in the mid-1990s. "My time at Bradley was great," Wright said. "(Molinari) needed a guy and I was looking to get in. It kind of happened pretty quickly." Wright spent the last two seasons as head coach at Pike, where he was 31-15. He previously was an assistant for five seasons at Pike. Wright led Richmond to the state title in 1992. He won another state title in 2003 as an assistant at Pike. "It's very, very gratifying to see," said George Griffith, who coached Wright at RHS. "I'm very proud of him. He's going to be an important part of their staff. "I think the thing he took from our program was the work ethic. I know that's one of his fortes." Wright is a 2007 Bradley Hall of Fame inductee and was a three-time member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Defense Team. Western Illinois finished 12-18 last season. The Leathernecks are a member of the Summit League. "I'm excited for the opportunity to go the next level," Wright said. "When the opportunity came this way, I couldn't pass it up." Wright will help with scouting, player development and putting together game plans. He'll also recruit, and his Midwest ties should be helpful. "Recruiting is all about the relationships you build with people," Wright said. "Knowing AAU coaches, knowing the high school coaches and obviously knowing the players." Wright's future goals include becoming a Division I head coach. "He's taking another step forward," Griffith said. "He's now in the loop. I don't think anything can stop him."