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Carmel HS football coach Kevin Wright resigns

Kyle Neddenriep
Carmel head coach Kevin Wright watches his team in the first half of the game held at Ben Davis High School on Friday, October 18, 2013. Matt Detrich / The Star

When Kevin Wright took the job as Carmel High School football coach five years ago, the Hamilton County native figured this was his last stop.

It wasn't. Wright, 50, resigned on Monday after five highly-successful seasons to take the coaching job at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Wright called it a "bittersweet" decision.

"It was one of those things that happened really quickly," Wright said. "It was out of the blue, honestly. It was unexpected but too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Wright was 54-11 during his tenure at Carmel, winning a state championship in 2011. The Greyhounds were Class 6A runner-up in 2013 and '14.

"We're definitely leaving on good terms," Carmel athletic director Jim Inskeep said. "He's going to a good opportunity for him and his family."

Wright said he was approached about the job at IMG Academy within the past three weeks. IMG is a private training institute that has been around since the late 1970s. But it didn't field a high school football team until two years ago with Chris Weinke serving as the coach and director of football.

When Weinke left to become quarterbacks coach with the St. Louis Rams, IMG opened up a national search for a coach. Former NFL quarterback Steve Walsh is the new director of football.

"It was kind of like a college job where you have a make a decision when it comes along or they move on," Wright said. "IMG is a unique situation. I don't know if there's another job like it in the country. But leaving Carmel is tough. It's been such a great journey the last five years. It's been a special time and not just on the field. We've had some tragedies we've had to get through together as a team. It hasn't all been about the wins and losses."

Inskeep said he hopes to have a replacement named by the end of April.

"There's a lot of things going through my head as far as what we're looking for," Inskeep said of the hiring process. "I think all of the candidates that apply will want to accept the high expectations we have for the program at Carmel, which is a tradition-rich program."

Wright's departure certainly leaves a void. In 2010 he replaced Mo Moriarity, who had led Carmel to a state title in 2007, its first in 18 years. The Greyhounds also made state championship appearances in 2006, '08 and '09 under Moriarity, losing the latter two in heartbreaking fashion.

Wright came to Carmel after leaving the state for a position at Tulsa Union (Okla.) in 2006 and two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky. Prior to that, Wright led one of the most impressive runs in state history at Warren Central as the Warriors won state titles in 2003, '04 and '05 and another in '06 after he'd left.

Several of the most memorable Carmel games in Wright's tenure came against his former team. En route to winning state, the Greyhounds defeated Warren Central 34-30 in a matchup of the state's top teams in a sectional championship in 2011.

Carmel returned to the championship in 2013, losing to Warren Central 7-6. The Greyhounds made it to Lucas Oil Stadium again last season, falling 42-24 to Ben Davis.

"He definitely has a different personality than Mo Moriarity but in both cases they were successful," Inskeep said. "What Kevin brings most is enthusiasm. He's great at working with kids and that carries over to the field. He leaves some big shoes to be filled, but the good thing for us is that most of our coaches are in the building (as teachers)."

Wright is the son of all-time state coaching wins leader Bud Wright of Sheridan. Kevin graduated from Sheridan in 1983. After graduating from Western Kentucky, he was an assistant at North Central for four years. He got his first head coaching job at Frankfort in 1991 and moved to Noblesville the following season and stayed for seven years. He also coached one season at Louisville Trinity in 1998.

Wright mentioned the desire to work in the same building where his kids attended school. His wife, Elizabeth, is an elementary principal at Hamilton Heights. Their children, Trinity and William, attend school in the Hamilton Heights system.

"We've spent a lot of hours talking about it because it impacts a lot of people," Wright said. "Sometimes it's easier to keep doing what you're doing. But this is something that will be a great challenge."