Putnam City Schools mourn loss of longtime coach Gary Wright
Putnam City Schools has lost a passionate motivator, teacher and longtime coach.
Gary Wright, who coached basketball, cross country as well as track and field for more than 25 years, died Wednesday. He was 54.
His cause of death is unknown. Wright is survived by his wife Renea and his two children Garen and Grason.
“This is just a tremendous loss for our district,” Putnam City Schools athletic director Dick Balenseifen said. “He poured everything he had into his kids and to help make Putnam City the best it could be.”
Wright had worked for Putnam City for two different stints coaching various sports.
He first started in 1993 before leaving to coach basketball at Northwest Classen in 1998.
Wright returned to Putnam City in 2006.
Balenseifen said he knew Wright for nearly 30 years and in that time saw him motivate hundreds of athletes.
This past season, Wright helped coach members of the track team to a state title in the 3200 relay event.
“That was just a capsulation of his power as a coach,” Balenseifen said. “He had an eye for what kids could do and he had the vision to help them accomplish it.”
Adam Helms, who played for Wright and coached track with him, said Wright’s ability to gain a student’s trust was one of his greatest strengths.
“He taught you something every day,” Helms said. “I always laughed because he would get on to an athlete but always finish that by reminding them that ‘Coach Wright always loves you.’
“It was an honor to play for him and work with him.”
Watford new football coach at Douglass
Douglass High School has its new football coach.
Longtime football coach Shannon Watford is expected to be named the new coach, Oklahoma City Public Schools athletic director Keith Sinor told The Oklahoman.
“Shannon has a reputation of a successful coach, not just on the field but off the field,” Sinor said. “He really strives to build up young men. That’s something we’re looking for in all of our coaches.”
Watford’s hiring is awaiting board approval.
Watford replaces Nino Williams II, who resigned following just one season. Douglass went 6-5.
Watford was most recently an assistant coach at El Reno. Before then, he has been known to turn programs around.
He built Hennessey into a regular state title contender with back-toback Class 2A titles in 2010-11. He spent one season at Purcell and was an assistant at Del City in 2013. Then he had a stint at Prague.
Watford has also coached at Star Spencer, where he turned around the downtrodden program, and Chickasha.
Woodward to name court in honor of Peck
Woodward High School will name its basketball court at Boomer Fieldhouse to “Jimmy Peck Court” in honor of the school’s legendary coach.
Peck, who taught at Woodward from 1970-1992, won more than 900 games in his career. The majority came at Woodward.
In 1970, he was named the boys coach. In 1971, he restarted the girls program after it had been discontinued. As the boys coach, he reached the state tournament once. As the girls coach, he took 16 teams to state, winning four titles. Woodward also had three runner-up finishes.
Peck is also a member of the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.