Coaching Is the Wright Life

Life is a study in contrasts these days for Nate Wright, former National Football League star turned teacher and coach.

Wright is used to doing pull-ups, but helping students reach the the pull-up bar is a new experience.

Wright, who played defensive back for the Minnesota Vikings, had no trouble anticipating a pass. Teaching inexperienced 16-year-olds to do that hasn’t been as easy.

Losing was something Wright came to accept as a player. Dealing with the responsibility of a loss as a coach is different.

Talking to a group of high school students was a breeze. Conducting three freshman English classes a day is different.

Looking at game films in an air-conditioned room with nice carpeting is a far cry from watching films in a back room of the boys’ locker room.

This is a year of transition for Wright, who is making his debut as a head coach at Clairemont High School.

“When I stopped playing football,” Wright said, “I realized how much I enjoyed it. All my training and background had been in football. I wanted to stay in it, rather than make a complete job transition.”

After completing his career with the Vikings in 1980, Wright had a tryout with the Chargers in 1981. When he failed to make the Chargers, he realized his days as a player were over.

Through Cal Coach Joe Kapp and Cal assistant Charlie West, two former Viking teammates, Wright got a job as an assistant coach at Cal. He served as running back, wide receiver and defensive back coach from 1982-84.

Two years at Cal were plenty for Wright.

“I learned a lot there,” Wright said, “but it wasn’t a lot of fun. It was a scatterbrain operation to say the least. It was the most bizarre situation I had ever seen as far as football is concerned. It was a comical situation. You had to laugh at some of the things even though they were supposed to be serious.

“Coaches were having fistfights in meetings. There was so much tension that it wasn’t uncommon for something like that to happen. The tense atmosphere was created by people in charge, and I didn’t enjoy it.”

However, Wright hadn’t soured on coaching or on football. He said he realized what he encountered at Cal was a unique situation. He was prepared to move on and return to San Diego, which has been his home since 1967. Wright enrolled at United States International University and earned his teaching certificate in 1984.

“I thought coaching in high school might be a little more laid-back than it was in college,” Wright said, “and I really enjoy working with kids.”

His job hunt began.

When Coach Steve Miner left Clairemont High to go to Madison, Wright applied. In May, Wright was hired to coach a predominantly sophomore team that had only three returning lettermen.

Lack of personnel wasn’t about to ease the pressure on Wright. Clairemont, off to a 1-3 start under Wright, has made the San Diego Section playoffs five straight years and its fans have become accustomed to winning. “I heard there was quite an uproar when I got the job,” Wright said, “but that’s just hearsay. Some people seemed to feel I didn’t have enough high school coaching background.

“That’s ridiculous. I played professionally. I coached in college. Doesn’t that count for something? I think people who play sports develop real strong personalities, and I think a former pro football player is well qualified to be a high school coach. He just has to learn some coaching procedures.”

Wendell McFadden, Clairemont principal, said he did not encounter any complaints about Wright’s hiring. He added that maybe it was more of a perception on Wright’s part.

“There was no animosity at any time,” McFadden said. “We were excited to get him. It seems that more former professional players want to get into high school coaching because the jobs are more permanent and are without some of the stress.”

(In addition to hiring Wright, Clairemont has hired former UCLA basketball star Greg Lee to coach the boys’ basketball team).

Wright’s hiring certainly didn’t cause an uproar among Clairemont players, many of whom had only vague knowledge of their new coach’s background.

“I recognized the name,” Mark Warner, senior offensive lineman, said. “But a lot of the players didn’t know about him. In my neighborhood, nobody really knows he is coaching or knows what he has done in football. “

One of Wright’s first moves was to hire Monte Jackson, former NFL and San Diego State defensive back, as an assistant coach. He also asked George Dickson, longtime NFL assistant coach, to help out at practice a couple of days a week. Dickson, who once worked for the Chargers, lives in San Diego and happily agreed to help out a friend.

Wright also implemented a pro-style offense and a 3-4 defense and instilled a sense of professionalism at Clairemont.

“In terms of the practice schedule we follow, strategies and preparation, I try to use the same basic format I used when I was playing,” Wright said. “I use the same basic principles (Viking Coach) Bud Grant used. It’s very new to high school guys. The argument is that this is high school, not pro, but football is football.”

As a coach, Wright is trying to mix what he learned as a professional player with the patience he has gained as a father. Wright and his wife, Kristy, have two children, Rashad, 10, and Nathan, 6.

Watching Wright work with the young players at Clairemont, it is evident just how much patience he has. While many of the defensive backs are just hoping to somehow cover their man, Wright is trying to teach them the finer points of pass coverage.

“He has a tough job here,” Dickson said of Wright. “I think he’s a fine young coach. Kids relate to him, and he has the right character and temperament to be a good coach.”

Wright is not the type of guy who likes to tell stories about his days with the Vikings. He is generally quiet and unassuming. But his players say he makes himself known in his silent, but assertive manner.

“Since he hadn’t coached before,” Warner said, “we didn’t know how hard he would be. Would he be a Frank Kush? Well, he’s a great guy and an excellent coach. We know what he’s thinking. He doesn’t have to yell and try and pump us up.”

When he does raise his voice, it surprises Wright as much as his players. “I find myself getting more hard-nosed,” Wright said. “Sometimes you have to chew guys out to get results. It’s a little out of character for me, but it’s necessary.”

Also necessary was a 1 1/2-hour team meeting last week following a 28-7 loss to Patrick Henry.

“A lot of times I use speeches that I heard Bud Grant use,” Wright said. “Fortunately, I was there long enough to hear most of his speeches more than once.”

Wright was also with the Vikings long enough to become accustomed to winning.

“Winning is important on all levels,” Wright said. “It makes things easier. It builds a program and builds rapport with the players. When you lose, you have a lot of problems and bickering.”

And anxiety can build when a new coach opens the season with three losses, even though a loss to Southwest has been switched to a win by forfeit.

“Losing has been frustrating,” Wright said. “I’m hoping they (administrators) really want a football program because it takes backing. I’ll weather the storm here, but it takes time to develop a program.”