PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's basketball team has welcomed former Cardinal Darren Wright back to the program as an assistant coach, as announced Wednesday by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation.

Wright began his coaching career at Archbishop Carroll High School, serving as an assistant coach this past season and contributing to the continued success of the historic program. His responsibilities included guard skill development, advanced scouting, and film breakdown. Wright also helped develop Ant Brown Jr., who was named Washington, D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year, ranked as a Consensus Top 100 recruit, and signed with Vanderbilt.

"We are excited to bring Darren Wright back to Cardinal Country as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach," said head coach Mike Blaine. "Darren was an exemplary student at SUNY Plattsburgh who engaged in many areas of the campus community. He showed grit and a keen understanding of the game as a player. Darren is well-versed in our standards in the classroom, in the community, and on the court. He has developed his skills as an assistant coach at Archbishop Carroll High School, while learning from Malcolm Battle, one of the most respected and successful coaches in the Washington, D.C. area. We look forward to his work with our student-athletes to continue their personal, academic, and athletic development."

Wright competed for Plattsburgh State for three seasons from 2021 through 2024, accumulating 49 points, 24 assists and 22 rebounds. He was named to the NABC Honors Court twice and earned recognition on the SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.

Following his collegiate playing career, Wright served as a lead graphic editor at Competitive Edge, creating, designing, writing, editing, scheduling and publishing digital content across social media platforms. Most recently, he served as social media manager for The Gasaway Sisters, managing three accounts across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok while developing content strategies and campaigns, creating graphics and video content, and tracking performance metrics.

Wright graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies in 2024 and earned his Master of Arts in Digital Communication Studies from Goucher College in 2025.