Above: Coach Wright stand next to the sign honoring White Oak XC Course in his name.
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On Sunday, Allegheny County dedicated the White Oak Park Cross Country course in honor of Coach Rich Wright.
Wright has been a staple in the Western PA Cross Country and Track & Field community for quite some time. For many, he is considered a legend, and his impact on Pennsylvania Cross Country is felt nearly every weekend.
Since the 1990s, he has played a vital role in some of the region's most important HS events, including but not limited to the PIAA District 7 WPIAL Championship, the TSTCA Championship, the Red, White & Blue Classic, and the Bald Eagle Invitational.
"I'm honored and happy. We can use White Oak as the home of Red, White and Blue, and Bald Eagle, and I hope we can prove to the WPIAL to hold the Championship here again," said Coach Wright.
"This course may be named after me, but this course belongs to some of the country's best runners," Wright added. "Six PIAA State Championship teams and individuals from the WPIAL, North Allegheny finished fifth at Nike Cross Nationals, Drew (Griffith) and Ryan (Pajak) finished first and second at Foot Locker Nationals...so this course is that of Champions."
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Serra Catholic coach Brian Dzurenda has worked closely with Wright and was with him when he first discovered White Oak.
"Rich's Baldwin team was coming up (to White Oak) for a scrimmage with our Serra Catholic Team, and he fell in love with the course," said Dzurenda. "He was instrumental in bringing Red, White, and Blue, The Bald Eagle Invitational, TSTCA, and the WPIAL Championship to White Oak."
"So far, the races at White Oak Park have enticed teams as far as Pisgah, Alabama, to experience the course. Rich works many hours behind the scenes... and deserved to be recognized, so I started this process with Allegheny County to name the course after him about six months ago."
Wright was a longtime Cross Country coach at Baldwin High School before his retirement in 2017. He became involved with Baldwin Athletics in 1987 before accepting his cross-country coaching position in 1992.
In 2012, he was inducted into the Pittsburgh Marathon Running Hall of Fame.