Alabama State Men’s Basketball Hires New Head Coach Chris Wright

The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) men’s basketball standings during the 2025-2026 campaign were pretty tightly contested. Alabama State finished with a 7-11 record in conference, and the Hornets hope that a key hire at head coach might catapult them over .500 next season.

The Hornets have officially hired Chris Wright, who has had a plethora of success at other stops throughout his coaching career.

It’s Official. Alabama State University proudly welcomes Chris Wright as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach.

332 wins. NAIA National Coach of the Year. Championship mindset.

Coach Wright, Hornet Nation is ready!#SwarmAS1 #WhereHistoryIsMade #MyASU #ASUBasketball pic.twitter.com/Q3BkCCtxNL

— Alabama State University (@BamaState1867) April 10, 2026

“I am honored and excited to lead the Alabama State men’s basketball program,” Wright said. “This is a proud institution with a rich tradition and a passionate fan base. We will build a program that competes for championships every year, develops out student athletes, and represents this university at the highest level. Our expectation is to win and to win the right way.”

Alabama State’s vice president of intercollegiate athletics Dr. Jason Cable expressed excitement about the type of fit Wright is for the program at this juncture.

“Chris Wright represents exactly what we were looking for. A proven winner, a builder of programs, and a leader who knows how to establish and sustain a championship culture,” Cable said.

Wright’s most recent experience comes at Langston University, where he led one of the most historic one-year script flips in college basketball history.

He took over a program that finished 1-27 the season before he arrived. During Wright’s first campaign at the helm, Langston University finished 31-3.

Langston also reached the NAIA national championship game twice during Wright’s four-year tenure with the school. The program’s combined record during that span was 121-21.

Prior to his time at Langston, Chris Wright spent four seasons leading Talladega College’s men’s basketball program. He enjoyed similar success there, achieving a record of 106-25, culminating with an NAIA championship game appearance in his final season.

Before he took over the Langston job, it was reported that Wright coached 47 players who went on to play professional basketball overseas.

Alabama State’s hiring news comes a couple of weeks after previous head coach Tony Madlock stepped down from his post after four seasons.

Alabama State head coach Tony Madlock has resigned after four seasons and will join Penny Hardaway’s staff at Memphis, source told @TheFieldOf68.

Madlock is from Memphis and was an assistant with Penny from 2018-21.

Madlock won the SWAC tourney and went to the NCAA tourney…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 29, 2026

“I would like to thank Dr. Ross and Dr. Cable for their leadership and support during my time as the head men’s basketball coach,” Madlock said upon stepping down. “My family and I would like to thank Hornet Nation for their love and support. During that magical 2024-2025 season, history was truly made. To all my former players, student managers, trainers, administrators, and assistant coaches, you have been so influential in my growth as a coach. Alabama State University and the city of Montgomery will always have a special place in my heart.”

The Hornets had one winning record under Madlock, which was the aforementioned 2024-2025 campaign when the school made the NCAA tournament. Madlock’s combined career record with the Hornets was 51-80.

As for Chris Wright and the start of his tenure, it’s going to be very interesting to see how he rounds out his coaching staff and which players might be targets in the transfer portal.