09 COACHES CARS: Bill Wright, head coach of men's tennis at the University of Arizona. (Courtesy UA Athletics) JANUARY 9, 2005 A11 Photo - William Wright

Longtime Arizona Wildcats men's tennis coach Bill Wright has died.

Wright racked up 182 wins while coaching UA from 1986-2005. He was named the ITA Region VII Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2004 and was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2006.

"Bill spent nearly 20 years coaching, mentoring and developing Arizona student-athletes in tennis and life beyond tennis," said UA athletic director Dave Heeke in a press release. "He was a champion of the University of Arizona and Arizona Athletics and made an everlasting impact in the lives of many."

Wright notched 436 wins in a career that also included stops at Denver, Colorado State, Illinois and California.


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