ROCK HILL, S.C. - The leader of the Northeast Mississippi Community College men's basketball program is adding to what has already been a banner year with a special opportunity.

Cord Wright will be an instructor during the 2024 NCAA College Basketball Academy, which is hosted by Winthrop (S.C.) University from July 23-25 at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center.

Wright is one of 60 total coaches from the NCAA Divisions II, III, NAIA, two-year college and high school levels to serve on its staff. He is also the only selection from any Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) member.

"I couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of all of it," said Wright. "Not only is it a networking situation for me to meet other guys from across the country, but there will be some sessions for coaches to learn from guys that have already been there and done that."

The NCAA College Basketball Academy's men's event was organized with input from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). It is a developmental showcase that combines on-court competition with life skills instruction.

Wright and his peers will work with some of the nation's top prep and junior college student-athletes. There will be scrimmages and training periods plus courses on topics such as the recruiting process, agents, eligibility, compliance and the transfer portal.

Among the participants is the Tigers' own returning All-American in Tyler Byrd. He topped Northeast in scoring and steals as a freshman with averages of 17.9 and 2.7 per game, respectively.

Wright recently completed a very prosperous 11th year as headman of the Tigers. Northeast won its second MACCC championship in the last four seasons and reached the semifinals of the region tournament.

Northeast compiled a 27-5 overall record, which was its most wins in a single season since the 1999-2000 campaign. Wright was recognized as the MACCC Co-Coach of the Year for engineering the Tigers' successes.

It was the second such honor of Wright's illustrious tenure at Northeast. He previously obtained National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 and District 16 Coach of the Year accolades in 2016.

That team, which featured three future professional players, captured the region title for the eighth time in school history to qualify for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Kansas.

Wright is one of just three coaches to both direct the Tigers for more than a decade and win 200 games along with Bonner Arnold and Mike Lewis. Northeast has made 10 consecutive playoff appearances under his guidance.

The Tigers are averaging right at 20 victories per season over that same stretch. Wright also led Northeast to three north division championships before the MACCC instituted a statewide league schedule in 2022.

Wright's teams from 2019-22 set a new program record with 31 straight wins inside legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum. More than 40 of his former Tigers have continued their careers at four-year universities.

He was a guest presenter at the annual Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) Multi-Sports Clinic earlier this summer. Wright arrived at Northeast after stints as an assistant at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) and the University of North Alabama.