Xavier University Athletics
Avery Wright: The Hurricane Handling Operations for Xavier Women’s Basketball
09.13.23 | Women's Basketball, Featured
CINCINNATI - A hurricane is a tropical cyclone storm system that produces strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surge flooding.
That's not the only type of hurricane, though.
The other occurs when Avery Wright is focused on completing a task.
"They actually call me Hurricane Avery because they say I come in like a hurricane to get things done," Wright said.
It's one of the reasons Wright was hired by Xavier Women's Basketball Coach Billi Chambers to be the Assistant Athletic Director for Women's Basketball.
"I do have a sense of urgency and I want to get things done as soon as possible," said Wright, who despite only being 25 years old already possesses the initiative to get her job done no matter the circumstances or hurdles in her way.
That commitment and willingness to work began in Wright's hometown, Lubbock, Texas.
A former basketball player, Wright's long term goal was a little different than most.
"I always knew I wanted to be in some type of administration with athletics," she said. "But I didn't really know what that entailed at first."
As a student at Texas Tech University, Wright worked in the Athletic Director's office. She helped with football and men's basketball, and she learned the ins and outs associated with being an AD.
"I can easily say I don't ever want to be an Athletic Director," Wright laughed. "But I had a really good experience there."
She spent her entire undergraduate career working in the AD's office, then earned her Master's in Sports Management at Texas Tech.
Life after Lubbock was a job with the Big 12 Conference, helping handle day-to-day operations and conference championships, which led Wright to a job last year at Oklahoma State with the women's basketball team.
Before Wright landed the Oklahoma State job, she crossed paths with Chambers.
"I had actually known Billi last season because we had talked about working together and then things didn't work out," Wright said. "I ended up at Oklahoma State. And funny enough, we're back at it again here at Xavier. From the moment I met her I knew she was such a genuine person and I just knew she was going to get a good job after the great time she had at Iona."
When Wright saw that Chambers was named Xavier's new head coach, she texted her congratulations, and learned that Chambers wasn't bringing her Director of Basketball Operations with her.
"So she asked if I'd come and I said, 'I'll come tomorrow, I'm already packed,'" said Wright. "That was like a Thursday when we talked and on Sunday I was flying up here for my interview."
Wright had never been to Cincinnati or even Ohio, which led to quite the scare when she landed for her interview.
"I didn't know how close it was to the border between Kentucky and Ohio, so when I flew in to meet with Billi for my interview, I checked my location and I was at the Kentucky airport," said Wright. "I was like, 'I'm gonna miss my interview, I'm not gonna get the job.'"
It all worked out, though, and after Wright's interview she was offered the job.
"Then I had to go back to Oklahoma, pack my life up, and get up here," she said. "I didn't really have time to come up here and look around. I didn't really know the area so Brianna (Sanders, one of Xavier's assistant coaches) was going around to apartments and FaceTiming me, showing me what they looked like. They were pretty entertaining calls."
Now, Wright actually lives in Northern Kentucky, not far from her pre-interview scare.
Wright's connection with Chambers and the seamless connection with the new coaching staff was exactly what she was looking for.
"I just fell in love with all of them," she said.
Despite being the youngest and the newest member of the staff, Wright has quickly earned the respect of her coworkers and the responsibility that comes with it.
Wright appreciates how transparent Chambers has been.
"You always know what you're gonna get with her," said Wright. "For me, being younger, she's good at letting me take what I have and run with it. And I think there's some things that she allows me to do that I don't think some people my age and in my position are able to do, but I think it's so empowering that she lets me do it because in 10 years it will make me the most successful version of myself. I think I'll look back and all my success will go to her and I'm just really grateful."
Wright's responsibilities at Xavier extend to all the day-to-day operations. Everything from planning road trips to organizing team meals. The schematics required to run a college basketball program fall on her shoulders, and she feels more than capable of handling it.
Wright doesn't want to be a coach, either. Most of the time, someone in her position uses the job as a stepping stone to become a coach. That's not Wright's plan.
"I'm a crazy person and I like all the operations," said Wright. "I love being on that side of it. You get coaches on the court, but somebody's gotta do all the other stuff. I would like to stay in college athletics as long as I can. It's opened so many doors for me, especially being raised in a small town in West Texas. A lot of people don't understand it, it is a different world and a different lifestyle, but it's literally our life. We put everything we have into it."
Now, Wright's busy putting everything into her new team. When she arrived many of Xavier's players peppered her with questions.
"Do you have kids?"
"Do you have a family?"
Wright's response was, "I just take care of you guys. I have 14 kids."
It's her job to make their life off the court as simple as possible, so they have everything they need to succeed when they step on that court.
Wright's loyalty to her new team extends beyond her regular job description.
"We're doing everything we can to get fans geared up and ready to go for this season," said Wright, who's been actively recruiting anyone and everyone to attend Xavier's home games. "I told Billi when I first got here, we might see some Jimmy John's people and my nail lady at our games because I've been asking people if they like women's basketball and inviting them to our games."
That's not the only type of hurricane, though.
The other occurs when Avery Wright is focused on completing a task.
"They actually call me Hurricane Avery because they say I come in like a hurricane to get things done," Wright said.
It's one of the reasons Wright was hired by Xavier Women's Basketball Coach Billi Chambers to be the Assistant Athletic Director for Women's Basketball.
"I do have a sense of urgency and I want to get things done as soon as possible," said Wright, who despite only being 25 years old already possesses the initiative to get her job done no matter the circumstances or hurdles in her way.
That commitment and willingness to work began in Wright's hometown, Lubbock, Texas.
A former basketball player, Wright's long term goal was a little different than most.
"I always knew I wanted to be in some type of administration with athletics," she said. "But I didn't really know what that entailed at first."
As a student at Texas Tech University, Wright worked in the Athletic Director's office. She helped with football and men's basketball, and she learned the ins and outs associated with being an AD.
"I can easily say I don't ever want to be an Athletic Director," Wright laughed. "But I had a really good experience there."
She spent her entire undergraduate career working in the AD's office, then earned her Master's in Sports Management at Texas Tech.
Life after Lubbock was a job with the Big 12 Conference, helping handle day-to-day operations and conference championships, which led Wright to a job last year at Oklahoma State with the women's basketball team.
Before Wright landed the Oklahoma State job, she crossed paths with Chambers.
"I had actually known Billi last season because we had talked about working together and then things didn't work out," Wright said. "I ended up at Oklahoma State. And funny enough, we're back at it again here at Xavier. From the moment I met her I knew she was such a genuine person and I just knew she was going to get a good job after the great time she had at Iona."
When Wright saw that Chambers was named Xavier's new head coach, she texted her congratulations, and learned that Chambers wasn't bringing her Director of Basketball Operations with her.
"So she asked if I'd come and I said, 'I'll come tomorrow, I'm already packed,'" said Wright. "That was like a Thursday when we talked and on Sunday I was flying up here for my interview."
Wright had never been to Cincinnati or even Ohio, which led to quite the scare when she landed for her interview.
"I didn't know how close it was to the border between Kentucky and Ohio, so when I flew in to meet with Billi for my interview, I checked my location and I was at the Kentucky airport," said Wright. "I was like, 'I'm gonna miss my interview, I'm not gonna get the job.'"
It all worked out, though, and after Wright's interview she was offered the job.
"Then I had to go back to Oklahoma, pack my life up, and get up here," she said. "I didn't really have time to come up here and look around. I didn't really know the area so Brianna (Sanders, one of Xavier's assistant coaches) was going around to apartments and FaceTiming me, showing me what they looked like. They were pretty entertaining calls."
Now, Wright actually lives in Northern Kentucky, not far from her pre-interview scare.
Wright's connection with Chambers and the seamless connection with the new coaching staff was exactly what she was looking for.
"I just fell in love with all of them," she said.
Despite being the youngest and the newest member of the staff, Wright has quickly earned the respect of her coworkers and the responsibility that comes with it.
Wright appreciates how transparent Chambers has been.
"You always know what you're gonna get with her," said Wright. "For me, being younger, she's good at letting me take what I have and run with it. And I think there's some things that she allows me to do that I don't think some people my age and in my position are able to do, but I think it's so empowering that she lets me do it because in 10 years it will make me the most successful version of myself. I think I'll look back and all my success will go to her and I'm just really grateful."
Wright's responsibilities at Xavier extend to all the day-to-day operations. Everything from planning road trips to organizing team meals. The schematics required to run a college basketball program fall on her shoulders, and she feels more than capable of handling it.
Wright doesn't want to be a coach, either. Most of the time, someone in her position uses the job as a stepping stone to become a coach. That's not Wright's plan.
"I'm a crazy person and I like all the operations," said Wright. "I love being on that side of it. You get coaches on the court, but somebody's gotta do all the other stuff. I would like to stay in college athletics as long as I can. It's opened so many doors for me, especially being raised in a small town in West Texas. A lot of people don't understand it, it is a different world and a different lifestyle, but it's literally our life. We put everything we have into it."
Now, Wright's busy putting everything into her new team. When she arrived many of Xavier's players peppered her with questions.
"Do you have kids?"
"Do you have a family?"
Wright's response was, "I just take care of you guys. I have 14 kids."
It's her job to make their life off the court as simple as possible, so they have everything they need to succeed when they step on that court.
Wright's loyalty to her new team extends beyond her regular job description.
"We're doing everything we can to get fans geared up and ready to go for this season," said Wright, who's been actively recruiting anyone and everyone to attend Xavier's home games. "I told Billi when I first got here, we might see some Jimmy John's people and my nail lady at our games because I've been asking people if they like women's basketball and inviting them to our games."
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