(This story has been updated with the most recent information.)
ZANESVILLE — The Muskingum Valley has lost one of its most beloved coaching figures.
Josh Wright, hired in May to replace Cameron West as Tri-Valley’s new head football coach, died unexpectedly at his home on June 28, West and athletic director Erin Nezbeth confirmed. He was 51.
“The word I would use is shock,” West, now the school’s high school principal, said. “We are all just in shock.”
West learned of the news just a few hours following Wright’s death while vacationing with his family in Florida. He spent much of his day on the phone with coaches, former players and staff members back in Ohio.
“To be honest I am angry because I am 1,000 miles away and I need to be there for my staff and players,” West said. “Being so far away, I feel helpless for our family.”
Wright taught English at the high school.
Wright was the Scotties’ offensive coordinator in two different stints for two of the most successful teams in Muskingum Valley League history under former coaches West and Justin Buttermore, his former teammate at Capital and brother-in-law with whom he joined at Tri-Valley in 2004.
Previously, Wright graduated from Hamilton Badin in 1993 and returned there to coach for three years as an assistant from 2001-03 while Buttermore was coaching at Hilliard Davidson and Dover.
With West at quarterback, they helped take a Tri-Valley program that struggled to compete in the Muskingum Valley League to one that dominated when West was a senior in 2007.
Wright spent two years as head coach at Sugar Grove Berne Union, in Fairfield County, from 2008-09 before a 14-year stint coaching offensive line and calling plays for perennial playoff teams under Dirk Lincicome at Philo.
His career came full circle in 2024, where a Max Lyall-led offense at Tri-Valley put up record-setting numbers in the passing game in a 10-0 regular season. Lyall, the quarterback, was a first-team All-Ohioan who earned a scholarship at Walsh.
“The biggest thing Josh brought was knowledge,” West said. “He understands the game and he’s a committed worker. He was the first person in the office. (Buttermore) and I were joking earlier how you couldn’t beat him to the office. I am sure he was that way at Philo.
“At Berne, he slept on a couch in the coach’s office because he was living in Dresden at the time,” West added. “He was only back with our program for a year and the kids absolutely love him. He’s just a dude you gravitate toward.”
The latter was a significant reason why Wright was tabbed for another shot to be head honcho.
“The thing that I am most disappointed and sad for is Josh was really excited to be a head coach again,” West said. “Over the last month since he had taken over as head coach he has been revitalized and super excited to be head coach.”
Buttermore, who now coaches at Upper Arlington in Columbus, echoed that. He called Wright “a one of a kind” personality who was excited for a shot to be head coach at one of the top programs in Division III.
“He loved his family and friends, loved teaching his students and loved coaching his players,” Buttermore said. “He brightened every room he walked in to and elevated every program he touched. His loss creates a void in all of our lives. His personality and presence is irreplaceable.”
Nezbeth, a former assistant with Wright, called him “an amazing man.”
“And we will miss him tremendously, along with everyone else that knew Josh,” Nezbeth said while vacationing with his family in Canada. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and everyone dealing with the loss. It’s tough on all of us.”
West said the closest thing to which he could relate his feelings of sadness with Wright’s death was when former player Cam Ross died in 2016. The two went out winners as Wright called the offense under West at the Muskingum Valley-Licking County All-Star game on June 20, a game Muskingum dominated in a 34-15 win.
“He was the life of everything,” West said. “He was the best person you will ever find. Just a happy dude. He wasn’t only a fantastic coach, putting that aside, but he was was just a guy who would do anything for you. You could call him in the middle of the night with anything and he would be there.”
Lyall said the impact that Wright had on him “was huge,” despite only knowing him for a year. He called him “one of the best dudes I’ve ever met.”
“The impact he had on my football career isn’t even as close as the impact he had on my life,” Lyall said. “He was one of few people who could joke with you, get on you and build you up, but was always respectful and everyone respected him. I’m at a loss for words and am heartbroken for his family. And I know the Tri-Valley community will back them.”
Wright’s loss leaves the Tri-Valley administration back in search mode as the official start of football season is less than a month away.
West said the focus is on supporting Wright’s wife, Amy, and their three children, as well as the Tri-Valley staff, students and those in the Scottie football family.
“Football is on the backburner right now,” West said. “Our kids have been through a lot of change. It’s going to be tough for a while.”
sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: ‘Irreplaceable’: Tri-Valley mourning loss of Josh Wright, former Berne Union head coach
Reporting by Sam Blackburn, Zanesville Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
