Jala Wright comes full circle, joining Marissa Young’s staff after a standout career with the Blue Devils and professional success.
Jala Wright Returns Home
Coach Marissa Young has found her assistant coach in Jala Wright. Wright returns to Durham after spending a year at the University of Tennessee as a Graduate Assistant. She was a three year starter for Coach Young and the Blue Devils, graduating in 2024.
In her Duke career, Wright posted a 44-12 record with a 2.00 ERA, a .194 opponent batting average, and 431 strikeouts across 395 innings in 98 appearances.
Her senior season was one for the books. She finished 19-3 after 34 appearances in the circle, recorded a 1.50 ERA that ranked 16th nationally, and struck out 189 batters in 154.1 innings. She also set a program record with 17 strikeouts against Boston College in the ACC Tournament, and earned All-American selections from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), SoftballAmerica and D1Softball.
“This is truly a full circle moment for me,” Wright said. “It’s time to give back to the program that gave so much to me. Duke…I’m home!”
Coach Young is thrilled to have her back on staff, and rightfully so.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Jala Wright to our coaching staff this season,” Young said. “Her Women’s College World Series experience both as a player and a coach paired with her current professional playing career brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge. Most importantly, her passion and love for this program as an alum are unmatched. I couldn’t think of a better fit to return, represent our program and invest in our pitching staff this upcoming season.
“I’m excited to work alongside Jala and support her growth as she enters the next phase of her coaching career. It’s a great opportunity to mentor her as she continues to develop. It’s truly a dream come true to have two of my former players now on staff. Watching them grow into strong leaders and now getting to work alongside them is incredibly special.”
Wright has also taken her talents to the professional game, where she is a WPF Championship pitcher with the Atlanta Smoke.
No place like home, and coach Young could not have found a better person to fill this position, in my opinion. Being a recent graduate and player under coach Young, everything should flow naturally for Wright as she steps into this new role.
Quotes Credited to Duke Softball Press Release
