Hall of Fame
Jimmy Wright, long-time Missouri State University operations and equipment technician, is the 2009 recipient of the Paul Morrison Award.
The Morrison Award is presented to honor those individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective league-member institutions, The Valley or collegiate athletics, in general.
A native of East Lansing, Mich., Wright joined the Missouri State University staff in 1980 as an equipment technician in the Department of Health and Physical Education.
In that job, his primary duties include providing equipment as needed for all physical education classes, managing the men’s physical education locker room in McDonald Arena and distributing equipment to individuals for recreational use in McDonald.
It’s what he does over and above his primary job that makes him perhaps the most indispensable person in intercollegiate athletics at Missouri State.
Since 1982, he has run the shot clock for MSU men’s and women’s basketball home games, including all NCAA (women) and NIT (men/women) contests. In fact, he is currently in the midst of multi-year streaks of operating the scoreboard for volleyball (since 1996), baseball (2004-present), field hockey (since 1991) and men’s/women’s soccer (2006-present).
A 1979 graduate of Missouri Southern State University, Wright has also worked either as a shot clock or scoreboard operator for the State Farm MVC championships in women’s basketball, volleyball and baseball.