NATCHEZ — Wilkinson County Christian Academy will have a new man at the helm of its athletic department next year.

David Wright will take over June 1 as athletic director, head football coach and head boys’ basketball coach. WCCA headmaster Chad Gunnells said he has known Wright since childhood, and he believes Wright is the right man for the job.

“We’re really excited about him coming in,” Gunnells said. “He is somebody that understands investing in kids.”

Gunnells said because of the prior relationship between Wright and himself, he wanted to involve the school board with the decision.

“I told them, ‘I want to get your opinion,’” Gunnells said. “And (Wright) and his wife Dani had the chance to speak with the board, and (the board) saw the same things I saw, which is somebody who really wants to invest in kids and wants them to leave here with a good education, wants them to be coached to the best of their abilities and really hope every kid that walks through those doors will leave here a better person.”

Wright comes to WCCA from Dacula High School in Dacula, Ga., where he was an assistant coach for the football team that went to the Class 5A quarterfinals last season.

Wright has experience coaching football, basketball and baseball in high school, and Gunnells said Wright’s experience handling a large number of athletes at Dacula would help him with the athletic director position at WCCA.

“He was a position coach at the varsity level, and ran the junior varsity program,” Gunnells said. “And the junior varsity team had a football roster of 70 kids.”

Gunnells said Wright has coached more than 30 football players that have received collegiate scholarships. He has also coached double-digit numbers of basketball and baseball players who have gone on to play collegiately as well.

Dani will step in as the head girls’ basketball coach for the Lady Rams next season. It will be Dani’s first varsity head coaching job.

After leading her Collins Hill High School (Ga.) team to back-to-back state titles, she received a scholarship to Auburn University. She then finished her collegiate career at Brigham Young University, where she led the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage and offensive rebounds. She went to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments at BYU, and finished as the 2006-2007 MWC co-player of the year.

WCCA also added Kyle White to its coaching staff. White will coach the Rams’ baseball team.

White will coach baseball and softball and be Wright’s quarterback coach. White played quarterback for Wright in high school, Gunnells said.

All three coaches will begin their tenure with WCCA June 1, and Gunnells said they have already started preparing summer programs. All three coaches will take full-time teaching roles with the school as well.

“They are setting up camps for the community kids,” Gunnells said.

Wright will take over for coach Ray McDaniel, who has decided to move on and take a position at another MAIS school, Gunnells said.