CFNN Reporters Kayla Brown, Sophia Bullard, Rachel Leonard, and Alyssa Osornio

Our teacher of the week for the second week of October is a loved and appreciated coach. He teaches Special Education and coaches both the women’s and men’s JV soccer teams. This week, CFNN has elected Robert Wright aka “Coach Rob,” as he’s better known, for our teacher of the week. 

Coach Rob was born in Boone and grew up in Fayetteville. He started middle school at John Griffin, then moved to Gray’s Creek, and graduated from Gray’s Creek high school. He went to college at UNC Charlotte and has some architecture credentials, but decided to switch majors before graduating from there in 2020 with a bachelor’s and master’s in special education.

He had originally gone to school to become an architect so he could help design and build places that were specifically designed for children with special needs or people with disabilities. After looking that over, though, he realized it wasn’t quite realistic for him. He was, however, still determined to help people and give opportunities to students with special needs. That’s when he went into teaching here at Cape Fear High School. 

What inspired Coach Rob to pursue a career in helping the disabled was his two cousins, Tyler who is diagnosed with Autism, and Raelyn who is diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Osteogenesis Imperfecta affects your bone density and the brittleness of your bones. There are different levels to OI, type I is the mildest and most common, type II is the most severe, and any of the other types have symptoms that fall in between those two. Raelyn has type III, being born with 27 fractures, OI also results in a little bit of dwarfism. 

She has had many surgeries throughout her life, such as rods in her arms, and a spinal surgery, but Coach Rob said that never stopped her. He says that she is fun and loves to play, and run, and has “Never had a bad day.” Because of his two cousins, he felt inspired to work and help people with a disability. 

Coach Rob is the eldest of five siblings. He also owns four horses and three dogs. He used to have five horses but one sadly recently passed away. The names of those five horses are Stormy, Midnight, Spicy girl, Denali, and Smitty. Stormy, Midnight, and Smitty were kind of a package deal, as he got them all around the same time. Then the “newest” horse is Denali. 

There was no one specific reason that they got the horses beside the fact that they had always wanted them. Once they finally got the land to own horses they took the opportunity. He has had these horses for the last 4 years; originally they weren’t on his property, but about 2 years ago his family had gotten 8 acres of land and now they stay there in a place they like to call “The Sun Field.” They like to call it this because the sun is always shining on them. 

Coach Rob enjoys spending time and doing things with his family. He mentioned that some things they love to do as a family are they are big on puzzles, love playing wiffle ball, and enjoy spending Christmas together. 

Some of his favorite hobbies are baking with his Mom and cooking with his Grandma. He says that if he didnt teach he would probably make a baking company with his mom. More of his hobbies include hiking in the mountains, photography, trying a bunch of new ice cream places wherever he goes, and of course, playing soccer. 

“He’s dedicated to making his players grow,” says Boys Varsity soccer player Brady Kennedy.  

Coach Rob started playing soccer when he was about 4 years old. He has been playing for 19 years, and is now coaching both womens and mens JV soccer teams. This is only his 2nd official year coaching soccer but he has already made a heavy impact on the team. 

“I just want to do anything and everything to help my players improve and keep enjoying it,” says Wright. For him, starting coaching at Cape Fear made him realize that coaching and playing were two very different things that require a different mindset.

“He brings a lot of energy, cares about the players,” says Wright’s former coach Bryan Pagan 

Not only does he coach here at Cape Fear, he also teaches. He teaches EC/SED kids on study skills and other things to give them better opportunities. Coach Rob has such positive energy and truly cares about his students and his athletes well being. That is one of many things that makes him who he is.

“He’s so funny and knows how to keep a good vibe.” Says Girls soccer player Kaleigh Jacobs.

He said that his favorite part of teaching is “Meeting different kids, learning who they are, and being on their journey with them.”

“Rob is one of those teachers you don’t get all the time. He remembers and treats his students like people. He understands they have feelings and he incorporates that into his teaching style. He works with them and that’s what really drew me to rob and look up to him…. But then he looked up to me because I was Teacher Of The Week first,” says Mrs. Benoit, one of Wright’s former teachers, as well as one of his best friends.

Coach Rob is universally known and loved, and he lives up to the high expectations he’s given. He is positive, he is thoughtful, and he is full of integrity. These amazing qualities are what makes him this week’s Teacher of the Week.