Drawing upon previous coaching experience with the Austin Cyclones in the Southwest Basketball League (USA) and other US teams, Wright sought a coaching contract in the NBL. He was appointed as the Brisbane Bullets'
head coach midway through the 2002–03 season; a position which he held until 2008. Wright led the team to great heights including a 16-win improvement in the following 2003–04 season, successive finals appearances and a stellar 2006–07 season featuring a minor premiership, a 21 NBL game winning streak and a championship. After the Blaze folded at the end of the
2011–12 NBL season, Wright sat out
2012–13 before being signed as head coach of the
Adelaide 36ers for the
2013–14 NBL season. The 36ers, who had finished last in three of the previous four NBL seasons, finished second in the season, with Joey Wright named the NBL's Coach of the Month for November after leading the 36ers to a 5–0 record for the month which included a 91–86 home win at the
Adelaide Arena over the previously undefeated
Perth Wildcats on November 22, 2013. Wright helped revive the 36ers fortunes and the team went from the bottom of the NBL ladder to playing in the
NBL Grand Final in his first season with the club, though they ultimately were beaten 2–1 in the Grand Final series by the Wildcats. With Wright having lifted the 36ers from the bottom of the ladder to the
NBL Grand Final in just one season, most were shocked when the NBL named
Wollongong Hawks coach
Gordie McLeod as the NBL's Coach of the Year for season 2013–14. Adelaide had improved from an 8–20 record in 2012–13 to 18–10 in 2013–14 while Wollongong, finalists in 2012–13 with a 13–15 record also finished 2013–14 with the same 13–15 record. Adelaide again made it to the Semi-finals in
2014–15, but missed the playoffs in
2015–16. In the
2016–17 NBL season, the 36ers started off slowly winning just 3 of their first 9 games. However, from there they became the team to beat, winning 14 of their next 15 games and by Round 16 of the 19 round, 28-game season had been confirmed as regular season champions for the first time since
1999–2000. The 36ers finished the season with a 17–11 record, two games clear of the second placed
Cairns Taipans. Wright won the Coach of the Month award in November, December and January, going undefeated in December. As a result, Wright won his 3rd Coach of the Year award on February 13, 2017, joining
Brian Goorjian and
Lindsay Gaze (who the CotY award is named for) as a 3-time winner of the award. At the season's conclusion, Wright signed a five-year contract extension with the 36ers. On 26 February 2020, Wright and the Adelaide 36ers parted ways, citing a mutual agreement following an end of season review. The 36ers and NBL investigated Wright over bullying allegations made by team co-captain
Kevin White. ==Personal life==