Villanova’s basketball head coach Jay Wright didn’t want a farewell tour. He wanted to retire quietly, and that’s exactly what he did on Wednesday. After 21 years as Villanova’s head coach, Wright is retiring from the sidelines, ending an era of excellence at Villanova that resulted in multiple national championships and Final Four appearances.
“For the past 21 seasons, I’ve had the opportunity to pursue a career dream as the head coach at Villanova,” said Wright. “Patty and I have been blessed to work with incredibly talented young men who have allowed us to coach them and have given us unmatched joy. We cannot overstate our gratitude to the players, coaches, and admins who have supported us along the way. It has been an honor and privilege to work at Villanova, especially under Father Peter and Mark Jackson.”
Villanova said Wednesday that Wright would be taking on a new role as the university’s special assistant to the president. Fordham’s Kyle Neptune, who served as video coordinator and assistant coach under Wright for ten years, will take over as Villanova’s coach.
Wright was one of only three active coaches to win multiple national titles. Wright has been approached to coach in the NBA for years and has declined such offers for years. While he wouldn’t be on the sidelines for Villanova, he would still be close to the program and oversee it from afar.