The college basketball landscape was turned upside down last week when Villanova’s Jay Wright announced his retirement from coaching.
Breaking: Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is expected to retire after 21 seasons as head coach at Villanova.
First reported by The Athletic and confirmed by ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xYD9VEqjln
— ESPN (@espn) April 20, 2022
One of the icons of the sport, Wright’s resume speaks for itself.
In his 21 seasons at the helm the Wildcats made 16 NCAA Tournaments, 8 Sweet Sixteens, 5 Elite Eights, 4 Final Fours, and won 2 National Championships.
Congrats on a Hall of Fame career, Jay Wright 👏 pic.twitter.com/6UJQyfGRw9
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 21, 2022
That’s not even including the NBA ready talent he turned out or the countless lives he impacted both on and off the court.
Jay Wright turned Villanova into a breeding ground for high-impact NBA players. NBA organizations always felt comfortable drafting prospects out of Villanova because Wright’s players almost always played with toughness, feel, and a team-centric mentality. https://t.co/lStKNmojjM
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) April 21, 2022
The most unique the thing about his abrupt retirement is the state of the program he is leaving behind.
So often do coaches continue to stay on the sidelines until they are physically unable to handle the duties. Usually when this happens, the cupboard is extremely bare for the next head coach and an inevitable rebuild begins.
While some regression from the Wildcats is to be expected, Coach Wright has left a solid foundation for new head coach Kyle Neptune to build upon.
Thankful for this opportunity to lead @NovaMBB and excited for the journey ahead #NovaNation ✌🏾 pic.twitter.com/tl6DPHx5WE
— Kyle Neptune (@kyleneptune) April 25, 2022
Of course, the aspect that compels the college basketball world the most is this; why retire?
The legend himself Coach Jay Wright joined The Dan Dakich Show on Tuesday to answer just that and talk what the next chapter of his life holds.
Listen to Dan’s chat with Coach Wright below and don’t miss The Dan Dakich Show, weekdays 12-3pm Eastern, on The Fan.