For 21 seasons, Jay Wright paced the sidelines for the Villanova Wildcats as their head coach. Wright became known for his well-coached Wildcat teams and for his impeccable style. However, Wednesday officially marked the end of an era, as Wright shockingly announced his retirement from coaching, ushering in assistant Kyle Neptune as the new head of the program. Following his retirement, Wright dropped an emotional message to his Twitter account.
Wright penned this statement to Wildcats fans, known as ‘Nova Nation. The longtime Villanova head coach said that leading the program was a “professional dream” of his, one that he was fortunate enough to live out.
The Wildcats legend expressed his gratitude to the President of the university, Reverend Peter M. Donohue, and its athletic director, Mark Jackson, while thanking the many students and administrators who walked through Villanova's doors during his tenure.
Wright, 60, will head into retirement as the all-time wins leader at Villanova, with 520 career victories. Under his leadership, the Wildcats have secured six Big East titles, made the NCAA Tournament 16 times and made four Final Fours, securing two National Championships.
Beyond all the accolades, Wright became known for his class and consistency, two characteristics he instilled into his teams. One thing is for sure.
Jay Wright will not only be missed at Villanova. He will be missed in the college basketball world as well.