Jay Wright Officially Retires As Villanova Coach

An all-time great college basketball coach called it a career at the end of the 2022 season.

Villanova's Jay Wright announced on Wednesday that he is officially retiring as the Wildcats' coach — capping a historic, and successful, 21-season run.

He first joined the Wildcats in 2001. By the end of his tenure, Wright coached the team to five Big East titles, four Final Four appearances, six 30-win seasons and two national championships (2016, 2018).

Reaching the Final Four in this year's tourney can now be remembered as the proper send-off for the ageless great.

The Wildcats lost to the championship-bound Kansas Jayhawks, 81-65 — just two wins short of a nearly perfect ending.

Still, the coach stated that he felt the perfect time to step away from basketball was now — extinguishing rumors that Wright was pivoting to the NBA.

For now, Wright thinks he's got nothing left to prove.

Wright leaves the program with a 642-282 record. He hands the team off to Fordham head coach and former Villanova assistant Kyle Neptune.

The 37-year-old will leave his position as the Rams' coach after just one season.

Neptune first joined the Wildcats in 2008 as a video coordinator for Wright. He returned to Villanova from 2013-to 2019 as Wright's assistant.

According to Fox News Digital, Wright will stay at Villanova but under a different role.

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