Villanova men’s basketball coach Jay Wright officially announced his retirement Wednesday.
“Over the past 21 seasons, I have had the opportunity to live out a professional dream as the head coach at Villanova,” Wright said in a statement. “Patty and I have been blessed to work with incredible, gifted young men who allowed us to coach them and brought us unmatched joy. We cannot overstate our gratitude to the players, coaches and administrators who have been with us on this path.”
Wright has had an exceptional run at Villanova that included 16 NCAA Tournaments, eight Big East regular season titles, four Final Four appearances and two National Championships. In 21 years with the Wildcats, Wright compiled a .725 winning percentage, racking up 16 20-win seasons and six 30-win seasons. Wright retires tied for 48th all-time with 642 wins.
With its longtime coach moving on, it means a new opportunity at Villanova. The Wildcats announced that former assistant coach and current Fordham head coach Kyle Neptune will take over as Wright’s successor.
Wright also mentioned in his statement how much he approves of Neptune as Villanova’s new leader.
“It is time for us to enter a new era of Villanova basketball,” Wright said. “After 35 years in coaching, I am proud and excited to hand over the reins to Villanova’s next coach.”
Neptune will only be Villanova’s fourth head coach since 1973 and sixth since 1937. Every Wildcats leader has lasted at least nine years since then, with Wright and Rollie Massimino bringing titles to the program.
