Until last Wednesday, Brendan Hausen thought his most vivid Villanova memory would be the warm September afternoon last year when he pulled Jay Wright to the side after practice at Amarillo High School (Texas) and informed the 60-year-old coach that he was indeed coming to suit up for the Wildcats.
“He brought the whole staff to my practice and my whole family was there,” said Hausen, an SI99 prospect. “He had the biggest smile on his face and just kept asking me if I was serious. He was so happy; I was so happy. It was a dream come true.”
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A stark contrast from how he felt logging into Wright’s Zoom call on April 20 with Villanova’s entire current roster and staff plus the rest of the Wildcats’ 2022 recruiting haul – Mark Armstrong and Cam Whitmore – as the Hall of Fame coach explained his decision to retire.
“I was just in disbelief,” said Hausen, who 6’4” shooting guard at Amarillo (Texas). “I still am.”
According to Hausen, Wright opened the Zoom apologetic about the abruptness of the decision, but said he felt like he was dragging a lot this year and felt like his staff carried him through the season.
“He just said he was tired,” Hausen said. “He said he didn’t wanna be a halfway coach. He said he’d been holding it in, but then they made that run and he wanted to make sure it was really what he wanted to do. I understand it, it’s an exhausting job.”
Wright further explained that he’d still have a presence with the team next season and confirmed Fordham head coach and former Villanova assistant Kyle Neptune would takeover.
Neptune, 37, spent eight years under Wright as an assistant coach and was a part of both national championships. He went 16–16 in his first season leading the Rams.
The prevailing question among the players on the Zoom was why it took so long for Wright to make his decision.
Matt Rourke/AP
His response was twofold: He wanted to be sure about his decision and thorough in making sure the program was in the best position to be carried on the right way.
"During this season, it started to hit me," Wright expounded at his retirement press conference two days later. "I started to look at where my coaching was. Everybody being in place: our staff, the team. We wanted to leave this in a better place than we found it. And we wanted it to be strong and in a great position when we left.”
By the end of the team Zoom, Hausen described the vibe as a “sad understanding.”
After the joint call, Wright made personal calls to each of the three signed prospects to apologize and assure.
“He just told me that I was gonna be in great hands and that he’d be there with me,” Hausen said. “It helps for sure that he’s there, but, man, I wanted to play for him so bad.”
That begs the obvious question: Will Villanova keep its 2022 recruiting haul intact?
Whitmore reaffirmed his commitment to Villanova via his Instagram Monday night; calls to Armstrong were not immediately returned.
“I love the school, but I love Coach Wright,” said Hausen, who is taking a visit to Villanova today. “I looked up to him so much and I wanted to play for him so bad. I’m gonna talk to my family and feel things out; obviously I want to get to know Coach Neptune and feel him out. It’s crunch time though.
"I will say that I love that the staff is staying in place. It’s a real family there. Like real family atmosphere. I want to get to know Coach Neptune and see what his plans are and how he sees me fitting in. At the end of the day, he’s subbing me in and out and making the decisions, so I have to feel him out then I’ll go from there.”
