Semi-OT: Villanova's Jay Wright expected to retire
Multiple reporters/outlets are saying Jay Wright, the longtime Villanova MBB coach will be retiring this offseason.
Via the Athletic, sources say Jay Wright is "seriously contemplating retiring".
Rothstein says its basically a foregone conclusion:
Shocking. 61? He always seemed so young.
Still, I'll believe it when it happens
We don't see it much in sports but nothing wrong with a 61 year old with millions in the bank deciding he wants to spend his days not working his ass off.
Still, I'll believe it when it happens ha.
Bob Stoops is still only 61.
April 20th, 2022 at 10:58 PM ^
I think Chuck Daly and Sparky Anderson were within 2-3 years of age within each other near their peaks. Funny how one looked like the father of their other.
These guys are so loaded nowadays it's about choice of lifestyle. If you dont buy art or yachts once you are at the $15M+ level you have not only done everything you need to do for your own life but all your heirs for a few generations if you just get a nice 6% conservative return decade after decade after decade.
After you hit that level - it's just really how much you want to do and lifestyle choices.
You've never tried to buy an apartment in NYC.
Or a house in Westchester
April 20th, 2022 at 10:58 PM ^
double
It seems like it's a done deal via ESPN's Jeff Borzello:
Someone already updated Neptune’s Wikipedia page to Villanova head coach
Well now it's officially official.
Wow - I wonder what he does next? Dude is at the top of his game. And for an elite coach, he is quite young.
He's going to the NBA to be LeBum James' therapist
Hey, Lebron jokes can get you banned in these parts, or used to anyway
I didn't realize he was 60, so him retiring isn't crazy. He's got millions of dollars, two titles, and not much else to prove.
That’s a shame and a loss for the entire sport. I always respected Jay Wright and Villanova despite 2018. Dude was a brilliant offensive mind.
It was 2018 when i truly began to appreciate him.
Respectfully, I’m not sure how I can see this as anything but good news for Michigan.
Word among the Nova contingent is that his wife is ill. I hope that isn’t accurate, but would certainly explain the decision.
That makes sense as well. Does seem somewhat sudden.
Man, that's a bummer.
April 20th, 2022 at 11:18 PM ^
The second I read the OP title, I figured it was illness related. I hope it isn’t, but what else changes priorities for a successful guy in his line of work. Fuck Cancer, Fuck Covid, Fuck TB, Fuck the whole lot of them.
As a Temple grad I could not be happier.
All respect to Jay Wright. Great coach and seems to be a legitimate good dude. I will not miss playing his teams.
He’ll be fantastic on television if that is the path he chooses
When it's time, it's time.
He's 60 and has already accomplished everything. Go live the good life with your family, Coach.
Great coach. Enjoy retirement. I always liked him and his style
Jay Wright is a better coach, and a better man than all of the anointed coaches around today. That includes K, Cal, Self, and Izzo.
If we were going to lose a national championship to any coach, glad it was Wright.*
Last I checked, the record book says we only played against Pitino once in the tournament and sent him packing before leaving in disgrace
Well said. In my opinion even they way he retired is so low key and classy compared to coach K, I don't know if the coach K retirement season was his idea or Duke's, but in when compared to Jay Wright's announcement it comes off like Mike K needed his ego stroke. But that take is probably influenced by a preexisting opinion that coach K is an asshat.
April 20th, 2022 at 10:03 PM ^
I have viewed him as the top coach in college basketball for some time. Jay clearly respects the value that each of his players hold and designs the team's play to maximize the individual strengths and mitigate their weaknesses-a huge part of coaching. I love the fearless intelligence that he gifts his players. It is/was a joy to watch Villanova play this great game.
Plus he's always shown only the utmost class on and off the court. He was right there with Beilein in that department.
April 20th, 2022 at 10:07 PM ^
Best of luck to Wright and I wish him a long and happy retirement. He always seemed like a quality guy and we were lucky to have people like him in what's often a toxic business
I wrote this on Facebook that next day. I always tell student journalists this story: I drove an hour out of my way to introduce myself to Jay at a luncheon. A two-minute interaction. He invited me to come visit sometime. I thought he was being polite but also took him up on it. pic.twitter.com/fyGMYhGndX
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 20, 2022
April 20th, 2022 at 10:13 PM ^
Wow. This is pretty shocking. What a great coach, he’ll be missed…made the game better.
April 21st, 2022 at 12:05 AM ^
Nothing but respect for Jay Wright. A real professional and one hell of a good dresser with matching pocket squares.
No telling how they would have done in the Final 4 had Justin Moore not hurt himself with under a minute to go in the Great 8 win over Houston. Still an amazing multi year run for Wright. Will miss him and his predecessor, the entertaining Rollie Massimino .
Will Izzo be next? The man has not aged well.
April 21st, 2022 at 12:52 AM ^
I watched a few Villanova games this year - this is the first time where I felt “hmmm he has visibly aged a bit.” I hope his health is well but he did look a bit different this year IMO.
No matter what, he leaves with an incredible resume. And he was as smooth as can be. Watch the replay of Jenkins hitting that game winner against UNC in 2016. Everyone else went crazy (justifiably so it was an incredible ending!). Jay had a reaction of “yep, I knew that would happen”, his heart beat probably didn’t raise at all and he just went over to shake Roy’s hand.
Seems like Beilein is out of the coaching game, but he'd be a great fit for that job if he wanted to get back in it and make a run at a title
Good for him. Made his mark as a coach, and is going to see what else life has to offer.
His teams played physical, sometimes over the line. Brooks got knocked down a couple times in this last NCAAs and the one should have been flagrant with a shoulder to the chin. And the Nova player put his hands up like no foul. In the Natty game, UM was doing well early on, and Nova started pushing UM players out of the way and getting away with it.
Just irritated the crap out of me, and it was over the line for me.
April 21st, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^
Seriously? You're going to blame Jay Wright because his players played the game the refs may have let them play?
Whine that Izzo's teams play cheap. Whine that Wisconsin plays dirty. Whine that Coach K's teams get obnoxiously home whistles. Whine that Kansas, Arizona, LSU, UK, et all very obviously buy players.
But you are the only person I've EVER heard whining about the dirty way that Jay Wright's Villanova teams play. LMAO! You, sir, are in a league of your own...
April 21st, 2022 at 11:20 AM ^
Nooo!!!! This is a big loss to college basketball. One of them exceedingly few big-time college coaches with integrity, honor, and class that is capable of winning the Dance any year. Most of those guys are sleazy characters. But not one person ever mumbled anything about Wright's 'Nova teams being sleazy in any way.
We can complain about losing to them, and that hurt. But it didn't hurt as much as losing to well-known cheaters ever did...
Good luck in retirement, coach. I hope the rumors of his wife being ill are false.