Fordham University has announced that they will be replacing head coach Jay Wright with Kyle Neptune. Fordham is a Jesuit school in the Bronx, New York and is one of only two schools to win five straight NCAA Championships (the other being Villanova).
Jay Wright, the head coach for Villanova University, is retiring after leading his team to two national championships. Fordham University’s Kyle Neptune will take over as the new head coach of the team.
After 21 years as the head men’s basketball coach at Villanova, Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is stepping down, just weeks after leading the Wildcats to the Final Four.
Wright will start a new job as a special assistant to the university’s president, Villanova said on Wednesday. Kyle Neptune, who spent ten years as a video coordinator and assistant coach under Wright at Fordham, will take over as Villanova’s head coach.
On Friday morning, Wright, Neptune, and vice president and director of athletics Mark Jackson will hold a press conference.
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“As the head coach of Villanova for the last 21 seasons, I have had the chance to live out a professional dream,” Wright said in a statement. “Patty and I have been fortunate to work with amazing, talented young guys who have enabled us to train them and offered us great delight. We owe a debt of appreciation to all of the players, coaches, and administrators who have supported us along the way. Working at Villanova, especially under Father Peter and Mark Jackson, has been an honor and a privilege.
“But now is the moment to usher in a new era of Villanova basketball. I am happy and delighted to pass over the keys to Villanova’s next coach after 35 years as a coach. I’m thrilled to be staying at Villanova and to work with Father Peter, Mark, and the rest of the leadership team. When you’re a Wildcat, you’re a Wildcat for life.”
Wright, 60, has been the head coach of the Wildcats since 2001. In 2016 and 2018, he won two national titles and appeared in four Final Fours. In 2006 and 2016, he was voted Naismith Coach of the Year, and in 2021, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wright has been approached about many NBA positions over the years, but sources told ESPN on Wednesday that he plans to retire from coaching in general, not just at Villanova. Wright has liked his time coaching Team USA under Gregg Popovich in recent years, but insiders say he is losing interest in becoming an NBA head coach. He listened to the overtures, but he never contemplated leaving Villanova for any of them.
According to insiders, Wright began sharing with close pals on Tuesday night that he was ready to move on to the next part of his life without coaching.
On Wednesday night, a source close to Wright told ESPN, “He’s entirely at peace with the choice.”
4: Coaches in D-I history to leave a school after winning multiple titles in last seven years as head coach (Wright, John Wooden, Ed Jucker, Phil Woolpert) 4: Final Four appearances since 2009, tied with Tom Izzo and John Calipari for most among head coaches 5: Number of coaches to make at least 16 of the past 17 NCAA tournaments (Wright, Mark Few, Tom Izzo, Bill Self, and Mike Krzyzewski) 6: Big East Coach of the Year awards 6: 30-win seasons for Wright, one more than Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino and sixth-most in men’s D-I history 8: Big East regular-season titles for Wright, trailing only Jim Calhoun (10) and Boeheim (10) for most in conference history 8: NBA draft picks since 2017, fourth most behind Duke (15), Kentucky (15) and Florida State (9) 9: Straight NCAA tournaments, fifth-longest active streak in D-I 520: Wins against 197 losses since taking over in 2001 ESPN Stats & Information
For one season, Neptune, 37, was the head coach at Fordham. He guided the Rams to a 16-16 season, a 14-win increase over their previous season in 2020-21.
From 2008 to 2010, Neptune worked as a video coordinator at Villanova before returning as an assistant coach under Wright from 2013 through 2020.
“When we were searching for a successor, we wanted someone who could navigate the changing world of college sports and keep Villanova strong in the present and future,” Jackson said. “After meeting with a number of great prospects, we discovered Kyle Neptune to possess all of these qualities and more. Kyle rapidly made an impression with his basketball expertise, recruiting skills, and natural ability to interact with students and coaches.”
The announcement of Wright’s retirement shocked the collegiate basketball world, since he is one of the most well-respected coaches in the game. With Mike Krzyzewski’s recent retirement, Wright was one of just three current coaches who have won multiple national championships. (The others are Bill Self and Rick Pitino.)
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told ESPN that Wright is “definitely” one of the finest coaches of the modern era.
Boeheim was one of several coaches reached out to by ESPN who were taken aback by the revelation. Mike Brey, the coach of Notre Dame, expressed astonishment as well.
“He has really accomplished everything and done it with class,” Brey told ESPN. “It’s a significant setback for the college game.”
Wright joins Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina’s Roy Williams as the third coach with multiple national championships to step down in the last year. That marks the departure of three of the game’s most famous names, frequent victors, and influential voices.
“In little over a year, Coach Krzyzewski, Coach Williams, and Coach Wright have been big losses for college basketball,” NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told ESPN. “Yet, like the legends they want to be like — Bob Knight, Dean Smith, and Rollie Massimino — the next generation of coaches will rise to the task of furthering our wonderful game.”
Wright’s achievements, trophies, and triumphs speak for themselves. The way Wright handled himself, though, was a recurring theme across the sport on Wednesday.
Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese told ESPN, “I’ve known Jay his whole coaching career.” “He’s a fantastic coach, but he’s much better as a person.”
Wright’s impact and work at Villanova will resonate through all of the players and coaches he worked with, according to former Villanova player and assistant coach Baker Dunleavy.
Coach Wright’s ultimate legacy will not be his titles, according to Dunleavy, who is currently the head coach at Quinnipiac. “The set of principles he established in his coaches and players is his legacy. Seeing a Villanova game — and, more crucially, meeting a Villanova player — are clear examples. That, he believes, is the most important mark he can leave. We’re all pleased to call him a friend.”
During his 21 seasons with the Wildcats, Wright finished 520-197, winning at least 30 games six times, the sixth-most in men’s Division I history. He won the Big East regular-season title eight times and the conference tournament five times.
Wright was the head coach at Hofstra for seven seasons before coming to Villanova, winning two America East titles and making two NCAA tournament trips.
This story was co-written by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Adrian Wojnarowski.
The “jay wright retirement” is the news that Villanova’s head coach, Jay Wright, will be retiring after this season. Fordham’s assistant coach, Kyle Neptune, will take over as head coach for the 2018-19 season.
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