Jay Wright talked about leaving college basketball. 1:45. Before he made the decision to retire after 21 seasons as men's basketball coach, Jay Wright said he lacked the same edge that he had enjoyed in the past, he said Friday. During his retirement news conference, Wright said there were times when he had to give himself a pep talk. He remembered that he had always told his players that they were either against or in favor of him. After a Hall of Fame career that included two national championships, eight Big East regular-season titles, and a gold medal as an assistant for the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, Wright decided it was time to retire. Wright's voice broke multiple times as he talked about his decision. Our staff, the team are all in place. We wanted to leave this better off than we found it. We wanted it to be in a good position when we left. I started to feel like I didn't have the edge that I have always had, so I started evaluating it. Wright said he had considered retirement for a few years but made his final decision before the Final Four. He did not tell the team because he wanted to give his players answers. Wright had to tell his players Wednesday night after reports had been circulating about his decision. He said he told school officials because he wanted to help his players make the transition and keep the program and staff together once a change is made. Wright said he knew it would be his last run, which made for some awkward moments for him. Wright said he knew what Krzyzewski was thinking, but he didn't want to say anything. There were some weird times. Wright, John Wooden, Ed Jucker, and Phil Woolpert are just a few of the coaches who have left a school after winning multiple titles.
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, 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
The current climate of college basketball, which now includes the transfer portal and name, image and licensing deals, played a small role in his decision. The changes made him realize that the school needed a new voice.
Wright thinks that the changes will be good for college basketball. Some of our guys made a lot of money. They went to a Final Four with a 3.8 grade point average. There is a side to it. When it comes to that stuff, Neptune and our younger assistants are at a higher level than me. They are really visionary about it. I feel like I am the coach that is trying to keep up with it. That made us feel like this is a good time.
Wright knew that Neptune, who was an assistant on his staff, was the right choice for the job, and that has made him more comfortable with the decision.
We knew with Kyle. Wright said they knew it was going to be one of their guys. I think the year before he left, I saw that he was ready to leave and then he stayed one more year and got the job at Fordham.
He does plan to stay active at the school and attend games, but he is not sure what he will do next. After a ride that elevated the brand of the program and the entire Big East, Wright said he will leave knowing the team is equipped to sustain the success they have enjoyed in recent years.
The greatest thing for us has always been to be the coach at Villanova, according to Wright. For the past 21 years, we have been the head of a great tradition. We don't own this, we just have to be in charge for 21 years.
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