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.jpg) Wright in 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Biographical details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1961-12-24)December 24, 1961 (age 63) Churchville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |||||||||||
| Playing career | ||||||||||||
| 1979–1983 | Bucknell | |||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Rochester (assistant) | |||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | Drexel (assistant) | |||||||||||
| 1987–1992 | Villanova (assistant) | |||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | UNLV (assistant) | |||||||||||
| 1994–2001 | Hofstra | |||||||||||
| 2001–2022 | Villanova | |||||||||||
| Head coaching record | ||||||||||||
| Overall | 642–282 (.695) | |||||||||||
| Tournaments | 34–16 (NCAA Division I) 4–4 (NIT) | |||||||||||
| Accomplishments and honors | ||||||||||||
| Championships | ||||||||||||
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| Awards | ||||||||||||
2×Naismith College Coach of the Year (2006, 2016)
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| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2021 (profile) | ||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jerold Taylor "Jay"Wright Jr. (born December 24, 1961) is an American formercollege basketball coach. He served as the head coach ofVillanova University from 2001 until 2022. Wright led the Villanova Wildcats to sixBig East Conference championships and 16 NCAA tournament appearances in 21 seasons as head coach. Under Wright, Villanova reached four Final Fours (2009, 2016, 2018, 2022) and won two national championships in2016 and2018.
Beginning as a four-year player atBucknell University, he quickly moved to coaching as an assistant at theUniversity of Rochester and thenDrexel University. In 1987, Wright returned to the institution he grew up rooting for as an assistant at Villanova under Hall of Fame coachRollie Massimino.[1] He coached at Villanova for five years, before following Massimino for a stint as an assistant atUNLV.
Wright started his head coaching atHofstra University (1994–2001), leading the program toNCAA tournament appearances in both 2000 and 2001. Wright was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2021 class.[2][3]
Born inChurchville, Pennsylvania, Wright grew up a fan ofVillanova.[4][5] As a child, he playedLittle League Baseball in theNorthampton Township Little League, for a team coached by his father Jerry.[6] They finished as runner up in 1972, before winning the championship a year later.[6][7]
He graduated fromCouncil Rock High School North inNewtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania,[8] where he playedshortstop for the baseball team andquarterback for the football team, but gave both up to focus on basketball.[7] Wright was the startingpoint guard for the varisty team for his sophomore-through-senior years,[9] including for the 1978–79 LowerBucks League championship team.[7] His coach Mike Holland later remarked that he showed an early aptitude for coaching.[9]
"I used to have this community basketball clinic where the guys had to teach junior high and elementary kids how to play basketball. At that time, [Wright] was already exhibiting coaching prowess. [...] He was my extension on the floor. I felt very comfortable turning the team over to him."
— Mike Holland, Wright's high school basketball coach[9]
Wright considered playing forHerb Magee atPhiladelphia University, but ultimately chose to attendBucknell University, inLewisburg, Pennsylvania.[10] There, he joined theSigma Chi fraternity,[11] and majored in economics and sociology,[12][13] graduating in 1983.[8]
While at Bucknell, Wright joined thebasketball team led by coachCharlie Woollum.[12] He played for the Bison for three seasons, overlapping with future NBA playerAl Leslie and future Bucknell coachPat Flannery, who Wright has since credited as a mentor.[13] Wright became the starting point guard during the 1980–81 season, his junior year,[12][14] leading the team in scoring, and was named team MVP.[15] His senior year saw him named co-captain of the Bison,[16] but he lost his starting job, an experience he found humbling.[12][14] He shared the team's Malcolm Musser Leadership Award at the end of the season.[16]
Upon graduating from college, Wright got his first job as an assistant coach atDivision IIIUniversity of Rochester, having been recommended by Woollum, his college coach,[17] and former teammate Flannery.[18] There, he recruited for the school,[17] organised intramural sports, and coached junior varsity.[18] In 1986, after two years with theYellowjackets, he got his first position inDivision I college basketball as an assistant coach atDrexel University, joining Flannery on the staff.[19] His next job came as an assistant toRollie Massimino at Villanova, where he remained from 1987 to 1992. In 1992, he moved with Massimino toUNLV, where he remained until 1994.[20]
In 1994, Wright was named head coach atHofstra University,[20] which had struggled through most of the 1980s and early '90s, with only one season of 20 or more wins since 1980, and noNCAA tournament appearances since 1977.[21] Hofstra'sathletic director Jim Garvey remarked that Wright was "an outstanding recruiter," something the school was in need of improving.[20] His hiring coincided with Hofstra's move to theNorth Atlantic Conference.[22]
Hofstra went 10–18 in Wright's first season, finishing with the worst conference record in the NAC in the regular season, although they did secure a win overMaine in the conference tournament.[23] Losing seasons followed for the next two years, with Hofstra going 9–18 and 12–15 respectively, although they did improve their finish in the conference each time – to 7th and 4th.[24][25] Come the 1997–98 season, the Flying Dutchmen secured their first winning season for 12 years.[26] With a roster featuring futureNBA playersSpeedy Claxton andNorm Richardson,[27] Hofstra defeatedHartford to reach the semi-finals of the now-renamedAmerica East tournament,[28] before losing to eventual tournament championsDelaware, to finish the year with a 19–12 record.[29] Claxton was named theAmerica East Conference Player of the Year, having finished first in the conference and seventh in the country forassists per game and led Hofstra in points per game.[30]
The 1998–99 season saw a third-place finish in the conference,[31] and another semi-finalAEC tournament exit, this time at the hands ofDrexel.[32] But with Hofstra's first 20-win season since 1991–92,[21] they secured a bid to the1999 National Invitation Tournament, the school's first ever appearance in the tournament,[33] and their first postseason appearance in 22 years.[34] The Dutchmen ultimately lost in the first round toRutgers, 58–45.[35] A first conference title arrivedthe following season – Hofstra both topped the regular season standings outright and won theconference tournament, after securing victories overBoston University, Drexel, and two-time defending champions Delaware.[36][37] With the tournament victory, Hofstra secured a berth in theNCAA tournament, for the school's first appearance since 1977.[37] Handed a 14th-seed, the Dutchmen were matched up against the 3rd-seedOklahoma State Cowboys,[38] who were ranked 14th in the nation in theAP Poll,[39] but were unable to provide an upset, losing 86–66.[40] Having broken the school record for victories in a season with 24,[41] Wright earned AEC Coach of the Year honors. Claxton won his second conference Player of the Year award, having finished fourth in the nation in scoring, with 23.2 points per game.[42]
Under Wright, the program slowly and steadily improved, and by 1999 the Pride were a premier team in theAmerica East Conference. They won the conference championship in 2000 and 2001, and from 1999 to 2001, went 72–22, including two NCAA tournament appearances. Wright was named America East Coach of the Year in 1999–2000 and 2000–01. He was also tabbed Eastern Basketball's Coach of the Year in 1999–2000.
Wright took the Pride to the Postseason three times:
After receiving overtures fromTennessee andRutgers for their head coaching roles, Wright instead chose to return toVillanova, becoming the eighth coach in the 81-year history of the program.[43][44] Wright inherited a mediocre team from previous coachSteve Lappas, and in Wright's first season, they made the NIT. In 2002, Wright was able to secure one of the top-rated recruiting classes in the country, led by McDonald's All-American center Jason Fraser. However, the Wildcats had a mediocre 2002–03 season, which was marred by a phone card abuse scandal that eventually resulted in suspensions to over half the roster. The Wildcats again made the NIT but did not advance far. The 2003–04 season saw more playing time for the talented young players from the previous recruiting class, but it also resulted in a mediocre season and another NIT appearance. Villanova advanced as far as the quarterfinals in the NIT, doing so in 2002 and 2004. Wright's NIT appearances in his first three years were considered by most fans to be failures and he entered his fourth year considered to be on the hottest seat in the Big East.[45]
In the2004–05 season, Wright's Wildcats enjoyed a breakout campaign thanks to the emergence of forward Curtis Sumpter and guardsAllan Ray andRandy Foye. Villanova finished 22–7 in a year that included upset wins over No. 2 Kansas and No. 3 Boston College. They were rewarded with a fifth seed in theNCAA tournament, the Wildcats' first appearance in the tournament since 1999. Villanova defeatedNew Mexico andFlorida to advance to the sweet 16. However, their tournament run came to an end next round after a narrow loss toNorth Carolina, the No. 1 seed (andeventual champion). Villanova was ranked 19th in the final Associated Press poll, their first such appearance in eight years.
The2005–06 season saw the Wildcats ranked in the preseason top four of both major polls, thanks to the return of most players from the previous season. Led by seniors Ray and Foye, and an explosive sophomore inKyle Lowry, the Wildcats lived up to the hype and finished with a 25–4 regular season record, including a 14–2 record in theBig East regular season, which tied them with University of Connecticut for first place in the conference.
In the2006 NCAA tournament, Wright's experienced team earned a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history and posted victories over Monmouth in the first round and Arizona in the second. Wright's squad then narrowly edged Boston College to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1988. However, the Wildcats run ended there, as they lost to eventual championFlorida. This marked the second consecutive year in which Wright's Wildcats were eliminated by the eventual national champion.
For his performance in the 2005–06 season, Wright received national coach of the year honors from CBS/Chevrolet; the Naismith Awards; and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). He was also named the Big East Coach of the Year.
The 2006–07 squad had to replace three starters, but thanks in part to the healthy return ofCurtis Sumpter, who had missed the previous season with anACL injury, and McDonald's All-AmericanScottie Reynolds, the Wildcats made it back to the NCAA tournament for the third straight season. With a 22–10 record, they were seeded ninth but lost toKentucky in the second round.
In the 2007 offseason, Wright once again came up with a highly ratedrecruiting class, this time led by McDonald's All-AmericanCorey Stokes and Jordan Brand All-AmericanCorey Fisher.
The2007–08 season sawVillanova struggle at times, including a five-game losing streak in the middle of the season. Wright and the Wildcats were able to rebound to get a 12 seed (the final at-large seed) in theNCAA tournament. They upset fifth-seededClemson in round one, and beatSiena in round two to advance to their third Sweet 16 in four years. The team once again lost to the eventual champs, which this time was theKansas Jayhawks.
The2008–09 team, led by seniorDante Cunningham, junior Scottie Reynolds and breakout sixth man Corey Fisher, streaked to a fourth-place finish in theBig East, and a double bye in theconference tournament. The third-seeded Wildcats overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to underdog American to avoid a first-round upset in theNCAA tournament. The team then defeated sixth-seededUCLA by twenty points to make the program's fourth Sweet Sixteen in five years. In its Sweet Sixteen matchup againstDuke, the Wildcats used timely perimeter defense to score a 23-point victory and a trip to the Elite Eight. In a back-and-forth Elite Eight game with then-conference rivalPitt, Reynolds came up big with a game-winning shot to put Villanova back in the Final Four for the first time since theirnational championship run in1985. Villanova then fell toNorth Carolina, the eventual champions, in the National Semifinals atFord Field in Detroit, Michigan by a score of 83–69.[46]
For the2009–10 season, Wright brought in a recruiting class in the top five of the national rankings.[47] The class was highlighted by point guardMaalik Wayns (Philadelphia/Roman Catholic), forwards Isaiah Armwood (Rockville, Md./Montrose Christian School) andMouphtaou Yarou (Nattingou, Benin; also attending the same Montrose Christian School) and guard Dominic Cheek (Jersey City, NJ / St. Anthony's). Taylor King, a former McDonald's All-American and Duke transfer, also joined the rotation, after redshirting the '08–'09 season. The Wildcats earned a two seed in the NCAA tournament, but after a rocky start in the tournament, highlighted by Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher being benched to start the game, fell in the second round of play toSaint Mary's.
The Wildcats got off to a 16–1 start, and were ranked as high as sixth in the nation. However, they went 5–11 the rest of the way, including six straight losses to finish the season. The final two losses were particularly tough, as Villanova lost to South Florida in the Big East tournament before falling to George Mason in the Round of 64 in the NCAA tournament.
Faced with a young team after the departures of seniors Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, the Wildcats endured their worst season under Wright, finishing 13–19. It was the only season in the Wright era where Villanova did not compete in any postseason tournaments. They did manage a victory in the opening round of the Big East tournament, defeating Rutgers 70–49, before falling to South Florida for the second consecutive season.
Villanova's recent struggles prompted some to speculate that Wright's job was in danger. However, with the help of sophomores Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston, as well as freshmen Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu, the Wildcats returned to respectability, winning 20 games and returning to the NCAA Tournament. Though they fell to North Carolina in the Round of 64, the Wildcats picked up some signature wins, defeating #5 Louisville and #3 Syracuse in the span of a week. They also ended the regular season with wins over #17 Marquette and #5 Georgetown.
In thefirst season of thecurrent Big East Conference, formed after Villanova and six other schoolsbroke away from theoriginal Big East Conference,Villanova was the #2 seed in the East and lost in the second round toConnecticut, the #7 seed and eventual national champion.
In the2015 NCAA tournament,Villanova was the #1 seed in the East and lost in the second round toNorth Carolina State, the #8 seed.
Villanova earned a #2 seed in the South Region of the2016 NCAA tournament, defeatingUNC Asheville,Iowa,Miami andKansas to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2009. In the national semifinal, Villanova defeatedOklahoma 95–51, the largest margin of victory inFinal Four history. The Wildcats then proceeded to defeatNorth Carolina in the national title game, 77–74, on a 3-point shot byKris Jenkins as time expired, earning Wright his first championship.
In addition to the record shattering 44-point defeat of Oklahoma in the Final Four, the 2016 championship run included numerous other notable achievements. Villanova was the first school without anFBS football program to win the NCAA men's title since Villanova's own championship in 1985. They were also the first team in 31 years (again, since the 1985 Villanova team) to dispatch four straightAP top 10 teams (Miami, Kansas, Oklahoma and North Carolina) in their run, and 5 total AP ranked teams (Iowa, in addition to the previously mentioned teams). They were also the only team, again since the 1985 Villanova championship squad, to beat four straight top 3 seeds on their championship run: two 1 seeds (Kansas and North Carolina), one 2 seed (Oklahoma) and one 3 seed (Miami). Villanova's performance included two of the most offensively efficient games ever recorded since the analytics era began in 2002, tallying 1.56 and 1.51 points per possession against 3-seed Miami and 2-seed Oklahoma, respectively.[48] Villanova's average margin of victory for the tournament was nearly 21 points per game, and the only teams they defeated by less than 19 points were Kansas and North Carolina (the overall first and second seeded teams in the tournament, whom they beat by 5 and 3 points, respectively). It has been called perhaps the most dominant tournament championship run of all time, and the most dominant of the analytics era by a wide margin.[49]
In the2017 NCAA tournament,Villanova was the #1 seed in the East and lost in the second round toWisconsin, the #8 seed.
Shortly before the start of the2017–18 season, Wright was named the recipient of the 2018Legends of Coaching Award, part of the annualJohn R. Wooden Award program.[50]Villanova earned a #1 seed in the East Region, defeatingRadford,Alabama,West Virginia, andTexas Tech to advance to the Final Four for the second time in three years. In the National Semifinal, Villanova defeatedKansas 95–79. The Wildcats then proceeded to defeatMichigan in the National Championship Game, 79–62 to give Wright his second championship in three years. Assistant head coachAshley Howard left Villanova on April 8, 2018, to become the head coach atLa Salle University, a Philadelphia Big 5 rival.
Wright faced a difficult task after his second national title. Last year's departures includedMikal Bridges,Donte DiVincenzo,Omari Spellman, andJalen Brunson, who were each taken in the2018 NBA draft. As a result, Wright was left with a young, inexperienced squad entering the season. Villanova stood at #8 in the preseason rankings, but they were crushed by Michigan in a title game rematch in their third game of the season. They later fell to Furman in overtime at home, dropping them from the Top 25 entirely. After losing to top-ranked Kansas in December, Villanova won 11 in a row and returned to the national rankings. A February win over #10 Marquette allowed them to clinch the Big East regular season title. They would then go on to defeat Providence, Xavier, and Seton Hall to win their third consecutive Big East tournament, becoming the first team to do so. Wright earned his sixth Big East Coach of the Year Award for his efforts. The Wildcats finished 26–10 and earned a sixth seed in the NCAA Tournament. They would defeat 11th-seeded St. Mary's in the Round of 64 by 4, before falling to Purdue 87–61.
The Wildcats ended their season with a 24–7 record. Villanova's 13–5 record in Big East play allowed them to clinch a share of the conference's regular season title, tying withCreighton andSeton Hall. The Wildcats were seeded second in theBig East tournament, but the tournament was cancelled early due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Oddly, theBig East tournament was the last conference tournament to be cancelled, which resulted in games being played despite other conferences canceling their games.[51]
Despite losing sophomoreSaddiq Bey to the first round of the NBA draft, Wright and the Wildcats were ranked third in the opening AP poll to start the season. Villanova got off to an 8–1 start (which included wins over No. 18 Arizona State and No. 17 Texas) but was forced to temporarily shut down when Wright and several other members of the program tested positive for COVID-19.[52] With an 11–4 conference record, the Wildcats clinched at least a share of the regular season title for the third consecutive season, clinching it with a win over Creighton on March 3. However, Villanova was ousted in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament in an upset loss to eventual champion Georgetown after losing co-Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie (sharing with teammateJeremiah Robinson-Earl andSandro Mamukelashvili of Seton Hall) to an injury. Many felt that, without Gillespie, the Wildcats would be subjected to a quick exit at the NCAA Tournament, where they were seeded fifth in the South region. Villanova instead topped twelfth-ranked Winthrop and thirteenth-ranked North Texas to return to the Sweet 16 before losing to Baylor 62–51.
Ranked fourth in the initial Associated Press poll, the Wildcats stumbled to a 7–4 start. Villanova had fallen to 23rd in the rankings by late December before going 19–3 over the rest of the regular season. The Big East's regular-season championship went to Providence, whose .824 winning percentage beat Villanova's at .800. Wright earned his fifth Big East tournament title and second-seeded Villanova's sixth overall as they topped Creighton in the championship round. Gillespie was named the conference tournament MVP after earning Big East Player of the Year honors. For their efforts, the Wildcats were granted a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they topped #15 Delaware, #7 Ohio State, #11 Michigan, and #5 Houston to advance to the Final Four, before losing 81–65 to eventual champion Kansas. He retired following the season, with former assistantKyle Neptune succeeding him as head coach.
Assistant coaches under Wright who became NCAA or NBA head coaches:
Wright has coached, as a head coach or assistant coach, basketball teams representing theUnited States three times in international competitions. He led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2005World University Games as head coach, and was an assistant coach in the 2000 World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Tournament.[53] Wright coached the American team in the 2007Pan Am Games to a fifth-place finish, with a 3–2 record.
Wright met Villanova cheerleader Patricia (née Reilly) in 1983 while working together in the marketing department of thePhiladelphia Stars of theUnited States Football League.[54][55] She went on to attendDelaware Law School.[55] They married in 1991,[56] and together they have three children.[8] In 2016, the couple were jointly awarded the inaugural Saint Augustine Medal by the Augustinians Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, for "exemplify[ing] the spirit and teachings of Saint Augustine, a deep commitment to the Order of Saint Augustine and the Augustinian values of Truth, Unity and Charity."[57]
Their eldest child, Taylor, played college baseball forBrown between 2012 and 2015, as apitcher.[58][59] He worked for Villanova's baseball team as Operations Director,[60] before transitioning to basketball himself, becoming head coach for theEpiscopal Academy inNewtown Township, Pennsylvania.[61]
Wright has been noted for his fashion sense since his high school days: he was named best-looking and best-dressed in his senior class at Council Rock High.[12]The Philadelphia Inquirer called him "the best dressed man in college basketball,"[12] while PresidentBarack Obama described him as the "George Clooney of coaches".[62] He is a two-time winner of The Runway to the Fashionable Four, an award given byTim Capstraw to the best-dressed coach in college basketball from 1998 until 2002,[63] and won a further two when the concept was taken on byCollegeinsider.com.[64] He has had clothing deals withHugo Boss and Philadelphia-area clothier Gabriele D'Annunzio, who tailored suits for him.[12][65]
In 2022, Wright joinedCBS Sports andTNT Sports as a college basketball analyst following his retirement from coaching, serving in the role until 2025.
Final Associated Press ranking: 14
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