Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright is retiring. Kyle Neptune is replacing him

In a shocking shift, Corridor of Fame coach Jay Wright is retiring as the most prosperous men’s basketball mentor in Villanova background.

The school sent out a release Wednesday night time confirming the preliminary report by The Athletic and declaring Wright would turn out to be special assistant to the Villanova president.

The 60-calendar year-outdated Wright guided the Wildcats to NCAA championships in 2016 and ’18, compiling a 520-197 file (244-123 in the Major East Meeting) in the course of his 21 many years at ‘Nova. He took Villanova to the Last 4 this calendar year just before shedding to eventual winner Kansas.

“In excess of the previous 21 seasons, I have experienced the prospect to reside out a expert aspiration as the head mentor at Villanova,” said Wright in the information release. “(Spouse) Patty and I have been blessed to perform with extraordinary, gifted youthful men who authorized us to mentor them and introduced us unmatched joy.”

Fordham mentor Kyle Neptune will succeed the common Wright. Neptune left Wright’s staff members soon after 8 several years as an assistant, to just take the Fordham career in March 2021. He went 16-16 throughout his lone year at Fordham. Neptune, 37, played his university ball at Lehigh.

“Following 35 yrs in coaching, I am proud and fired up to hand above the reins to a member of our basketball loved ones, Kyle Neptune,” Wright claimed.

Neptune and Wright are scheduled to fulfill the media Friday early morning. Wright supposedly advised his gamers the news all through a group conference Wednesday night time.

Wright, a 1979 Council Rock Large College graduate, was part of the 2021 induction course to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame after serving as an assistant on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team that won the gold medal in Tokyo.

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Villanova has either received the Big East regular season title or meeting tournament in each of the previous 9 years. The Wildcats went 263-53 during that span, which include an unbelievable 136-16 from 2014-18. He was selected the Involved Push men’s higher education basketball mentor of the decade for the 2010s.

Story carries on

Wright, a previous Villanova assistant, became the Wildcats’ head coach in 2001-02 just after 7 many years as mentor at Hofstra. He tended to go with a few-guard lineups and undersized large adult males, emphasized 3-position capturing and preached playing Villanova basketball. That intended defending, hustling, sharing the ball and supporting your teammates.

Wright was really revered by other higher education coaches for the way he handled himself and was eager to share his philosophies with others, primarily younger coaches.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes @TomMoorePhilly

This report at first appeared on Bucks County Courier Occasions: Villanova basketball mentor Jay Wright retires