A quiet Wednesday night turned into an absolute stunner as Hall of Fame Villanova coach Jay Wright announced his retirement, sending shockwaves through the Villanova and college basketball worlds.

“Over the past 21 seasons, I have had the opportunity to live out a professional dream as the head coach at Villanova,” Wright said in a statement. “Patty and I have been blessed to work with incredible, gifted young men who allowed us to coach them and brought us unmatched joy. We cannot overstate our gratitude to the players, coaches, and administrators who have been with us on this path. It has been an honor and a privilege to work at Villanova, especially under Father Peter and Mark Jackson.”

“Now, though, it’s time for us to enter a new era of Villanova Basketball. After 35 years in coaching, I am proud and excited to hand over the reins to a member of our basketball family, Kyle Neptune," Wright continued. "I am excited to remain a part of Villanova and look forward to working with Father Peter, Mark and the rest of the leadership team. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.”

Wright will remain connected to the university, taking on the role of Special Assistant to the President. The role will include fundraising, advising and education, among other responsibilities.

Villanova President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, and Villanova Vice President and Director of Athletics Mark Jackson: “We would like to start by expressing our immense gratitude to Jay Wright for his incredible leadership of Villanova Men’s Basketball for the past 21 years. He has led our storied program with class, humility and grace, leaving an indelible impact on this community.”

“Jay’s legacy at Villanova extends well beyond the numerous awards, accolades and championships. He will be forever known to our community as Villanova’s winningest coach, who did things the “Wright” way, guiding, developing, and empowering the student-athletes who played for him to not only be better on the basketball court but in their personal lives. Jay taught us all the true meaning of “ATTITUDE,” so, on behalf of everyone associated with Villanova Basketball, we would like to express our overwhelming “GRATITUDE” for everything he has done for Villanova.”

Wright leaves the sidelines with a 520-197 (.725) record at Villanova over 21 seasons. He lead the Wildcats to four Final Fours and two national championships. He was twice the Naismith Coach of the Year and is a six-time Big East Coach of the Year. Adding in his seven seasons at Hofstra, Wright compiled a career record of 642-282. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in September 2021.

Wright built the Villanova program into a national powerhouse and the results speak for themselves. He also established arguably the best culture in the country, and he did it all with class and humility.