Wednesday night’s win over Butler was more than just another win for Villanova. The victory was the 600th of Jay Wright’s career, an impressive milestone that further cements his place among the best of his profession. Naturally, Wright wasn’t interested in throwing himself a party or patting himself on the back. Instead, he took every opportunity to give credit to others and express gratitude for his situation.

“It just means that I know I have a really good job and I know that every coach here has won a lot of games,” Wright said.

In fact, Wright said he wasn’t even aware of the approaching accomplishment. He did share a funny story about finding out. “I had no idea,” Wright said. “Our president, Father Peter, came up to me after the game and said, ‘I was watching the game at home on TV and they said it was your 600th so I thought I should get down there.’” Father Peter ventured out into the snowy night to make his way to the Pavilion to be there for the moment.

Interestingly, the anecdote serves to further the point Wright was trying to make regarding his accomplishment being as much about circumstance as it is about anything he has done. “I really feel like I’m lucky to be the coach at Villanova,” Wright said. “I look back at the history, everybody that’s been here has won. I have a great job. You get great assistants that want to work here, you get great support from your president, your athletic director.” The president venturing out into a snowstorm to be present for a milestone moment certainly illustrates some of the support Wright is alluding to.

Wright said he wasn’t aware of the situation, and neither were the players. They were treating it like every other game. “I actually just found out, he didn’t mention it at all, but then I found out from a few of our grad assistants,” Collin Gillespie said. “Nobody said anything. That just speaks to who coach Wright is. He’s a humble guy, he’s hungry for more and that’s what he preaches to us, always be humble and hungry and always keep striving for more and to grow and learn.”

Gillespie may have hit on something that helps explain just how Wright has been so successful: he practices what he preaches. One of the special things about Villanova, and one of the things that has played such an integral role in Villanova’s success, is the culture Wright has built. It’s much easier to teach that culture and instill it in the players by living it, being the example of it. The players are also more likely to buy into what a coach is saying if they see him or her doing those very things on a daily basis.

Jermaine Samuels wasn’t surprised that there was no mention of the looming accomplishment or no special ceremonies or celebrations after the game. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Samuels said. “That’s just the way we do things at Villanova.”

Both Gillespie and Samuels had high praise for their coach.

“I’m really grateful and fortunate to be able to put on a Villanova jersey,” Samuels said. “A lot people don’t see what goes on in the background, how hard coach works, how much time and effort coach puts into each and every one of us on daily basis to make sure that we’re put in the most successful situations. I’m just really grateful to be a part of it.” Gillespie added: “He’s a special coach, really one of the main reasons why I chose Villanova, just because of how he is as a coach. He’s not just coaching you on the floor but he’s coaching you in life. He’s a great person, he teaches you about life, how to become a man, how to hold yourself accountable for certain things, and then he’s one of the best coaches in the country. He knows everything about the game, the ins and outs, defense and offense, end of game situations. It’s been really good to have him as a mentor for the past four years, learning everything that I can."

Wright’s resume is beyond impressive and would seem to have him destined for the Hall of Fame. 600 wins (478 at Villanova), two national championships, a third Final Four, two National Coach of the Year Awards, six Big East Coach of the Year Awards, nine Big East regular season titles, six Big East Tournament titles and a 28-14 record in the NCAA Tournament. And he’s still adding to it.

Still, he insists on making this moment about the people, and place, around him. “I got a great job,” Wright said. “Being the coach at Villanova you’re gonna win a lot of games. Everything here is set. You get great players; assistant coaches want to work here. That’s really what I think about it, I really do. How lucky I am, blessed I am, to coach here.”

Wright is known as one of the classiest coaches in all of college basketball. After games, wins or losses, he routinely tweets out congratulations and compliments to his opponents. His players carry themselves extremely well, not only while members of the program but in whatever it is they move on to after their time at Villanova. Wright has truly built a program that is family, one where the collective is more important than the individual. Wednesday night was just another example of Wright practicing the values that he preaches to his team.

“I’m fortunate enough to have this job,” Wright said.