Jay Wright

Jerold Taylor "Jay" Wright Jr. (born December 24, 1961) is an American former college basketball coach.

With the tournament victory, Hofstra secured a berth in the NCAA tournament, for the school's first appearance since 1977.

He graduated from Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1983, where he played on the basketball team and became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Upon graduating from college, Wright got his first job as an assistant coach at Division III University of Rochester.

In 1986, he got his first position in Division I college basketball as an assistant coach at Drexel University.

In 1987, Wright returned to the institution he grew up rooting for an assistant at Villanova under Hall of Fame coach Rollie Massimino.

He'd coach at Villanova for five years, before following Massimino for a stint as an assistant at UNLV.

His next job came as an assistant to Rollie Massimino at Villanova, where he remained from 1987 to 1992.

But with Hofstra's first 20-win since 1991–92, they secured a bid to the 1999 National Invitation Tournament, the school's first ever appearance in the tournament, and their first postseason appearance in 22 years.

The Dutchmen ultimately lost in the first round to Rutgers, 58–45.

A first conference title arrived the following season – Hofstra both topped the regular season standings outright and won the conference tournament, after securing victories over Boston University, Drexel, and two-time defending champions Delaware.

In 1992, he moved with Massimino to UNLV, where he remained until 1994.

Wright would find his first head coaching at Hofstra University (1994–2001), leading the program to NCAA tournament appearances in both 2000 and 2001.

Wright was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2021 class.

Wright is a graduate of Council Rock High School North in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

In 1994, Wright was named head coach at Hofstra University, which had struggled through most of the 1980s and early '90s, with only one season of 20 or more wins since 1980, and no NCAA tournament appearances since 1977.

Hofstra's athletic director Jim Garvey remarked that Wright was "an outstanding recruiter," something the school was in need of improving.

His hiring coincided with Hofstra's move to the North Atlantic Conference.

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 over Maine in the conference tournament.

Come the 1997–98 season, the Flying Dutchmen secured their first winning season for 12 years.

With a roster featuring future NBA players Speedy Claxton and Norm Richardson, Hofstra defeated Hartford to reach the semi-finals of the now-renamed America East tournament, before losing to eventual tournament champions Delaware, to finish the year with a 19–12 record.

Claxton was named the America East Conference Player of the Year, having finished first in the conference and seventh in the country for assists per game and led Hofstra in points per game.

The 1998–99 season saw a third-place finish in the conference, and another semi-final AEC tournament exit, this time at the hands of Drexel.

Under Wright, the program slowly and steadily improved, and by 1999 the Pride were a premier team in the America East Conference.

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 from Tennessee and Rutgers for their head coaching roles, Wright instead chose to return to Villanova, becoming the eighth coach in the 81-year history of the program.

Wright inherited a mediocre team from previous coach Steve Lappas, and in Wright's first season, they made the NIT.

They won the conference championship in 2000 and 2001, and from 1999 to 2001, went 72–22, including two NCAA tournament appearances.

He served as the head coach of Villanova University from 2001 until 2022.

Wright led the Villanova Wildcats to six Big East Conference championships and 16 NCAA tournament appearances in 21 seasons as head coach.

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.

Under Wright, Villanova reached four Final Fours (2009, 2016, 2018, 2022) and won two national championships in 2016 and 2018.

Wright is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in NCAA history.

Beginning as a four-year player at Bucknell University, he quickly moved to coaching as an assistant at the University of Rochester and then Drexel University.

Handed a 14th-seed, the Dutchmen were matched up against the 3rd-seed Oklahoma State Cowboys, who were ranked 14th in the nation in the AP Poll, but were unable to provide an upset, losing 86–66.

Having broken the school record for victories in a season with 24, 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.

Losings 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.