WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 07: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats looks on during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Jay Wright wanted to address rumors about how he could leave to coach the 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers have yet to see playoff success after undertaking a massive rebuilding process. Brett Brown took over as head coach in 2013 and finally got the team into the postseason in 2018. The conference semifinals were as far as he ever got and a first-round exit in 2020 got him fired.
That has 76ers fans going through a long list of potential replacements. One fun name was that of Villanova head coach Jay Wright. He has been coaching in the Philly area since 2001 and has won two national championships with the program. The rumors were real until Wright released a statement on Twitter saying he’s not a candidate and is happy to be at Villanova.
Jay Wright is staying at Villanova after having his name mentioned in connection with the vacant Philadelphia 76ers job
There is no reason for Wright to leave unless he has secretly dreamed of being an NBA coach all this time. He has made Villanova an elite program and has only missed the NCAA Tournament four times since showing up in 2001.
He has an established pipeline for recruiting and has made Villanova a powerhouse. Leaving to join the 76ers would put him at a disadvantage from the start. He also has no NBA experience.
The search continues for the 76ers and the team should be able to draw in some notable candidates such as Tyronn Lue, Kenny Atkinson, and Jason Kidd. All of those individuals have NBA experience and won’t need time to adjust to the differences between the college and pro game.
Wright has a dream job and is smart to stick with it at the age of 58. He has no need to take on the drama within the 76ers organization and it would take a severe downward turn at Villanova for his job to ever be in question. A new 76ers coach failing to advance in the playoffs early on could lead to a lot of turnover with that position in the near future.