Mike Krzyzewski isn't the only college basketball legend who coached his last game during the 2022 Final Four. In a shocking move, longtime Villanova head coach Jay Wright announced his retirement on Wednesday, less than a month after completing his 21st season in the role. The school confirmed the rumors of Wright's exit in a statement, and also shared that former longtime assistant and current Fordham coach Kyle Neptune has been named the successor.
Wright, who turned 60 in December, helped transform the Wildcats into a true Big East powerhouse across two-plus decades. He compiled a laudable 520-197 record as their leader, capturing two national championships (2016, 2018) and reaching four Final Fours. Wright had been solicited for several NBA jobs over the years, and never seriously considered leaving the school. But could he pursue the pros, or any other level, if the itch to return is strong enough?
"I take Jay at his word. When he says he's retired and when people close to him say that he has no intention of coaching basketball again, I believe that he believes that today," CBS Sports college columnist Gary Parrish explained to Maggie and Perloff on Thursday. "I mean, there's a long list of people who, after they retire, recognize that they get bored pretty quickly.
"The cliche people say all the time is, life's short, so you enjoy every moment. I subscribe to that... But what's also true is, the days are long. And when you don't have something to do, every single day, you can get bored real quickly. So, I'd never rule out the possibility of Jay Wright coaching again. Although I do believe that, in this moment, he genuinely believes he'll not."
The entire Villanova conversation between Parrish and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above (interview begins at 3:40 ET mark).
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.