“If you do decide to coach the Lakers, let us know” - Shaquille O’Neal jokes as he wishes Jay Wright a lovely retirement
Villanova Wildcats legendary coach Jay Wright sent shockwaves to the basketball world on Thursday by announcing his retirement.
Wright, 60, has been one of college basketball's top coaches, leading Villanova to two national titles and four Final Four appearances. He's frequently been rumored to have connections to NBA openings. But time and time again, the Hall of Famer has said he wasn't interested.
After stepping down from Villanova, many wondered if Wright would be interested in finally making the jump to the NBA. But that idea was quickly put to bed when Wright said he had no interest.
During TNT's "Inside the NBA," Shaquille O'Neal took a moment to congratulate Wright on a great career before making one final joke.
"If you do decide to coach the Lakers, let us know," O'Neal said.
"If you do decide to coach the Lakers, let us know." 😅
@SHAQ and Chuck show love to legendary Villanova coach Jay Wright as he announces his retirement. https://t.co/ZV4fpA59YO
Villanova legend Jay Wright calls it a career
While Shaquille O'Neal and the "Inside the NBA" crew made jokes over the LA Lakers angle, it was a natural question after Jay Wright's retirement announcement.
For now, it looks as if Wright's coaching career is coming to an end. Wright spent 21 years roaming the sidelines for the Wildcats, turning Villanova into one of the country's top college basketball programs.
Breaking: Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is expected to retire after 21 seasons as head coach at Villanova.
First reported by The Athletic and confirmed by ESPN. https://t.co/xYD9VEqjln
Wright led Villanova to national championships in 2016 and 2018 and four appearances in the Final Four (2009, 2016, 2018 and this season). He also led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in 2006 and the Sweet 16 three other times. On top of that, Wright was named Naismith College coach of the year twice. He was the Associated Press' Coach of the Decade for the 2010s.
Wright is known for his ability to get the most out of his players. While the Wildcats never had big-name prospects, they got players who were relentless. Those players were the cornerstones of one of the country's toughest programs. Wright knew how to get the most out of his players.
Villanova announced that Fordham coach Kyle Neptune is the choice to succeed Wright.
Wright, who coached Hofstra for seven seasons before landing the Villanova job, finished with a 642-282 record (520-197 at Villanova). He led Hofstra to two NCAA Tournament appearances and then 16 at Villanova (with no tournament in 2020 due to the pandemic). He was also an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics.