Report: Jay Wright not interested in Knicks job, plans to remain retired

Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright intends to stay retired and not coach the New York Knicks, per Seth Davis. There was speculation Wright could return to coaching given the connection to some of his former players in New York.

“BREAKING: Jay Wright has confirmed to me that he has informed the Knicks that he is not interested in any coaching position and plans to remain retired,” Davis wrote on Twitter. Wright has not coached since 2022.

Now, the Knicks will have to look elsewhere to replace Tom Thibodeau. New York just lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals last week, getting one round further than 2024.

From 2001-22, Wright went 520-197 at Villanova and won national championships in 2016 and ‘18. During his final season, Villanova went 30-8, won the Big East and made it to the Final Four as a great sendoff for Wright. It didn’t end in a national title, but it was a highly successful season.

Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take recently shared a clip from a previous interview with Wright. It has since gone viral since Wright “admitted” he would coach the Knicks if he went to the NBA.

Wright is 642-197 overall with Vilanova and his first stop at Hofstra between the years of 1994-2022. There’s no guarantee Wright could win an NBA title, but it’d be hard to imagine him not doing a good job in the NBA.

The Knicks improved in nearly every season under Thibodeau’s watch. New York made the playoffs in four of his five seasons on the sideline, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals this season for the first time since 2000. The Knicks were two victories away from advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Thibodeau led New York to consecutive 50-plus win seasons, something the team had not done since the 90s. His Knicks tenure ends with a 226-174 record and a 2021 NBA Coach of the Year nod.