Former Villanova coach Jay Wright reportedly won’t be in the mix for the New York Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy.
Hoops HQ’s Seth Davis, who also works with Wright for CBS Sports, said on social media that Wright told the Knicks that he was not interested in the position and wants to remain retired. Wright, who is close with Knicks president Leon Rose, said he discussed the job with Rose briefly but was never formally asked to interview, according to Davis.
Wright, 63, spent more than 20 years at Villanova before retiring in 2022 to become an analyst for CBS and TNT. The Knicks have strong ties to the school and Wright; Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson are former Wildcats previously coached by Wright.
Hart reacted to the news on X, joking that his former coach should “stay retired.”
New York fired Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday in a surprise move after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
The Knicks have considered Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd for the job, among other head coaching candidates, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon previously reported.