Q&A: Jay Wright talks about life after coaching, watching the ‘Nova Knicks, and more
The Hall of Famer sat down with The Inquirer to talk about "the freedom of responsibility," watching his former players, and other topics. This is the first of two parts.
Jay Wright laughed when asked if he’s getting sick of the question. He knows the one. You know the one.
When are you going to coach again?
He gets it quite often and understands why it’s asked.
Wright, 62, retired in April 2022, fresh off his fourth Final Four, after winning two national championships and compiling a 520-197 record in 21 seasons as men’s head basketball coach at Villanova. He has said multiple times that he’s done.
“I get it,” Wright reiterated recently. “I do know, in my mind, I do not think I’ll coach again. I’m so sure about it.
“One of the things I’ve learned in life, especially now that I’m out of coaching, is you never know. Right now, in my mind, I’m convinced that I’m done coaching.”
So what’s life after coaching been like?
The Inquirer sat down with Wright before Villanova’s 85-80 loss to Marquette last week to talk about Wright’s post-basketball career, watching his former players, the “freedom of responsibility,” and more.
This is the first installment of a two-part Q&A with Wright. Part two — on the dedication of Wright Way and Wright’s role at the university and with the basketball program — is coming Wednesday.
(Editor’s note: The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.)
Q: There was a moment last year, the team was finishing off a close loss at Creighton, and around the same time the buzzer was sounding, you tweeted out a birthday message to [1985 national champion] Dwayne McLain. It felt like Exhibit A in this guy is no longer hanging on every moment of a basketball season, it must feel so freeing. Do you feel that way and have you been surprised by that feeling?
A: It’s a freedom of responsibility. I took so much pride in being in charge of this great tradition, knowing that it wasn’t mine, it belonged to the Villanova community, and I was just in charge of it for a period of time. We did the best we could with it. I was proud of what we did. But that responsibility was all-consuming — and I loved every minute of it.
It is freeing not having that responsibility and being able to be a fan.
» READ MORE: In a must-win spot, Villanova rolled past Providence and might have saved its season
Q: It’s different, right?
A: It’s enjoyable going to pregame [events] at Fleming’s [steak house] with a bunch of Villanova alums and having fun and joking around before the game and not having the pressure of, ‘How are we going to guard Marquette?’ It’s really enjoyable. Honestly, the games are tougher to watch than I thought it would be. I still enjoy it, but it’s hard. You just want to help, and I know there’s no way I can right now. It’s a really interesting spot to be in because you still feel great pride in the place, but you feel like you’re not the one responsible.
Q: What was coaching getting in the way of that you didn’t realize until you left?
A: Really every aspect of my life … and not in a bad way. I loved every second of it. I just didn’t … it’s all I’ve ever done, so I didn’t know anything else. Just a simple thing like I’d be sitting in Mass and the priest would be saying a homily and I would be texting Collin Gillespie about something I heard [the priest] say in the homily. Everything in my life was, ‘How does this affect our team? How can this help our team?’ I didn’t realize that it was every aspect of my life until I got away from it. If I was on the beach and a thought came to my mind, I’d text one of my players or one of my recruits. Now, it still comes to my mind, but I can let it go.
Q: Was that a “hide the phone from Patty while texting in church”?
A: Sometimes. But in church she’d grab it from me. There were definitely certain times at home where I was trying to hide it and she’d be like, ‘Let’s put the phone down for like an hour. Let’s just be here.’ Experiencing that now, I get it. She was probably right and we probably could have had the same results if I would do that, but I just didn’t know any other way at the time.
Q: Now you’re bingeing TV shows and just doing normal things …
A: Just doing normal things, like being able to watch a movie, and being able to watch games, watch our NBA guys. I would be watching film all the time. I watch a lot of other games now for CBS, because when you go in and do studio you’ve kind of got to know everybody. I’m really enjoying seeing what other coaches do. I just did Iowa State-Kansas and watched [Iowa State coach] TJ Otzelberger run a practice, I never saw that before.
Q: Has your position with CBS been more fun than you imagined?
A: It’s been really eye-opening about the business and also seeing other venues and other coaches. When we played at venues, I purposely didn’t look at anything. We had a term, 94 by 50 feet. We wanted to concentrate within the lines. So I purposely wouldn’t look at anything else. I just kept my concentration. I didn’t look around at the campus. I didn’t look around at the building, see the fans outside, or go in the gym early. I never watched warm-ups. All of that has been pretty enlightening.
I think seeing how a guy like Bill Raftery prepares, how Ian Eagle prepares, working in the studio with Seth Davis and Clark Kellogg to see their experience — they’ve been doing it for 20-some years — to see how good they are. I didn’t even pay attention to that when I was coaching. I purposely didn’t want to hear what those guys said and I purposely didn’t listen. Now I’m so in tune to everything they say and how they do it. I’ve learned so much from those guys.
» READ MORE: From 2023: Jay Wright is becoming the TV face of college hoops. He’d be nuts to coach again.
Q: Are you watching more Knicks games than you ever have in your life?
A: Yes. Those guys, they still, Jalen [Brunson] especially, bust my chops about not being up there for games. I tell them, I’m still working. I still have to be around here. I want to be at Villanova games and on weekends I’m doing CBS. I hope they’re joking when they bust my chops about not being up there. But I would never see any of their games when I was coaching.
I’m able to stay in touch with those guys more. I’ve been talking to Kyle [Lowry] a lot recently since the trade. When I was coaching, if there was a big issue I’d get a hold of them, but I was so busy taking care of our own guys and they knew it. Now I do communicate with those guys more.
Q: Do you feel like a proud basketball dad in some ways?
A: I really do, and most importantly, and this is all I talk to them about … how they conduct themselves and how they handle themselves as teammates, as professionals. I can joke with Mikal [Bridges] about too much celebration on his three-pointers, but that’s about as far as I go with the basketball. They’re still respectful. Josh Hart, of course, comes up with the craziest responses. They’re all still humble enough that they like the guidance, they like the mentorship. Or at least they’re respectful enough to respond to me like they do.
Q: You are still a basketball dad, with Taylor coaching at Episcopal. I’m guessing there’s more time now to catch his games and practices. Are you more hands-on there, or do you let him come to you with help or advice when he wants it?
A: Same thing. He’ll hit me if he has a question. Last year, over Thanksgiving, I went to a practice and I said I was just going to watch a practice. He said, ‘Would you put in and help us work on press offense?’ I got out on the court and took over the whole practice and I made the JV guys stay extra and [Taylor] is like, ‘Dad this is high school. Their parents are sitting out in the parking lot picking them up. They got to go.’ And I realized, like, I can’t do this. Of course my other son was there, and he told my wife when we got home and she yelled at me.
I go to watch games. I don’t go to practices. We have a lot of similar philosophies, so he’ll ask me or call me or stop by after games and that’s fun. That’s a lot of fun.
» READ MORE: Taylor Wright leads Episcopal Academy the way his father led Villanova: Through ‘attitude’
Q: So how long until Jay Wright, assistant high school basketball coach, becomes a thing?
A: That could be down the road.
Q: Like you’re on the end of the bench …
A: Like 10 years from now … maybe not even sitting on the bench, but showing up for practice. I did love it, that one day at practice. But I could tell I was way out of line and when he told me about the parents sitting out in the parking lot for the JV kids I was like, that’s too much.