Jay Wright may have shocked the basketball world last night when he announced he was retiring as the head coach at Villanova, but in retrospect, there have been some hints over the last few weeks.
At the Final Four press conference, he said “Hoops is in the house. I get to say it one last time.” Few caught it and fewer thought anything of it.
A week later, when the first weekend of the recruiting period took place, he opted not to go on the road as his assistants all went out, including three at the Nike EYBL. Again, most people didn’t think much of it, especially since it hasn’t been unprecedented in recent years, especially during his time with USA Basketball.
With the decision now made however, and Kyle Neptune returning to take the helm of the program after a year at Fordham, here are answers to five key questions.
Two main reasons, recent success and continuity with the current staff and roster. Neptune overachieved in his first season as a head coach, taking a Fordham program that went just 2-12 in 2020-21 to a 16-16 season. In so doing, he proved that he was ready to run his own program.
