Sources - Villanova's Jay Wright expected to retire as head coach; Kyle Neptune likely to take over

Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is expected to retire after 21 seasons as head men's basketball coach at Villanova, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Fordham's Kyle Neptune, who spent 10 years under Wright as a video coordinator and assistant coach, is expected to be named his successor, sources said.

Wright has called a team meeting for Wednesday night, according to sources.

Wright, 60, has been the head coach at Villanova since 2001. He won two national championships, in 2016 and 2018, and made four Final Four appearances, including one this past season. He was named Naismith Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2016, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Wright has been solicited for several NBA jobs through the years, but sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Wright's intention is to retire from coaching, not only Villanova. Wright enjoyed his experience coaching Team USA under Gregg Popovich in recent years, but becoming an NBA head coach has held increasingly less appeal with him, sources said. He listened to overtures but never seriously considered leaving Villanova for any of them.

Wright started to share with close friends on Tuesday night that he was eager to move on to the next phase of his life without coaching, according to sources.

«He's fully at peace with the decision,» a source close to Wright told ESPN on Wednesday night.

Neptune, Wright's expected successor, has been the head coach at Fordham for one season. He led the Rams to a 16-16 campaign, a 14-win improvement on their 2020-21 season.

The news of Wright's expected retirement, which was first reported by The Athletic, sent shock waves through the college basketball world, where Wright is among the most respected coaches. With the recent