Jay Wright, Council Rock Grad, Makes Basketball Hall Of Fame

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright has been named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

The two-time NCAA national champion was one of 16 honorees named to the 2021 class, alongside NBA legends like Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh and Chris Webber as well as coaching greats Rick Adelman and Bill Russell.

“When I got the call, it was stunning, it was emotional, it was humbling,” Wright told the Philadelphia Inquirer after learning of his induction.

Wright is a two-time Naismith National Coach of the Year, winning in 2006 and again in 2016, and the first coaching in NCAA history to lead a team to four consecutive 30-win seasons. He led the Villanova Wildcats to two NCAA national championships and has guided them to three Final Four tournaments. His overall coaching record is 612-274 with a 69.1 winning percentage. In 2018, he received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.

Wright was born in Churchville, Bucks County, and is a graduate of Council Rock High School North, where he played for the high school basketball team. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1983 and went on to coach for seven years at Hofstra University before moving on to Villanova.

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