A Jersey G[uy: Wright's retirement a sign of the times
The announcement stunned some people, surprised others.
It shouldn't have.
When Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright made the announcement on Tuesday that he was retiring at the age of 60, college basketball lost one of its superstar head coaches.
The void created by the retirement of North Carolina's Roy Williams last season and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski this season and now Wright, whose credentials at Villanova included two national championships and two other Final Four appearances in a 21-season run, is enormous.
College basketball has reached a cross roads.
With NIL (Name, Image and Licensing) issues and a transfer portal where there are no clear cut rules as well as an absence in direction from the NCAA or even many conferences, college basketball coaches are facing their own moment of truth.
Yes, at the top levels, the compensation is enticing, but so is the aggravation about dealing with a chaotic system which shows no signs of settling down any time soon.
"It's crazy,'' said Northeastern basketball coach Bill Cohen who has had to deal with transfer portal issues in keeping any talent he nurtures from catching the first transfer bus out of town. "Between the transfer portal, NIL and Covid issues, everyone is exhausted.''
Wright walked away from college basketball at the top of his game. His career accomplishments are worthy of Hall of Fame honors. He has nothing more to prove.
He could spend the next few years transitioning into a career in television, or he could take one of the always present NBA offers--the Los Angeles Lakers could be an option.
Or he could simply spend more time with his family and actually retire.
What also seems clear is that Jay Wright will NOT return to college basketball coaching for a variety of reasons.
What is less clear is how college basketball will fix what is broken with a system that is far different than one which was in place as recently as 10 years ago.
I remember one conversation I had with legendary coach Dean Smith about what his perfect job description would be.
"Just go out to a small Division 3 school and not worry about recruiting or any other major things, just blow my whistle and coach,'' said Smith with a far away smile on his face.