Jay Wright retires after 38 seasons of coaching

Villanova bench boss Jay Wright announced his retirement Wednesday after 38 seasons of coaching.

The Wildcats later named Fordham head coach Kyle Neptune as the Hall of Famer's replacement.

"Over the past 21 seasons, I have had the opportunity to live out a professional dream as the head coach at Villanova," Wright said in a statement. "(My wife) and I have been blessed to work with incredible, gifted young men who allowed us to coach them and brought us unmatched joy.

"We cannot overstate our gratitude to the players, coaches, and administrators who have been with us on this path."

Wright had been privately weighing the decision for months, Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reports.

The 60-year-old has reportedly called an impromptu meeting with his team tonight, per Norlander, who adds that Wright has no intention of coaching in the NBA.

Wright is coming off one of his strongest campaigns, guiding Villanova to a 30-8 mark and the fourth Final Four appearance of his 21-year tenure. He won two national championships, five Big East Tournament crowns, and eight Big East regular-season titles with the Wildcats.

Wright registered just two losing seasons during his time at Villanova. The two-time Naismith Coach of the Year previously spent seven seasons at Hofstra, winning a pair of America East Tournament titles.

He also had stints as an assistant with Rochester, Drexel, UNLV, and Villanova. Wright was on Wildcats legend Rollie Massimino's staff from 1987-92.

Wright's 642 career victories rank 34th on the all-time wins list.

Meanwhile, Neptune began his coaching career under Wright in 2008 as a video coordinator. He spent two years in that role before joining Niagara as an assistant.

Neptune rejoined Wright's staff three years later and remained there until taking Fordham's head coaching gig last season. The 37-year-old went 16-16 in his lone season at the helm for the Rams.

"When looking for a successor, we wanted a candidate who could navigate the changing landscape of collegiate athletics and keep Villanova in a position of strength - now and in the future," Villanova vice president and director of athletics Mark Jackson said in a statement. "After meeting with several exceptional candidates, we found all those attributes and more in Kyle Neptune.

"Kyle quickly stood out for his basketball knowledge, recruiting savvy, and natural ability to connect with student-athletes and coaches."