Former Villanova coach Jay Wright not interested in Knicks head coach job
Jay Wright will not be the next head coach of the New York Knicks. The former Villanova men's basketball head coach has informed the Knicks that he's not interested in succeeding Tom Thibodeau and will remain retired, he told Sports Illustrated.
Wright added in his comments to Sports Illustrated that he and Knicks president Leon Rose briefly discussed the position. Even though he and Rose are good friends, Wright reiterated his plans to remain retired as he never asked to interview for the vacancy.
In the moments after Thibodeau was fired, Wright was immediately viewed as a top candidate to replace him. He coached three of the Knicks' top players in college, winning multiple national championships with guard Jalen Brunson and forward Mikal Bridges. He also won a national title coaching wing Josh Hart.
However, some insiders viewed the Knicks' chances at obtaining the two-time national championship-winning head coach as a bit of a long shot.
"Jay Wright is enjoying red wine, basketball, television and his family," FOX Sports college basketball expert John Fanta recently said on "The Herd." "If he wanted to coach again, he'd be the Villanova coach.
"Jay Wright is not going anywhere."
Wright, 63, announced his retirement from Villanova after leading the Wildcats to the Final Four in 2022. That marked his fourth Final Four trip as Villanova's head coach, winning eight Big East regular-season titles and five Big East Tournament titles to go with his two national championship victories.
Wright is one of multiple coaches with Big East ties who have said they don't plan to pursue the Knicks' head coach gig. St. John's coach Rick Pitino, who coached the Knicks for two seasons in the late 1980s, said he was "absolutely not" interested in becoming New York's next head coach. UConn's Dan Hurley, meanwhile, sidestepped a question about his possible interest in the job.
In addition to those three, a pair of other rumored Knicks candidates seem unlikely to interview for the job. New York has reportedly expressed interest in Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. But after capturing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference during the 2024-25 season, the Rockets aren't interested in letting the Knicks potentially negotiate a deal and trade involving Udoka, per The Athletic .
As for Kidd, the Knicks reportedly planned to ask the Mavericks for permission to interview their head coach. However, the Mavericks are expected to turn down any request the Knicks make to interview Kidd, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported Saturday.
Beyond those five candidates, former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and current Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant have been viewed as possibilities for the Knicks' head coach job. Bryant is the current betting favorite for the job, while Malone has the second-best odds, via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Bryant, who was the Knicks' associate head coach from 2020-24, was one of the finalists for the Phoenix Suns' head coach vacancy, but they named fellow Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their next head coach on Friday. Malone, who grew up near Madison Square Garden in Queens, was fired by the Nuggets with less than a week to go in the regular season.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily !
recommended
Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
Chaney Johnson inks deal with Cleveland Cavaliers, becomes fourth Tiger to join the NBA
Johnson becomes the fourth member of the Final Four squad to land an NBA deal. Another member of Auburn's Final Four squad has signed an NBA contract. Chaney Johnson, who was known for being a stellar support for Johni Broome during his time at Auburn, has landed a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Johnson signed an "Exhibit 10" deal with the Cavaliers, meaning that Johnson will make the minimum salary on a one-year contract and will have the chance to earn a roster spot during training camp and the NBA Summer League. Johnson started in just five of the 73 games he played in two years at Auburn, but his impact goes greater than his bench role. Johnson averaged 7.0 points during his time in Auburn, shooting 54% with 4.2 boards per contest. He took a giant step forward last season by scoring 9.1 points and securing 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 56% from the field. His energy and production ensured that Auburn never skipped a beat once star forward Johni Broome exited the floor. Johnson joins Johni Broome, Miles Kelly, and Dylan Cardwell by signing NBA deals this week. Broome was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, while Kelly and Cardwell signed two-way contracts with the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, respectively. The only downside to Johnson signing with Cleveland, however, is that he misses out on being teammates with former Tiger Isaac Okoro. Okoro was traded Saturday to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Lonzo Ball. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Knicks Under Fire Over Head Coach Search After Jason Kidd Update
Knicks Under Fire Over Head Coach Search After Jason Kidd Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks are on the receiving end of criticism following the surprise firing of Tom Thibodeau. The veteran head coach left the team after five seasons, posting a 226-174 record (24-23 in the playoffs) and leading it to back-to-back 50-plus-win seasons. Advertisement Thibodeau took the team back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years, but the Indiana Pacers stopped their remarkable run with a 4-2 win. A couple of days later, the two-time Coach of the Year award recipient was dismissed. The team started looking for a replacement shortly after, and the front office reportedly focused on several coaches already employed around the league. Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Wednesday that the Knicks' request to interview Jason Kidd, currently with the Dallas Mavericks, was strongly denied. They additionally reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets to ask permission to interview Chris Finch and Ime Udoka, respectively, but their attempts weren't fruitful, either. Former New York Knicks head coach Tom ThibodeauVincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The latest update on Kidd raised several eyebrows on social media. Many fans criticized the team for firing Thibodeau without apparently having a clear plan to find his replacement. Advertisement "knicks don't know what the hell they doin," one fan wrote. "So they fired Thibs with essentially no plan…" another fan said. "Sounds like they really thought this out," a third fan sarcastically said. "This is a bad look on Dolan and Leon Rose…" a fourth fan added. "From an optics perspective, it makes @nyknicks look like a joke. Patently, no firm plan for any one candidate & no proper contingencies in place," a fifth fan wrote. "Knicks strategy is reaching out to teams current head coaches," a sixth fan said. There are still good coaches like Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins unemployed out there, but the Knicks' front office has taken a different route. The offseason just started for them, and perhaps new opportunities will come, but fans aren't happy with their current approach. Advertisement New York has a solid team that showed it can contend, but if it fails to find the right piece to coach it, the disappointment will continue. Related: Knicks President Issues Statement on Tom Thibodeau's Firing This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fans Link Knicks Player's Cryptic Post to Lonzo Ball Trade
Fans Link Knicks Player's Cryptic Post to Lonzo Ball Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Josh Hart sparked a lot of reactions with a cryptic message on social media. The New York Knicks could have a busy offseason, again, following an Eastern Conference finals elimination against the Indiana Pacers. Advertisement They selected Mohamed Diawara with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before signing Dink Pate out of the Mexico City Capitanes, adding two young faces to the team. New York is still looking for a new head coach, while free agency opens, but they have been mentioned in multiple trade rumors. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat the Knicks in their regular-season series (4-0), landed a solid guard on Saturday. Lonzo Ball is heading to Cleveland after the 2016 NBA champions sent Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls. Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) brings the ball up court against the Los Angeles Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Shortly after the trade was reported, Hart took to X and sent a cryptic message, criticizing unknown people. This message made a lot of fans think that he was referring to the Ball trade. The majority of comments suggested he was talking about Bulls' general manager Arturas Karnisovas, while others thought he was taking a jab at Leon Rose, the Knicks' GM. Advertisement "word, LONZO SHOUDVE BEEN A KNICK," one fan said. "Bro talkin bout Leon lmao," another fan said. "Bulls front office," a third fan said. "Bros talking about the Bulls GM," a fourth fan added. "Traded bro for peanuts lol," a fifth fan wrote. "Tell Leon to wake up big bro!" a sixth fan said. Having a solid player such as Ball is a notable improvement for the Cavaliers. He has a high basketball IQ and can impact the game on both ends. The Knicks can make some moves this offseason to take their game to the next level. Related: Knicks Under Fire Over Head Coach Search After Jason Kidd Update This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
