It was only a question of when, not if, for Jay Wright and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
With two of the last five NCAA championships already under his belt, it was inevitable that the Villanova mens basketball coach would one day get the call that changed his life.
That call came on Wednesday.
When I got the call, it was stunning, it was emotional, it was humbling, Wright said Sunday night after returning from Springfield, Mass., the site of the Hall of Fame.
Patty [his wife] and I went up Saturday and they kind of hid us away during the [2020 enshrinement] ceremony in a box with our other classmates. So we got to watch that. It was pretty cool being a part with all those guys. Then [Sunday] with the announcement, its pretty overwhelming.
Wright, 59, becomes the eighth active mens basketball coach inducted, joining Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Jim Calhoun (Saint Joseph/UConn), John Calipari (Kentucky, Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Rick Pitino (Iona) and Bill Self (Kansas). Recently retired North Carolina coach Roy Williams is also in the Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2021 also features: the ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith and seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.
Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman and legendary scout Howard Garf Garfinkel were also among those inducted.
The Class of 2021 Enshrinement festivities will begin at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 10 with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2021 and returning Hall of Famers will then journey to Springfield, Mass. for the annual celebratory events taking place at the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center on September 11.
Wright said it was kind of stunning just to be mentioned as a finalist in March, adding, I definitely do not feel like a Hall of Famer.
Im not sure what thats supposed to feel like, to be honest with you, he said. But I think its overwhelming being there today and just sitting in a room with Kevin Garnett and Bill Russell and Chris Webber and Chris Bosh and Paul Pierce and Val Ackerman. Youre overwhelmed.
Wright led the Wildcats to the NCAA championships in 2016 (over North Carolina courtesy of The Shot by Kris Jenkins) and 2018 (over Michigan). He has led Villanova to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, and went twice more during his tenure at Hofstra from 1994-2001.
Since 2013, he has guided Villanova to seven Big East regular-season titles, seven November non-conference crowns, four Big East Tournament championships and two NCAA titles.
Seton Halls Kevin Willard has called Wright the best coach in mens college basketball today.
I cant say enough nice things about Jay or how much I respect him as a coach, as a person, Willard told NJ Advance Media this past season. He really is the reason why the league is back to where it is, not only from a win-loss standpoint but from a leadership standpoint. He really took it when the league re-branded itself to make sure that we were all on the same page so [Im] just thankful for his friendship. Hes just a tremendous coach, a tremendous person.
Villanova currently has eight players in the NBA, none of whom were a pure one-and-done at the school, which is a testament to the ability of Wright and his staff to develop pro players. A ninth, sophomore forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, is expected to be drafted in July.
We are so blessed at Villanova to get those kind of players and student-athletes, Wright said earlier Sunday in an interview with ESPN. The whole culture at Villanova the campus, the community, the history, the basketball tradition, how everybody stays in touch with each other.
The players come in and they have great respect for the former players. They play for those who came before them. They come in to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Were so lucky to have those guys and be able to coach them, and its really because of the history and the tradition of Villanova basketball.
