TCU basketball’s Jamie Dixon surprised by Jay Wright’s sudden retirement
Like most in the college basketball world, TCU basketball coach Jamie Dixon was caught off guard Wednesday night when news broke that Villanova coach Jay Wright would retire.
Wright, 60, is regarded as one of the game’s top coaches with two national championships and just led the Wildcats to a Final Four appearance. The sport saw two coaches end their careers following the Final Four this season (Wright and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski).
“Just surprised,” Dixon said. “I’m happy for him. This is what he wants to do. Unbelievable run he’s had at Villanova. From what I’ve read, I know he’s going to stay around campus. I don’t know if ‘work’ is the right word but he’ll be involved. I remember conversations with him saying he always wanted to be at Villanova. His wife went there and that’s their home.”
Dixon had plenty of memorable games opposite Wright when he coached at Pittsburgh. Pitt and Villanova were Big East foes for the first 10 years of Dixon’s tenure at Pitt. Dixon went 10-5 in the 15 matchups over the years.
A victory that stands out for Dixon is when Pitt knocked off Villanova 59-45 in the 2003-04 regular-season finale as the Panthers clinched the Big East regular-season title in Dixon’s first season. Another memorable game happened in the 2009 NCAA Tournament when Villanova won a thriller 78-76 in the second round and went on to reach the Final Four.
At the end of the day, Dixon is happy to see Wright make the best decision for himself. He joins other Hall of Fame coaches such as Roy Williams and Krzyzewski in walking away from the game over the last 13 months.
Asked if being a college coach these days is becoming more difficult in the transfer portal and NIL era, Dixon said: “There’s no doubt that it’s changed significantly. I don’t look at it as being harder or more difficult though it’s changed. You just have to adjust. That’s my opinion.
“This one surprises me but I go back to our conversations. I remember him wanting to leave and feel comfortable going back.”
Dixon went on to reference Wright’s mentor, former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino, who won a championship at the school in 1985. But Massimino had a few subpar seasons to end his Villanova tenure and then headed to UNLV.
For Wright, short of winning a national championship, it’s hard to leave on better terms than a Final Four appearance and setting up his successor, Fordham’s Kyle Neptune, for success with a solid returning group.
“It’s so hard to finish up the way you want at the place you’re at,” Dixon said.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 4:26 PM.
