Jay Wright named to National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Wright, who was named to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2021, adds another accolade more than four years after he retired from Villanova.
Jay Wright is headed to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
On Monday, it was announced that the longtime Villanova coach would be inducted as a part of the Hall’s 2026 class. Wright led Villanova for 21 seasons from 2001 to 2022. In that span, the Wildcats made four Final Four appearances and won NCAA titles in 2016 and 2018.
Wright, who went 642–282 (.695), including a seven-year stint at Hofstra (1994-2001), is widely considered to be the main force behind Villanova becoming a consistent national brand in college basketball. He is already a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2021.
“The Class of 2026 represents the very best of college basketball — individuals whose performance, leadership, and impact helped shape the game at the highest level,” Hall of Fame CEO Kevin Henderson said in a statement. “Their legacies will forever be preserved as part of the sport’s rich history.”
Five other members make up the Hall’s incoming class: Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, Kansas coach Ted Owens, Michigan star Glen Rice, BYU standout Danny Ainge, and UCLA champion Walt Hazzard.
The induction will take place in Kansas City, Mo. where the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is located, on Oct. 22.