On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Villanova Athletics announced the long-planned dedication ceremony for ‘Wright Way.’ The road between the Finneran Pavilion and the Davis Center will be officially dedicated in honor of Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright. The dedication ceremony will take place before Villanova men’s basketball’s game on Nov. 29 against St. Joseph’s.
Wright, Villanova’s all-time leader in wins, conference titles and national championships for basketball, was a coaching icon for the Wildcats for 21 seasons. His team qualified for the NCAA tournament in 16 of his 21 seasons. During his time on the Main Line, Wright became widely considered as one of the best coaches in modern college basketball history. On Sept. 11, 2021, Wright entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments. The same day, Athletic Director Mark Jackson announced the plans for the renaming of the roadway.
“We’re beyond thrilled to complete this tribute to the incredible legacy of Jay and Patty Wright,” Jackson said to Villanova Athletics. “Over 21 years, they were our guides on an amazing journey for which we are forever grateful. Together they fully embraced our University’s mission of Unitas, Veritas, Caritas as humble servant leaders.”
The ceremony, more than two years in the making, will take place two hours ahead of tipoff. It will include the unveiling of a new brick-laden plaque with ‘The Wright Way’ inscribed upon it.
“‘Wright Way’ acknowledges the leadership of the Wrights,” Jackson said, “and the teamwork on the part of student-athletes, coaches, and the ‘Nova Nation who gave us all such wonderful memories.”
In 1987, Wright joined the program as an assistant coach under another Villanova legend and his mentor, the late Rollie Massimino. While Wright would follow Massimino to UNLV in 1992 and eventually begin his coaching career at Hofstra in 1994, Wright came back to the Main Line in 2001. He became the eighth head coach in the lengthy history of Villanova basketball.
While things were rocky for Wright in his first four years, he’d eventually achieve the highest success the program had ever seen. He led the program to four Final Four appearances and national championships in 2016 and 2018.
The six-time Big East Coach of the Year, AP Coach of the 2010s and two-time National Coach of the Year took the ‘Cats to one more Final Four in the 2021-22 season before ending his legendary coaching career. He handed the keys to the program to current head coach Kyle Neptune, but still maintains an advisory role.
On Nov. 29, in between the Davis Center and the Finneran Pavilion, ‘The Wright Way’ will forever be established.
