“Jay Wright” can refer to two distinguished individuals:
Jay Wright (Basketball Coach):
Jerold Taylor “Jay” Wright Jr. (born December 24, 1961) is a former American college basketball coach renowned for his tenure at Villanova University. Over 21 seasons (2001–2022), he led the Wildcats to six Big East Conference championships and secured two NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018.
Wright also guided Villanova to four Final Four appearances and achieved a career coaching record of 642 wins to 282 losses. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
After retiring from coaching, Wright transitioned to broadcasting. In March 2025, he joined CBS Sports as an analyst, providing insights into college basketball, including breakdowns of NCAA tournament brackets.
Jay Wright (Poet):
Born on May 25, 1934, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jay Wright is an esteemed American poet, playwright, and essayist. His work is celebrated for its complexity and cultural depth, drawing from African, European, Native American, and Latin American influences.
Wright’s poetry has earned him numerous accolades, including the 2005 Bollingen Prize in Poetry, making him the first African American to receive this honor.