A Thank You Letter to Jay Wright

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Dear Coach Wright,

Thank you for what you’ve done for our sport and congratulations on a legendary career. Six Big East Tournament Championships, four Final Fours, two National Championships, and a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The numbers speak for themselves, but your achievements transcend the court.

Thank you for transforming Villanova into a true-blue blood. In a College Basketball world where one-and-dones were the norm, Villanova was the exception. You built one of the best cultures in College Basketball, competing for a National Championship while returning extremely talented players year after year. A program that, some say, runs itself.

Villanova’s dominance has earned them one of Jon Rothstein’s most famous ‘-isms’. Jon frequently uses this and says that Villanova quote “runs itself”.

Thank you for ushering in the new era of the Big East Conference — the conference that made me fall in love with the game. From battling against Boeheim and Calhoun to Cooley and Hurley. Now, new big names enter the fold and it’s clear the league is in good hands. All thanks to Villanova being a constant in a transitioning conference that needed some semblance of consistency.

Thank you for drawing up the greatest moment in NCAA tournament history in 2016 with the coolest, calmest reaction to a championship that I have ever seen. A play that me and my friends attempted to emulate in the driveway hundreds of times. A shot that was the epitome of One Shining Moment.

The juxtaposition of this shot and reaction gives us a great look at Coach Jay Wright and his cool, calm, and collected demeanor.

From Rochester assistant to cutting down nets and winning gold medals. From new kid on the block to blue blood. From Churchville, Pennsylvania to Springfield, Massachusetts. Impressive to go out, quietly, on your own terms after the confetti has settled — even though I selfishly wish we got a year to celebrate your legacy. Your career has been nothing short of incredible and I’d like to say one more time, on behalf of basketball fans everywhere, thank you.

Sincerely,

Dom