North Carolina will have plenty of candidates to choose from when the time comes for the athletic department to pick a replacement for Roy Williams. And yet, there’s at least one marquee coach who isn’t interested in the job.
According to Dana O’Neil of The Athletic, Villanova head coach Jay Wright is not interested in leaving his job for North Carolina.
Wright was mentioned in several rumors due to his success at Villanova and the overall appeal of the North Carolina job, but he seems content with his current situation. Besides, he has already built his current program into a powerhouse.
Since becoming the head coach of the Wildcats in 2001, Wright has a 489-190 record. He proved that he’s one of the best coaches in the country when he led the team to two national titles in a span of three seasons.
Keep hearing @VUCoachJWright name in the UNC candidate pool. Source tells me Wright is not interested, and is not leaving Villanova.
— Dana O’Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) April 3, 2021
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Villanova made the Sweet 16 this season despite losing star guard Collin Gillespie before the start of the NCAA Tournament. As long as his team is healthy next season, Wright could lead the Wildcats to another deep postseason run.
Missing out on an elite coach like Wright has to sting just a bit, but it’s unclear if he was even high on North Carolina’s wishlist.
Earlier today, a report stated that North Carolina assistant coach Hubert Davis is the favorite to replace Williams. That would be a great in-house hire for the Tar Heels.