Jay Wright has confirmed that he will not take over as the head coach for the New York Knicks. The former head coach of the Villanova basketball team expressed his decision to remain retired after being approached about the position, which became available following Tom Thibodeau’s departure.

Wright mentioned that he had a brief conversation with Knicks president Leon Rose about the role. Despite their friendship, Wright reaffirmed his commitment to his retirement and revealed he never sought an interview for the position.

As part of their search, the Knicks plan to request to interview Jason Kidd, currently the head coach of the Mavericks. However, the Mavericks are likely to deny this request, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

After Thibodeau was let go, Wright quickly emerged as a prime candidate due to his history with the Knicks’ stars, having coached Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges during their college careers at Villanova.

However, many analysts are skeptical about the Knicks’ chances of hiring the two-time national champion coach. According to FOX Sports expert John Fanta, “Jay Wright is enjoying red wine, basketball, television, and his family. If he wanted to coach again, he’d be at Villanova. Wright is not going anywhere.”

Wright, aged 63, stepped down from his role with Villanova after leading them to the Final Four in 2022, completing a distinguished career that included winning multiple national championships and conference titles.