Fresh off his first-ever NCAA championship, Villanova coach Jay Wright has become a hot commodity among NBA teams looking for their next head coach.
Count the Phoenix Suns among those teams that are reportedly very interested in the 54-year-old Wright.
Fresh off NCAA title, Villanova’s Jay Wright has emerged as the top choice of the Phoenix Suns to become their head coach, per NBA sources.
— Mitch Lawrence (@Mitch_Lawrence) April 7, 2016
Suns eyeing Villanova head coach Jay Wright? https://t.co/Tn0o67tzfK pic.twitter.com/E3ejGXhbtK
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) April 7, 2016
Wright has been Villanova's coach since 2001. He led the Wildcats to two Final Fours and Monday's dramatic victory over North Carolina for the second championship in school history.
Wright has been the Big East Coach of the Year five times, including each of the last three seasons.
With four games remaining this season, the Suns are 20-58, the third-worst record in the NBA. In February, the Suns fired third-year coach Jeff Hornacek, who was the runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year just two years earlier.
In Hornacek's place, the Suns tagged assistant coach Earl Watson as interim head coach. The Suns are 6-23 under Watson, but he's reportedly earned support from some Suns players.
Regardless to Suns outcome, interim coach Earl Watson has gained strong respect from players. Two said consensus is players want him to stay
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) March 13, 2016