NCAA basketball: Ranking the 25 best college basketball coaches ever

No. 24: Jay Wright

After taking lowly Hofstra and turning them into champions of the American East in back-to-back years, Jay Wright came to take the place of Steve Lappas when his time was done with the Villanova Wildcats.

In his nearly two decades since, he’s taken Villanova to an impressive 457-177 record, claimed two NCAA Tournament championships, been to the Final Four three times and won an impressive seven regular-season titles in the Big East with four separate Big East tournament championships.

Wright has also claimed the Naismith College Coach of the Year award in 2006 and 2016, and been named as the first John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award recipient (of many) on our list. Perhaps most impressively, he was the AP Coach of the Decade in the 2010s.

His program has had some impressive players come through the ranks. Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson are just recent examples of a list of Wright alumni that includes the likes of Kyle Lowry, Josh Hart and Speedy Claxton.

At 58 years old, Wright has plenty of time left to move even further up this list, despite the tough competition.