Wright passes Severance for all-time career wins as Villanova head coach

Thanks to a strong second half sharpshooting performance, the Villanova Wildcats left very little doubt once they got going from beyond the arc. They padded their lead and advanced past the Marquette Golden Eagles in lopsided fashion, winning 94-70.

While the win means Villanova is headed back to the Big East Tournament semifinals for the fourth-straight season--and that its quest for its third conference tournament championship in four years is still going--it was another major milestone for Jay Wright.

Thursday night marked the Villanova head coach’s 414th win with the Wildcats. He passed Al Severance, who racked up 413 victories during his time on the Main Line, for most wins all-time as a Wildcat head coach.

”Our athletic director, Mark Jackson, talked with Al’s grandson,” Wright said. “I’m mostly proud to be the head coach of Villanova. Honestly, the wins and everything don’t matter. I know I’ll look back on it later.”

Severance compiled a 413-201 record in 25 seasons at Villanova. As for Wright, this is his 17th season, and now has a record of 414-165.

”Makes me thank God for my wife, because I’m out of my mind,” Wright said. “If not for her, I wouldn’t have made it this far. My wife Patty is here, thank God for her, and then we’ll think about all that later.”

In fact, Wright didn’t pay much attention to the feat. He quickly deferred the praise elsewhere, keeping his mind locked in on the ‘Cats journey through the Big East Tournament and eventually the NCAA Tournament. However, he couldn’t totally dismiss being the Wildcats’ head coach.

”I’m excited that we’re starting to get better defensively,” he said. “That’s really what’s in front of my mind right now. I’m just most thankful to be the coach of Villanova. I feel like I’ve got the best job in the country.”