Jay Wright is named Big East Coach of the Year

The debate is over.

For the fourth time since conference realignment, Jay Wright continues to pile on the hardware, after being named the 2018-19 Big East Coach of the Year on Wednesday afternoon.

It is Wright’s sixth time, overall, receiving the honor. No coach in the Big East’s history—which dates back to the 1979-80 season—has won the award more.

Wright guided a Villanova Wildcats team that was fresh off the departures of four players to the NBA—Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Omari Spellman, and Donte DiVincenzo. They were key pieces to Villanova’s 2018 National Championship run and a couple of them were contributors for the title run in 2016.

The Wildcats regrouped, reclaiming the Big East regular season title for the fifth time in six years. Villanova heads into the Big East Tournament—where it will attempt to be the first-ever team to three-peat as champions—with a 22-9 record overall and a 13-5 showing in Big East play.

The Big East also announced its award winners for the remaining major individual accolades. A complete list:

Big East Player of the Year
Markus Howard, Marquette

Big East Coach of the Year
Jay Wright, Villanova

Big East Freshman of the Year
James Akinjo, Georgetown

Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Michael Nzei, Seton Hall