Mar 5, 2016; Villanova, PA, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright talks with guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout against the Georgetown Hoyas at Wells Fargo Center. The Villanova Wildcats won 84-71. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Josh Hart Tells Ex-Coach, Knicks Candidate 'Stay Retired!'

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Josh Hart is glad to see the New York Knicks aren't going back to school.

There's no shortage of candidates for the Knicks' head coaching vacancy but former Villanova men's basketball head coach Jay Wright reportedly isn't among them: intel from insider Stefan Bondy of the New York Post stated that the Knicks are sympathetic to Wright's desire to stay retired and will not consider him in the hunt for Tom Thibodeau's successor.

That's music to the virtual ears of former Wright protege and current Knicks star Josh Hart, who engaged in his trademark humor when reacting to Wright's denial.

Man Thank You. Stay retired! @CoachJayWright https://t.co/NZ2JyiAY1J
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 7, 2025

"Man Thank You," Hart said in an X post responding to SNY's Ian Begley confirming that Wright would not be interested in coming to New York. "Stay retired!"

The former Wildcat capped off his post by tagging Wright's account and a laughing emoji, making it abundantly clear that he was engaging in typical Hart humor rather than any true animosity.

Wright has long lingered as a popular head coach in the fantasies of Knicks fans, particularly after their team procured the services of his former proteges like Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Jalen Brunson.

The "'Nova Knicks" thrust the Knicks back into the realm of Association relevancy in the latter years of Thibodeau's five-season term, the last of which ended with New York in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter-century.

Prior to their Association endeavors, Bridges, Brunson, and Hart guided Villanova to a national title in 2016 while Bridges and Brunson stuck around for a victorious return trip to the title game two years later. By then, Hart had entered the Association as a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers and made his way to Manhattan at the 2023 trade deadline.

The prospect of coaching his former student-athletes has occurred to Wright on occasion but all signs continue to point to him being perfectly content with his post-Villanova affairs at CBS Sports, where he currently serves as a college basketball analyst.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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