Before the speculation escalated any further, Jay Wright decided to publicly clarify where he stands.
He’s not a candidate for the Sixers’ head coaching job, he announced Wednesday.
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Shams Charania of The Athletic had reported that Wright, the long-time coach at Villanova and a two-time NCAA champion, was “among the early candidates” for the position.
There was a lot to like when considering the 58-year-old as a potential candidate. He’s built an exemplary program on the Main Line and has experience serving as an assistant coach with USA Basketball, as well. Leaving Villanova would have been a significant shift for Wright, who clearly loves his current gig.
Tyronn Lue is a focus of the Sixers’ coaching search, according to multiple reports. Sixers assistant coach Ime Udoka is another candidate, per Charania, while Lakers assistant Jason Kidd is interested in the job, according to The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.
We've analyzed the cases for and against Lue, Udoka and Kidd, in addition to Nate McMillan and Dave Joerger, another reported candidate.