opening AP poll to start the season. Villanova got off to an 8–1 start (which included wins over No. 18 Arizona State and No. 17 Texas) but was forced to temporarily shut down when Wright and several other members of the program tested positive for COVID-19. With an 11–4 conference record, the Wildcats clinched at least a share of the regular season title for the third consecutive season, clinching it with a win over Creighton on March 3. However, Villanova was ousted in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament in an upset loss to eventual champion Georgetown after losing co-Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie (sharing with teammate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Sandro Mamukelashvili of Seton Hall) to an injury. Many felt that, without Gillespie, the Wildcats would be subjected to a quick exit at the NCAA Tournament, where they were seeded fifth in the South region. Villanova instead topped twelfth-ranked Winthrop and thirteenth-ranked North Texas to return to the Sweet 16 before losing to Baylor 62–51. Ranked fourth in the initial Associated Press poll, the Wildcats stumbled to a 7–4 start. Villanova had fallen to 23rd in the rankings by late December before going 19–3 over the rest of the regular season. The Big East's regular-season championship went to Providence, whose .824 winning percentage beat Villanova's at .800. Wright earned his fifth Big East tournament title and second-seeded Villanova's sixth overall as they topped Creighton in the championship round. Gillespie was named the conference tournament MVP after earning Big East Player of the Year honors. For their efforts, the Wildcats were granted a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they topped #15 Delaware, #7 Ohio State, #11 Michigan, and #5 Houston to advance to the Final Four, before losing 81–65 to eventual champion Kansas. He retired following the season. Head coaching record International coaching career Wright has coached, as a head coach or assistant coach, basketball teams representing the United States three times in international competitions. He led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2005 World University Games as head coach, and was an assistant coach in the 2000 World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Tournament. Wright coached the American team in the 2007 Pan Am Games to a fifth-place finish, with a 3–2 record. Personal life Wright is married, with three children. Wright is a two-time winner of The Runway to the