Villanova Basketball: 3 reasons why Jay Wright shouldn’t take Sixers job
By Joey Loose
2. College coaches often falter in the NBA
By taking the Sixers job, a few things would get much easier for Wright. He’d likely be paid better and would honestly have much less work to do, no longer having to recruit his own team during the year. He’s already a hero in Philadelphia for his success with the Wildcats, and it’s very unlikely that anything that happens with the Sixers could ruin that. However, recent memory shows us that good reason to be hesitant.
Just one year ago, John Beilein left Michigan after twelve incredible seasons to take over as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Beilein would last just 54 games before stepping aside from the Cavaliers. His fate mirrors that of Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Tarkanian, who lasted less than a full season with the San Antonio Spurs after all that success at UNLV. Consider current college head coaches like Rick Pitino, John Calipari, and Leonard Hamilton who have also had failed stints as NBA head coaches.
It’s easy to scoff at this argument and point to Brad Stevens, who has led the Celtics to remarkable success, leaving Butler to take over that franchise seven years ago. It’s also fair to say that Stevens is an extremely rare exception to the rule, especially considering what he accomplished with a Horizon League team. Wright could achieve incredible success with the Sixers or another NBA franchise, but he’s also seen that it can all fall apart in a hurry.