By:Tom Jordan
Jay Wright probably will never read this article, though it is about him, and predictably complimentary.
That's because Wright, head coach of the Hofstra University men's' basketball team, does not read his press clippings, of which there are plenty these days. With his team on the brink of a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, the 64-team hoops extravaganza known as March Madness, Wright is a hot commodity in the world of college sports. While the Pride has been busy winning 17 straight, Wright has been lauded for everything from his coaching ability to his fashion sense. Still, he doesn't pay much attention to the rose petals being tossed beneath his Italian shoes.
"I read the sports page to see where we stand and things like that, but I don't get into that other stuff," he said over the telephone from his Rockville Centre home a day after the Pride's semifinal win in the America East Conference tournament. Hofstra defeated Maine 78-66 before a hostile crowd at Carpenter Center, home of Hofstra arch-rival Delaware. "I talk to the players about it too. Hopefully they're not paying too much attention to what is being written and focusing on what's really important."
What's really important is one more win on March 10, when the Pride returns to Hofstra Arena for the championship game against Delaware. A victory on their home floor, where they have won 35 of their last 36 contests, will punch Hofstra's ticket to the Big Dance, which is scheduled to begin March 15. The first and second rounds of Eastern region competition will be played at the Nassau Coliseum.
"Having the home court for [the America East final] is a huge advantage, though it usually comes down to execution anyway. I'll tell you, though, I'd much rather have the game here than down there," he said.
For Wright, who earned his first America East Conference Coach of the Year award this year in leading the Pride to its current 25-4 record, home truly is where his heart is. Despite the program's increasing popularity and a sold out arena, Wright has somehow maintained a relaxed, home-like atmosphere around the team. "We're like a family here," he said.
For Wright, family takes precedence. His three kids -- Taylor, 8, Collin, 6, and Reilly, 2, -- sometimes serve as ball boys during shooting practice, and former players such as Craig "Speedy" Claxton, a first-round draft choice of the Philadelphia 76ers last year, often stop by for visits.
Claxton, the school's career-assists and steals leader, graduated after last season's 24-7 campaign, which culminated with Hofstra's first trip to the NCAAs in 23 years and concluded with a first-round loss to Elite Eight-bound Oklahoma State. Even without Claxton, Wright figured Hofstra was still strong enough to remain competitive. But he is somewhat surprised by how well the team has compensated for the loss of perhaps the greatest player in the program's history.
"I thought we would be good, but this group has fulfilled all of my expectations, which are usually very high," he said. "We have a veteran team that has made it through a lot of tough situations. They found a way."
Fordham and Rhode Island have been trying to find a way in recent years to get Wright on their benches, and he's been rumored to be next in line at St. John's if current coach Mike Jarvis decides to move on to the NBA.
Though his success has made him a candidate for these larger schools, Wright's not in any rush to leave Hofstra or his Rockville Centre home.
"I like my young kids growing up in this atmosphere," he said. "Hofstra has a nice campus, and we live in a nice community."
Wright's previous coaching stops, all as an assistant, include the University of Rochester, Drexel and Villanova, not to mention a one-year stint with the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League. At Villanova he was an assistant to the legendary Rollie Massimino, and it was Massimino who gave the glowing recommendation that helped Wright land the head-coaching job at Hofstra. Seven years and 121 wins later, Wright is at the top of his game.
The Wrights rented a home in East Meadow the first year Jay was at Hofstra, but soon set their roots in Rockville Centre.
"My wife played a lot of tennis at the Rockville Racquet Club, and she said, 'We are moving to Rockville Centre.' I didn't know anything about the place, but we've fallen in love with it. It's worked out really well.
"Rockville Centre, as a whole, has really supported the program. Even when the team wasn't doing so well a few years ago, there were a lot of Hofstra fans in Rockville Centre."
The man who has received so many compliments, knows how to give one, too.
