Peter Vecsey writes Friday about the NBA coaching prospects of Mark Jackson, but he thinks the former YES analyst shouldn't be thinking about the Nets or the NBA. He's best suited, Vecsey thinks, for a college job, like the one opening at his alma mater, St. John's. Jackson recently hired an agent.
Vecsey also writes, don't be surprised if a college coach is at or near the top of the list Rod Thorn hands Mikhail Prokhorov in the next few weeks. Not Mike Krzyzewski of Duke or Rick Pitino of Louisville, but Villanova's Jay Wright, who's won 75% of his games over the last six years and is once again a March Madness favorite. "Look for Jay to be on the top of the list when [Thorn] presents his suggestions," Vecsey quotes a Nets source as saying.
Wright has no NBA experience and there's no indication he wants out of Villanova. His contract, which pays him $1.4 million a year plus another $600,000 in deferred compensation, runs through 2013. Five of his assistants have gone on to college head coaching jobs and two others have landed assistant jobs in the NBA. Four players he coached were on NBA rosters this season: Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Dante Cunningham and Speedy Claxton.
- Johhnies, get Jax! - Peter Vecsey - New York Post
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Villanova's Wright considered for NBA gig - Kurt Helin - NBC Sports