“Being a college coach, I want to be at my own kids’ games. Thank God my wife is great at that.” Jay Wright made Villanova Wildcats a household name in his 21-year stint. Despite his success, where he won two NCAA tournaments and multiple accolades in the SEC, he credited his wife for being his strong support! Patricia Wright and Jay were together recipients of the Saint Augustine Medal.

The school credited the couple’s “positive influence” and their “generous support of the Augustinian Fund.” Their dedication to Villanova and its students for several years made them perfect recipients for this award. Since we all know about the contributions of Jay Wright, let’s dive deep into his wife’s role.

Who is Jay Wright’s wife, Patricia? How long have they been married?

Patricia Wright (nee Reilly) is the wife of coach-turned-CBS analyst Jay Wright. Their love story is even 4 decades old; the couple met while they were in college. At the time, Jay was a professional athlete; meanwhile, Patricia was a cheerleader. They met back in 1983, and after graduation, the two tied the knot. Since then, she has been one of the strongest pillars of support.

She was also courtside when her husband finally won the 2016 NCAA championship! Even to celebrate the 2018 NCAA Tournament champions when Villanova beat Michigan, she was there! 

Do Jay Wright and Patricia Reilly have kids together?

“There is a quote I believe that President Obama used with Sandy Hook. Having children is like having your heart out there running around in the world. You don’t realize how everything that happens to your kids really hits you at the heart. It is probably one of the toughest things about being a parent.” The 63-year-old once opened up about his journey of being a father.

As stated previously, he credited his wife for playing an important role in their children’s journey. The couple are parents of three children, two boys and a girl. Their oldest son, Taylor, studied public policy at Brown University and now works at his father’s alma mater. He currently works as the Director of Operations for Villanova’s baseball program. Their youngest son, Collin, graduated from Fordham University in 2016 and worked for 4 years for Vanguard, where his last position was Business Project Manager in 2019. 

According to his LinkedIn profile, he moved to Dick’s Sporting Goods and currently works there as senior manager for the golf division. Patricia and Jay Wright’s youngest is daughter named Reilly. Just like her brothers, for high school, she attended The Episcopal Academy. Later, she would graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts – BA, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE).

Just like her mother, she would pursue a law degree, and Reilly did that from Georgetown University Law Center. After graduating in 2024, she immediately worked as an associate at Manko, Gold, Katcher, & Fox LLP.

Which college did Patricia Reilly attend? 

When Jay Wright was a student at Bucknell University, he met Patricia for the first time. After graduating in 1983 from Villanova, she studied law and is a lawyer by profession. But according to reports, the license is inactive since she has dedicated her life to being a mom and a housewife. So, when her husband accepted a job at the same university, it was a surreal feeling for her. 

“To think that he’s come back as the head basketball coach, it’s beyond my comprehension.” For Jay Wright, he didn’t have to think twice; it was pretty clear why he wanted the job. “I took it on the spot. I grew up here; Patty grew up in South Jersey. It’s Villanova,” the 2x NCAA champion coach spoke to mainlinetoday.com.

As per GQ, Patricia has also been known to watch hours of film with Wright, supporting him in his career. He even credits his wife for encouraging the kids to be better human beings first. “Some things always take priority. Even when they don’t have a good game or something, you love that they’re good teammates or coachable. You can still be a good person, no matter what. That’s Patty’s influence, as much as anything. We’ve tried to instill that in them. That’s what I love the most.”

This explains that not only has Jay Wright been a coach to guide his team to championship, but at home, too, he has done the same. With the major credit to his wife, Patricia, who has laid the strongest foundation.