Jay Wright staying at Villanova

PHILADELPHIA, May 22 (UPI) -- Villanova men's basketball coach Jay Wright has taken his name out of the mix in the hunt by the Philadelphia 76ers for a new head coach.

Wright admitted Friday that he met last week with Sixers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski about the vacancy but was just one of several candidates.

"We had a lively conversation about the vision Ed has for the Sixers organization," Wright said in a statement on the school's Web site. "As a lifelong Sixers fan, I was honored to be part of the process. Following our meeting, I called Ed to thank him and requested that he remove me from consideration. I love Villanova and it is where I want to be. I am grateful to the Sixers for including me in the process."

Wright guided the Wildcats to the Final Four last season, where they lost 83-69 to eventual national champion North Carolina in the national semifinals.

He is under contract at Villanova through the 2012-13 season.