Jay Wright out of Running for Sixers’ Coaching Position

When Brett Brown was first relieved of his head coaching duties one of the first names thrown out to be his replacement for Jay Wright. This has been a pipe dream for Sixers fans for some time now, but it looks like it will stay a dream.

Earlier today the Villanova head coach spoke out about the reports of him being a candidate for the job. He posted a statement speaking highly of Elton Brand, the organization, and what Brett Brown had built. But said he is not in the running to be the next coach.

I am not a candidate for the job. I am very happy and honored to coach at Villanova.

Wright has had continued success at Villanova which led most to believe that he would not be making the jump to the pros. He is now the first candidate out of the running to become Brett Brown's successor.

Despite Wright taking his name out of the running, there is still a large pool of names for the Sixers to choose for their vacant head coaching position. Most notable names include Clippers' assistant coach Ty Lue, Lakers' assistant coach Jason Kidd, David Joerger, and Rockets' development coach Luchas Johnson.

There is also the chance the Sixers make the move internally. Assistant coach Ime Udoka is a name that has been thrown around to land a coaching position elsewhere in the league. The Sixers have also mentioned him as a possible candidate to coach the Sixers.

The Sixers still have some time to make a final decision as to who the next head coach will be. In the meantime, it will interesting to see what names come and go as the team continues this process.

Kevin McCormick is the 76ers insider for 97.3 ESPN and 76ers editor for Sportstalkphilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @KevinMcC973.