Jay Wright to coach US Pan-Am team

-Courtesy of USA Basketball

Villanova University (Pa.) head coach Jay Wright, who most recently led the U.S. to gold at the 2005 World University Games, has been selected head coach of the 2007 USA Basketball Men’s Pan American Games Team.

"Jay Wright won a gold medal in 2005 at the World University Games and is a proven international coach and a tremendous college coach who will do an excellent job representing the United States," stated Men’s Collegiate Committee chair Jim Boeheim.

"It is a prestigious honor to be named head coach for the USA team in the 2007 Pan American Games. I’m grateful to te USA Basketball Collegiate Committee and the committee for their confidence in myself and our staff," said Wright.

The Pan American Games, held every four years in the year prior to the Olympics, are scheduled for July 13-30, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The men’s eight nation basketball competition is slated for July 25-29 and includes national teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands.