Wright will be making another international journey, coaching the U.S. team in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, where they will train and compete starting Sunday and through July 29.
Coaching the team to defend big men who can shoot three-pointers is just one part of Wright's job. In a world with growing anti-U.S. sentiments, Wright also feels a responsibility to coach players on staying safe and being respective of foreign cultures.
In addition to winning gold, he hopes to help downplay the negative stereotypes about Americans.
"We talk to the players all the time about wanting to go over and represent USA Basketball," Wright said. "You have to always be thinking that you're representing the country, and you have to think what the perception is."
More than 5,500 athletes from 42 countries and dependencies are scheduled to compete in 37 sports during the 15th Pan American Games, which are considered one of the last significant international events before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
The U.S. delegation will consist of about 600 athletes and 300 support personnel, all of whom will live in a secure Olympic-like village.
A recent survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project documented widespread anti-American sentiment. It found the nation's favorability ratings had declined in 26 of the 33 countries. Brazil had a 51 percent unfavorable rating of the United States.
Forty-two percent of Canadians, where Villanova will play an exhibition series over Labor Day, hold unfavorable views. In Turkey, only 9 percent held a favorable view of the U.S., the lowest among the countries surveyed.
A gaffe by a member of the U.S. delegation has already produced some anti-U.S. stirrings at the Pan American Games.
The words "Welcome to the Congo!" were written on a white board at the American media center. That was photographed by a Brazilian journalist and published by Rio's largest daily newspaper, causing an outpouring of anti-Americanism.
