Associated Press

The national champion Villanova Wildcats shut down the city center of Philadelphia on Friday as they celebrated their 77-74 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Despite temperatures that hovered in the mid- to low 40s, countless fans lined the streets of downtown to honor the victorious Wildcats. It was the first championship parade in the City of Brotherly Love since the Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series.

Villanova found a proud alumnus among those in attendance:

One fan had another reason to celebrate, per Joe Zelonis on Twitter:

Philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald shared a look at one of the buses carrying the Wildcats players:

Villanova head coach Jay Wright spotlighted senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono:

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If Wright ever decides to become a politician, the image below, courtesy of Philly Weekly, will almost assuredly be on his campaign posters:

Fans pushed to get as close as they could to the buses. The Associated Press' Oskar Garcia showed the crowd moving past the barriers and standing in the street:

Josh Shapiro, chairman of the Montgomery County Commission, offered an aerial view of downtown:

A mass of humanity descended upon City Hall as the buses neared the end of their route, per Andre Del Valle:

Wright is confident the city will enjoy another title soon, per Fox 29's Alex Holley and CSNPhilly.com's Marshall Harris:

Fans chanted "one more year" at juniors Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart. Arcidiacono felt a bit left out, per CBS Philly:

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney honored Wright and the Wildcats:

Bigger than anything that happened during the parade was what happened before it. Sporting News' Mitch Lawrence reported Thursday the Phoenix Suns had Wright atop their wish list to take over as head coach.

In an interview Friday with ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil, Wright affirmed his desire to remain with Villanova: "I can say right now that in my mind I plan to stay at Villanova. But I also don't want to be a liar. I want to stay. I know I want to stay, but I just say I hope I can stay because I've learned from the past how crazy things can be. I hope I can stay at Villanova because this is where I want to be."

Considering the school's last national championship came in 1985, Wildcats fans know replicating this year's success won't be easy. Arcidiacono and forward Daniel Ochefu will also graduate, leaving major holes in Villanova's squad for the 2016-17 season.

But Wright has rejuvenated a program that started to stagnate under former coach Steve Lappas. Villanova has made 11 NCAA tournament appearances in Wright's 15 seasons, an unparalleled run in the school's history. With Wright on board for next year and beyond, Villanova should remain a fixture in the Big Dance.