Willard bolts Maryland to end up being Villanova coach

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• 40 “/ > Jeff BorzelloMar 30, 2025, 01:59 AM ET Close Basketball recruiting insider.
• Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Maryland’s Kevin Willard

has actually been worked with as Villanova’s new coach, ending more than a week of speculation.Maryland simply completed one

of its best seasons in the previous twenty years, earning a 4-seed in the NCAA tournament and making a run to the Sweet 16 before falling to top-seeded Florida. The Terrapins completed 27-9 general and 14-6 in the Big Ten and were ranked in the top 10 in the majority of predictive metrics. After a 1-3 start to Big 10 play, Maryland lost just 4 games to Big Ten opponents the rest of the season by a combined nine points.Willard invested three seasons in College Park, going 65-39 with two NCAA tournament appearances.Editor’s Picks 1 Related He made headlines before Maryland’s first-round NCAA competition game against Grand Canyon when he

basically broke the news of Maryland athletic director Damon Evans leaving for SMU and discussed why he hasn’t signed a brand-new contract in College Park. “I require to make basic changes to the program,”Willard stated.”That’s what I’m concentrated on right now.

That’s why most likely an offer hasn’t got done since I want to see– I require to see fundamental changes done. I desire this program to be great. I desire it to be the best in the country, I want to win a championship game, however there’s things that need to change.”I need to make sure that we are where we are with NIL, and rev share is not where we have actually been with NIL over the previous two years.

We’ve been among the worst, if not most affordable, in the NIL in the last 2 years. So, that’s first and foremost. I likewise need to make a fundamental change where I can do the important things that I wish to finish with my program. I wished to spend an extra night in New york city this year to celebrate Christmas with my team and I was informed that we can’t do that because it’s too pricey. So, I do not know how we can be a top-tier program and I can’t invest one extra night in New York due to the fact that it’s too pricey. “As Maryland knocked off Grand Canyon and Colorado State to advance to Willard’s very first Sweet 16 and the very first for the Terps considering that 2016, the head coach’s message didn’t change. He acknowledged after Maryland’s Sweet 16 loss to Florida on Thursday that he didn’t know his next step.”I don’t understand what I’m doing,”Willard stated. “I’ll be honest with you. I haven’t spoken to my representative. I have not spoken to my other half.”At Villanova, Willard will replace Kyle Neptune, who failed to reach the NCAA tournament in any of his three seasons in charge of the Wildcats. Neptune took over in 2022

after the unexpected retirement of Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright, who led Villanova to 2 championship games and four Last Four appearances.It marks a go back to the Big East for Willard, a Long Island, New york city, native who spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall. He led the Pirates to 5 NCAA tournament appearances and a share of the Big East regular-season title in 2020– when the program was on track for its highest NCAA competition seed in almost 30 years before the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.Before taking control of at Seton Hall, Willard was the head coach at Iona for 3 seasons and an assistant coach under Rick Pitino at Louisville and with the Boston Celtics. Willard’s dad, Ralph, had actually formerly hung around on Pitino’s personnel at multiple stops.