There is also the underlying factor of players looking to follow coaches to new programs. You can bet no one from College Park, Maryland will be looking to relocate to Philadelphia this summer.
Kevin Willard has a lot of explaining to do before Midnight Madness in October, but his talking days appear to be over for the time being.
Just days after Maryland was defeated in the Sweet 16 by Florida, Willard announced he would be taking the job at Villanova, to the tune of $4 million in his first season. In three years behind the bench for the Terrapins, Willard was 65-39, and the school saw their first run in the NCAA Tournament past the opening weekend since 2016. Maryland’s only two trips to the Final Four were in 2001 and 2002, the latter resulting in the program’s only National Championship, manned by legendary head coach Gary Williams.
Willard signed a seven-year, $29.4 million contract with Maryland in 2022, leaving Seton Hall after 12 seasons, the 2016 Big East Tournament Championship, and five trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates only got out of the first round once (2018).
With four years remaining on his current contract, Willard and Maryland were trying to finalize a contract extension or restructure for a good portion of the season. Then the NCAA Tournament began with Maryland grabbing a 4-seed in the West Region, and everyone’s dirty laundry went on display as the Terrapins opened in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.
Willard called out the program prior to tipping off against Grand Canyon University, citing he needed to see “...Fundamental changes to the program.” It was shortly thereafter revealed that his requested changes were Maryland University’s trustees devote more NIL money to the basketball program than the football program. The school’s football program has not won double-digit games in a season since 2013, and has not finished better than third in the Big Ten since 2014.
On the surface, Willard’s requests had merit, but these are topics you do not bring up during contract negotiations, especially with not even half of your current contract having elapsed.
Maryland’s basketball squad lost four games in Big Ten play, by a combined nine points. The Sweet 16 appearance was not only Maryland’s first trip to the second weekend in decades, but the first time in 18 years as a head coach for Willard, who opened his career with three seasons at Iona College.
After having the Gators on the ropes for much of the first half, Florida rebounded late, and put Maryland away with an 87-71 victory. Willard blasted Maryland brass over the next few days, doubling down on the lack of funding for the program, and even leaking that current Athletic Director Damon Evans would be leaving to take the same job at Southern Methodist.
Think about that for a moment…what would happen if the Oklahoma City Thunder do not win the NBA Championship this June, and head coach Mark Daigneault decides he wants to leave, but announces that Sam Presti is leaving as the GM in the same breath?
Villanova has not made the NCAA Tournament since their Final Four run in 2022, which was Jay Wright’s final season before retirement. Wright won two National Championships, and turned the program over to assistant Kyle Neptune. The Wildcats made the NIT Tournament the first two years under Neptune, but did not participate in any postseason tournament in 2025, despite a 19-14 record.
Neptune was fired on March 15.
Despite full financial details of Willard’s new deal in south Philadelphia not being disclosed as yet, he seems to be awfully mum when asked about leaving Maryland so abruptly. Willard made it known publicly that he relished coaching in the Big East, and would like to return back if the right opportunity came about. On Wednesday, Willard told reporters at his introductory press conference at Villanova that, “I just think it’s time that everyone moved on.”
The issue is that Willard has not said anything to satisfy anyone in the media, nor justify the move. It has been reported in the past few days that Maryland offered Willard $6 million of the school’s $20 million from Big Ten revenue sharing, and Willard still left for Villanova.
Kevin Willard now becomes little fish in the ocean that is the Big East, and will have to outmatch Rick Pitino (St. John’s), Greg McDermott (Creighton), Shaka Smart (Marquette), and two-time National Champion Dan Hurley (Connecticut). Sean Miller would have been on that list, but his second tenure at Xavier ended after taking the job at Texas on March 23.
Finishing fourth in a loaded Big Ten gets you into the NCAA Tournament with a favorable seed. Finishing fourth in the Big East gets you put on upset alert during the first round. Despite not being short on personality in the Big East amongst coaches, south Philadelphia may have to put up with a lack of moral character for next season.
-JC24
Finishing fourth in a loaded Big Ten gets you into the NCAA Tournament with a favorable seed. Finishing fourth in the Big East gets you put on upset alert during the first round. Despite not being short on personality in the Big East amongst coaches, south Philadelphia may have to put up with a lack of moral character for next season.
-JC24