Villanova named Kevin Willard as its head basketball coach on Sunday.
Contract terms were not announced.
Willard guided Maryland to a 27-9 record this season before falling to top-seeded Florida in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He posted a 65-39 mark with two tournament appearances during his three seasons with the Terrapins.
Willard’s time in Maryland appeared to be running short, however, when he openly griped about the program prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
“I need to make fundamental changes to the program,” Willard said at the time. “That’s what I’m focused on right now. That’s why probably a deal hasn’t got done (to stay with the program) because I want to see, I need to see fundamental changes done. I want this program to be great. I want it to be the best in the country. I want to win a national championship, but there’s things that need to change.”
In a statement released Sunday morning, Maryland officials said attempts were made to keep Willard with the university.
“We took a very proactive and aggressive approach to retain Coach Willard, offering a significant contract extension and salary increase, new staff, and one of the highest revenue-share budgets in the [Big Ten] Conference,” the statement read.
“We had long and thoughtful conversations about the program and shared the same vision for Maryland Basketball. In the end, he made the choice that he felt was best for him and his family. On behalf of all of Terrapin Nation, we thank Coach Willard and his family for their service and wish them well.”
Maryland said a national search for a coach has started.
At Villanova, Willard replaces Kyle Neptune, who was fired March 15 after struggling during his three seasons in charge following the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats’ season ended with a 73-56 loss to UConn in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, and they finished with a 19-14 record (11-9 Big East).
“Coach Willard is an outstanding leader of young men and brings extensive experience and success as a head coach to Villanova,” athletic director Eric Roedl said. “We are excited about the future of Villanova basketball under his leadership.”
Willard, 49, said that he and his family are happy to be welcomed by the Villanova community.
“Villanova basketball has a deep tradition of excellence and a culture that is second to none in college basketball,” he said. “We are thrilled to be a part of it and join the Villanova community.”
Willard returns to the Big East after spending 12 seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall. He led the Pirates to five NCAA Tournament appearances and a share of the Big East regular-season title in 2020.
Willard owns a 335-249 record as the head coach at Iona (2007-10), Seton Hall (2010-22) and Maryland (2022-25).
–Field Level Media
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