BALTIMORE — Maryland men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard has left the program to become the next coach at Villanova, which announced the hire Sunday morning.
In a statement published a few hours after Villanova’s announcement, University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines credited Willard and the players for a thrilling march to the Sweet 16 and said officials did what they could to keep Willard in the fold.
“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 B1G Conference,” he wrote. “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.”
Pines said a national search for a new coach has already begun.
“My family and I would like to thank the Villanova Board of Trustees, President Father Peter Donohue and Eric Roedl for this incredible opportunity,” Willard said in a news release. “Villanova Basketball has a deep tradition of excellence and a culture that is second to none in college basketball. We are thrilled to be a part of it and join the Villanova community.”
It’s a return to the Big East Conference for Willard, who Maryland hired from Seton Hall in 2022. In three seasons with the Terps, Willard made two trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the program’s first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2016 before a loss to No. 1 seed Florida on Thursday night in San Francisco.
The speculation surrounding Willard’s future in College Park reached new heights last week when the coach said that then-athletic director Damon Evans is “probably going to SMU” at a news conference one day before the Terps’ first-round NCAA Tournament game, an 81-49 win over No. 13 seed Grand Canyon on March 21. A day later, Evans officially accepted the position at SMU, and Colleen Sorem was named Maryland’s interim AD.
Willard said that Evans provided a term sheet for a new contract on March 16, but that the uncertainty surrounding Evans’ future complicated further talks. Willard decided not to sign a new contract that would have given the coach a raise and promised increased financial commitments to the men’s basketball program.
“It’s kind of tough to negotiate with somebody that’s maybe not here,” Willard said March 20. “I’m confident that we’ll get it done.”
With the Villanova job remaining open since the end of the regular season, Willard’s future loomed over the Terps’ most exciting NCAA Tournament run, which included a buzzer-beating victory over Colorado State in the second round. After Maryland’s loss to Florida, Willard said that he still didn’t know what he would do when asked about his future with the program.
“I haven’t talked to anybody,” Willard said Thursday night. “I have an agent, I’m sure he’s talking to people — that’s what agents like to do. But, you know, I don’t know.”
University of Maryland administrators told at least one prominent booster for the program that Willard planned to leave for Villanova, but that Maryland was making a “last-ditch effort” to retain the coach, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun. He met with Villanova officials on Saturday, the same source said.
“Coach Willard quickly stood out among an impressive pool of candidates during a comprehensive national search,” Donohue said in the release.
Willard’s departure leaves the program needing to make a new hire quickly to rebuild the roster. Five-star freshman Derik Queen is expected to declare for the NBA draft, Julian Reese and Selton Miguel have ...
