Kevin Willard agrees to become Villanova men’s basketball coach, leaving Maryland after 3 seasons

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Kevin Willard has accepted an offer to become Villanova’s next men’s basketball coach and will leave Maryland after three seasons. The school officially announced Willard’s hiring on Sunday morning.

Maryland’s 2024-25 season ended with an 87-71 loss to Florida on Thursday in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16. It was the second tournament berth for the Terrapins in Willard’s three seasons, during which he finished 65-39 (27-9 this season).

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Villanova fired Kyle Neptune after the season and a 54-47 record and no NCAA tournament appearances. Soon after Neptune’s dismissal, rumors linked Willard to the Wildcats despite him being under contract in College Park through 2029. (Villanova also reportedly showed interest in Richard Pitino, who left New Mexico for Big East rival Xavier last week.)

Willard, 49, returns to the Big East after 12 seasons at Seton Hall from 2010-2022, where he compiled a 333-248 record, seven NCAA tournament berths, a conference regular season championship and a tournament title. He began his head coaching career at Iona, registering a 45-49 record, following work as an assistant under Rick Pitino with the Boston Celtics and at Louisville.

“Coach Willard quickly stood out among an impressive pool of candidates during a comprehensive national search,” Villanova president Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a statement.

“Throughout the process, Coach Willard demonstrated that he has the vision and experience to guide Villanova Basketball in the changing world of college athletics. Beyond his notable success on the court, we were also impressed by his ability to articulate how Villanova Basketball fits into the overarching mission of the University.”

Willard was discussing a contract extension that reportedly would have made him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college basketball and created one of the highest revenue share budgets in the country. Maryland was also preparing to build a new $50 million practice facility.

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However, Willard made…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/article/kevin-willard-agrees-to-become-villanova-mens-basketball-coach-leaving-maryland-after-3-seasons-131247998.html

Author : Ian Casselberry

Publish date : 2025-03-30 13:12:00

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