Villanova hires Maryland’s Kevin Willard as basketball coach

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Villanova hired Maryland’s Kevin Willard as its new coach Sunday to replace the fired Kyle Neptune.

Willard had been linked to the Villanova job throughout the NCAA Tournament, where the Terrapins earned a No. 4 seed and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Florida. Maryland went 27-9 this season and 14-6 in the Big Ten Conference.

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“Coach Willard quickly stood out among an impressive pool of candidates during a comprehensive national search,” Villanova’s president, the 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 expressed concerns with the direction of Maryland’s program on the eve of the Terrapins’ opening game in the NCAA Tournament. He had not signed an extension before the tournament, a matter complicated when the Terps’ athletic director, Damon Evans, bolted the program for the same job at SMU.

“My biggest concerns in life right now: I don’t know who my boss is going to be,” Willard said last week when asked if there was something Maryland could do to keep him. “The guy that brought me here who I really like and am appreciative of him bringing me to College Park is not here anymore, and I don’t know who we’re going to hire. And in today’s day and age, that worries me a little bit. I’m just being honest.”

Willard said Evans gave him a “term sheet” last Sunday, but he didn’t sign it because his focus was on the team. Willard had called out Maryland for a lack of support for the basketball program. Among the changes he wanted to see was with Maryland’s plan for revenue sharing with athletes. He said a majority was expected to go to the football team.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/villanova-hires-marylands-kevin-willard-141137335.html

Author : DAN GELSTON

Publish date : 2025-03-30 14:11:00

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