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Villanova Hires Maryland's Kevin Willard
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The Baltimore Sun |
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.
ESPN |
Kevin Willard has accepted Villanova's offer to become its next head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN.
CBSSports.com |
Willard's comparisons to the Big East should have been a sign.
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7hon MSN
The Villanova Wildcats have hired Maryland's Kevin Willard as their new coach. 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.
Willard has been connected to the Villanova coaching search for weeks so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. The 49-year-old just finished his best season at Maryland, in which the Terrapins went 27-9 and reached the Sweet 16 in the 2025 NCAA tournament. That followed his first two seasons, which would generously be deemed up and down.
Not everyone was happy with Willard's decision to leave Maryland for Villanova, as his move reignited some controversy around coaches changes schools.
Nova's interest in Willard was well-known since the team parted with Kyle Neptune at the conclusion of their season, but instead of downplaying his potential exit, Willard used their interest as leverage in potential negotiations, publicly lambasting the Maryland athletic department's apparent lack of commitment to basketball.
Kevin Willard is leaving his position as Maryland men’s basketball coach after three seasons to take the same job at Villanova, ending a saga that started just before the Terrapins began play in the NCAA tournament this month and stretched through their exit Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
Shortly after, the Big East Conference had a message for Willard. "Welcome back to the BIG EAST @KevinWillard!" the Big East account wrote on X. Willard spent three years at Maryland, beginning in 2022-23. He led the Terrapins to a record of 65-39 and two NCAA Tournament berths.
Willard emphasized when the Terps were in Seattle that he loved coaching at Maryland, but he wanted the school to improve in NIL.
While Kevin Willard's decision seemed obvious, from speculation he would be leaving to go to Villanova, to Willard acting clueless following the Terrapins' loss
After a two-week search for Kyle Neptune's successor, Kevin Willard will be the next Villanova men's basketball coach.
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