The past week has been very eventful for Maryland basketball fans. On Sunday, freshman Derik Queen hit a buzzer beater to send the Terps to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nearly a decade. That high was short-lived as rumors of Kevin Willard’s departure to Villanova began to heat up the following day.
Kevin Willard’s Future at Maryland in Question
Last week, before Maryland’s round of 64 game against Grand Canyon University, Willard addressed the rumors linking him to the Villanova job opening. He unexpectedly lashed out against the University’s former athletic director, Damon Evans, by critiquing his focus on basketball at the school and announced that he was departing for SMU. He also claimed that he was given a contract on Selection Sunday but had not signed it yet. Fast forward a few days, and the Terps beat both Grand Canyon and Colorado State en route to the Sweet Sixteen. Rumors were quiet for those game days but began to heat up again Monday evening. On Tuesday morning, Willard had an interview with a local DC radio station, The Team 980. During this interview, he said, “as of right now, I am staying”. These words did not encourage Maryland fans.
Kevin Willard on The Kevin Sheehan Show (@SheehanPodcast) just now :
“As of right now I’m staying [Kevin], yes” pic.twitter.com/rzolSOBYuv
— Tommy Godin (@tommygodinjr) March 25, 2025
Willard’s uncertain future with the program does not stem from salary or contract length issues. The issues have to do with program direction and overall funding. During his rant against former AD Damon Evans, he explained that the team wasn’t funded enough to stay two nights in New York City earlier this season. This upset Willard as he felt this was a slight towards the team and showed they were not a priority. Additionally, he believes the team will not be receiving a fair revenue share once that starts next season. With all of this being said, Willard has continued to reassure the team and fans that he loves his job at Maryland and that he will be back.
Other Candidates for the Villanova Job
Despite the Willard rumors, there are a few other candidates for the Villanova job. Richard Pitino, son of legendary coach Rick, has been heavily linked to the opening. He has been tremendous at New Mexico and even led the Lobos to an upset win against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Another name being linked to the role is UCLA’s Mick Cronin. These rumors are not as loud as those about Pitino and Willard, but they are there. He has expressed his displeasure with having to travel around the entire country now that UCLA is in the Big Ten. This move would logically make sense as the Big East is concentrated in the Northeast portion of the country.
Finally, Chris Collins of Northwestern has also been linked to the job. These rumors were hot when the job first opened but have cooled off significantly in recent weeks.
The Villanova job is in high demand. The school has a ton of resources and a massive fanbase. If they make the correct hire, then they will return back to their blue blood ways.
