Maryland basketball coach Kevin Willard has been linked to Villanova in recent weeks, and many people believe a specific comment he made on Thursday night is proof that he is planning his exit from College Park.
Maryland was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with an 87-71 loss to Florida in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. Following the game, Willard was asked about the rumors linking him to the Villanova job. The 49-year-old coach avoided the question.
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I haven’t talked to my agent and I haven’t talked to my wife,” Willard told reporters. “I have an agent, and I’m sure he’s talking to people, but I don’t know. My biggest concerns in life right now are I don’t know who my boss is going to be.”
Kevin Willard on his future: "I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't talked to my agent and I haven't talked to my wife. I have an agent, and I'm sure he's talking to people, but I don't know. My biggest concerns in life right now are I don't know who my boss is going to be."
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 28, 2025
Many fans immediately recognized that the way Willard answered the question sounded familiar.
Willard was the head coach at Seton Hall for 12 seasons before he took the Maryland job. After the Pirates lost to TCU in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, a reporter asked Willard about the rumors linking the coach to Maryland. Willard claimed he did not know because he had not spoken with his agent yet.
Here's Kevin Willard three years ago after an NCAA Tournament loss in his final game at Seton Hall, after he'd he'd quietly taken the Maryland job.pic.twitter.com/L3FYkwuUnT
— Jeff Ermann (@Jeff_Ermann) March 28, 2025
It quickly became obvious that Willard had a verbal agreement in place with Maryland at the time. The same could be true for him now with Villanova, who fired their head coach after the Big East Tournament.
Willard publicly ripped the current state of the Maryland basketball program last week. A report on Friday claimed the Terrapins are making a “last-ditch effort” to keep Willard, but it may already be too late.
One theory is that Willard already knows he is taking the Villanova job and publicly criticized Maryland to set the stage for his departure. The way he addressed his future on Thursday night may have said it all.
Maryland had a big turnaround this season and went 27-9. They finished 16-17 a year ago, so it appeared the program was headed in the right direction under Willard. Now, it may be time for another fresh start.
