SAN FRANCISCO — Maryland coach Kevin Willard declined to say whether he had spoken to Villanova administrators about its open coaching vacancy following a season-ending 87-71 loss to No. 1 seed Florida in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
Willard, who just finished his third season in College Park after arriving from Seton Hall, has been rumored as the top candidate at Villanova following the firing of coach Kyle Neptune earlier this month. Willard is believed to be supremely interested in a return to the Big East and to a school that revolves around hoops, but he has also made it clear he’s fighting for better resources at Maryland, which would mean a hearty commitment of NIL and forthcoming revenue-share dollars, a sticky fight at a Big Ten school that also wants to compete in football.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Willard said. “I haven’t talked to my agent, my wife. I made a promise to this team. Just focus on this team, and that’s what I’ve done. I haven’t talked to anyone. I have an agent, I’m sure he’s talking to people. That’s what agents like to do.”
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for the Maryland athletic department. Athletics director Damon Evans was hired away by SMU to serve in the same role, news which Willard officially broke in one press conference. Willard had been frustrated with Evans over the school’s commitment and plan with basketball resources, which was made clear in a postgame rant following his team’s 81-49 first-round win over Grand Canyon about his frustration with the administration over NIL funds.
When asked Thursday whether Maryland can do anything to keep him, Willard then implied he may miss the athletics director who he had not been on the same page with.
“Right now my biggest concerns in life right now are I don’t know who my boss is going to be,” Willard said. “The guy who brought me here, who I really like, appreciative of him bringing me to College Park, is not here. I don’t know who we are going to hire. In today’s day and age, that worries me a little bit. My honesty got me in trouble, might as well keep getting in trouble.”
Amid fight to keep basketball coach Kevin Willard, Maryland loses athletic director Damon Evans to SMU
John Talty
When asked if Willard had been offered the job at Villanova, his answer was blunt. Instead, he went on a tangent about how Maryland Vice President for Marketing and Communications Brian Ullmann “deserves a raise.”
“The only person I’ve talked to about my job is with him,” Willard said. “He has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m not even sure if he’s going to be here.”
With Maryland’s season officially in the books, all eyes are on Willard on what comes next.
“This is going to be a family decision,” Willard said. “I love College Park, I love Maryland. But at this point in (my) career, you’re looking at things. … I have not even talked to anyone.”
Guard Rodney Rice told reporters Willard had been transparent with the team and that the noise had not distracted Maryland’s players.
“He said he was staying, he’s fighting for some changes,” Rice said.
Willard quotes in full:
On if he has made a decision whether he will return to Maryland:
“So I have not even — no, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ll just be honest with you. I haven’t talked to my agent. I haven’t talked to my wife. I made a promise to this team that I was going to just focus on this team and that’s all I’ve done. So I haven’t talked to anybody. I have an agent. I’m sure he’s talking to people because that’s what agents like to do. But I don’t know.”
On if there is something Maryland could do to bring him back:
“Right now my biggest concerns in life right now — I don’t know who my boss is going to be. It’s the guy that brought me here who I really liked and appreciative of him bringing me to College Park is not here anymore. And I don’t know who we’re going to hire. In today’s day and age, that worries me a little bit. I’m just being honest. My honesty got me in trouble, might as well keep getting me in trouble. So this is going to be a family decision. I love College Park. I love Maryland. But when you’re at this point in your career and you’re looking at things, I have to take everything into consideration moving forward. But I have not even talked to anybody, so I don’t know what I’m doing.”
On if Villanova is an option and if it has offered him:
“I have no idea.”
ON ANYTHING IN CONVERSATIONS WITH NEW MARYLAND ADMINISTRATION THAT IS ENCOURAGING:
“I’ll be honest with you, my guy, (VP for Marketing and Communications) Brian Ullman, deserves a raise, because he’s been phenomenal. The only person I’ve talked about in my job is with that man over there wearing the muscle hat. He has been absolutely phenomenal. But I’m not even sure if he’s going to be here. So it’s just one of those things right now.”