Kevin Willard left Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team to take over Villanova Wildcats and tried to revive the program that saw Jay Wright leave a few years ago.
Willard’s departure came after Terrapins had a fun race in March Madness, which saw Queen’s Buzzer-Beater give them a win over Colorado State. Maryland’s race ended in Sweet 16 with a loss to the No. 1-seeded Florida Gators.
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Sports -TV company Scott van Pelt responds during the second half by the game between Maryland Terrapins and Michigan State Spartans in the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, on February 26, 2025. (Reggie Hilded-Preferred Pictures)
It was the deepest tournament race for Willard’s team since taking over Terps before the start of the 2022-23 season. He had been to Seton Hall Pirates before that.
As soon as he arrived, however, Willard was gone. He was announced as the new head coach of Villanova on Sunday as Wildcats prepared for College Basketball Crown. The decision for Willard to leave angry Maryland fans, including ESPN -TV -Station Scott van Pelt.
“Of course Kevin Willard can go to Villanova,” started Van Pelt. “Of course you can return to your Big East roots. Of course, if it is better for your family-is we wild, but we are not soulless wild. If it is better for your family, of course. But maybe you will not take a huge S — on the front steps of the house you have lived in the last three years.
Maryland Terrapin’s principal coach Kevin Willard addresses the media at a press conference during the NCAA tournament West Regional Practice at Chase Center in San Francisco on March 26, 2025. (Kyle Terada-Preferred Pictures)
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“You do not hurt the university and the program where you have been for three years. And you do not take effort from the people behind the scenes that poured their hearts and souls into this for free for you to try to fill the gaps. And tell them, ‘nah, no, I love this university and I just want it well. And I’m anal and I’m an A-hole and I just want this program to be best, it can.
“Maybe you don’t tell these people that to their face repeatedly when everyone in the industry says to me, ‘Scott, why wasting in your time? This is done. Everyone in the business knows it. He’s gone.’
ESPN commentator Scott van Pelt responds during the second half by the game between Maryland Terrapins and Wisconsin Badgers at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, on January 29, 2025. (Reggie Hilded-Preferred Pictures)
Van Pelt, a Maryland degree, seemed to be upset by how Willard started the tournament. The coach took subtle shots at the outgoing athletics director Damon Evans and complained about the lack of zero resources that the program had.
Broadcaster suggested that Willard’s requests were not made in good faith.
Either way, Willard is on a new journey. He was 65-39 for three seasons in Maryland. He spent 12 years in Seton Hall and three years at Iona.
