Three seasons ago, Jay Wright retired after leading Villanova to a fourth Final Four, leaving the program in the hands of former assistant Kyle Neptune. Things went poorly for the Wildcats these last three seasons, leading the administration to make a head coaching change. As a result, the Wildcats have landed the name they’ve been after now for several days in Kevin Willard.
Willard was born in New York and played collegiately at Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh, serving as a point guard under his father at both stops. His coaching career began right after graduation, joining Rick Pitino’s new staff with the Boston Celtics. Willard would serve under Pitino for a decade, both in the NBA and in his first seasons at Louisville.
Kevin Willard has officially accepted Villanova's offer to become its next head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN. First reported by @Jeff_Ermann. Willard leaves Maryland after three seasons in College Park, leading the Terrapins to a 65-39 record with a Sweet 16 appearance. pic.twitter.com/9ooXwL6JwW
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 30, 2025
The first steps of Willard’s head coaching career came at Iona beginning in 2007. Inheriting a program in tough shape, Willard’s teams struggled in his first two seasons before a 21-win campaign in year three. That success was a big reason why Seton Hall would hire him that offseason, beginning another successful foray in the Big East.
Willard helmed the Pirates for the next twelve seasons, taking Seton Hall to some of their best success in recent memory. He led the program to five trips to the NCAA Tournament, including four consecutive bids, even winning a Big East Tournament title during Villanova’s heyday. Once again, his magnified success caught attention, leading Maryland to hire him in 2022.
The last three seasons have been solid, as Willard racked up 65 wins in his three years in College Park. He took Maryland back to the Big Dance in his first season before struggling in year two, but the Terrapins really showed up this year. After tying for second in a strong Big Ten, Maryland advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nearly a decade before their season was ended by Florida earlier this week.
Even before the Terrapins played in the Sweet Sixteen there had already been many rumors connecting Willard to the Villanova opening. Every single power conference head coaching position has already been filled, with viable coaching options snatched up across the country in recent days and weeks. The Wildcats honed in on Willard’s services early and have successfully lured him back to the Big East.
Willard has been a winner at every stop and could go great things with the Wildcats’ resources in a league he’s already very familiar with. After all, he was on the staff of a Final Four team at Louisville and did really solid work for more than a decade with the Pirates. Villanova’s opening might be slightly less attractive than when Wright retired three years ago, but they’ve hit a home run.
Meanwhile, Maryland is left in a really tough situation. The Terrapins should have been celebrating a fantastic season, but even recent days there’s been this distraction about Willard’s potential departure. We’re not saying that impacted their performance in the Sweet Sixteen, but it certainly undermines the Terrapins’ successful season.
Regardless of what happened these last few days, an incredible Maryland program will likely look very different next season with a new coaching staff and a very different roster. The Terrapins certainly still have a chance to bring in a great new head coach, but the Transfer Portal has been open for nearly a week already and that new staff is already behind the 8-ball. Can the Terrapins grab someone akin to or better than Willard?