Report: Villanova to Hire Kevin Willard as Next Head Coach

The Villanova Wildcats’ coaching search saga has reaching its conclusion, with the program reaching a deal with Maryland head coach Kevin Willard. Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports first broke the news.

The Wildcats will need to pay Maryland $2 million to buy Willard out of his contract if they formally agree to the deal on or before March 31; that number drops to $1.5 million on April 1. Details on his contract agreement with Villanova have yet to be announced. Willard, 49, possesses a 333-249 record all-time across stints with Iona, Seton Hall and Maryland, winning a Big East championship with the Pirates in 2016 and making the Sweet Sixteen with the Terrapins this season in spite of the rumors swirling around him and his eminent departure.

The Wildcats will lose all five of their starters this season to graduation, and with no incoming recruits in the class of 2025, they’ll need to hit the transfer portal to overhaul their roster. Per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Willard will meet with his team sometime on the morning of March 30 to discuss his departure: in recent seasons, many players have followed their head coach through the transfer portal, which could give Villanova a chance to fill those open spots.

Willard’s teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in seven of his 17 eligible seasons, but all seven of those appearances took place across the last nine tournaments: if anything, his career is trending up. Willard joins a Villanova program that last made the Big Dance in 2022, reaching the Final Four during what turned out as Jay Wright’s swan song as a head coach.