Report: Villanova to Meet With Kevin Willard, Finalize Deal

Villanova Men’s Basketball stands on the verge of signing their next head coach.

Per a report from Tommy Godin of VU Hoops, the Wildcats will meet with Maryland head coach Kevin Willard sometime during the weekend of March 28 — perhaps as early as Friday night — to finalize a deal… “barring any unforeseen changes,” an important qualifier in the wake of Willard’s up-and-down contract saga.

Willard appeared on the verge of signing a reworked contract with the Terrapins on March 16 that stood to make him among the top ten highest paid coaches in the sport while simultaneously devoting massive funds to the basketball program through resources like revenue sharing and NIL. Instead, he put Maryland’s administration on blast during his next media appearance… and made a bevy of headlines during the press conferences that followed.

Willard, 49, possesses an all-time record of 335-249 between Iona, Seton Hall and Maryland. That includes a 4-7 record across seven NCAA Tournaments in a total of 17 eligible seasons, a Big East tournament championship and a Sweet Sixteen appearance with the Terrapins this season. His contract buyout currently stands at $2 million, but that will drop to $1.5 million if Villanova finalizes the contract on or after April 1 when the new league year begins.