Villanova Targeting a Coach Still in the NCAA Tournament?

While the Villanova Wildcats’ athletic department remains tight-lipped on their search for a head coach to replace Kyle Neptune, intriguing reports from around the college basketball landscape continue to trickle out.

Maryland head coach Kevin Willard made waves on Thursday, March 20 in a press conference ahead of his team’s NCAA Tournament appearance, describing how his contract talks with the Terrapins’ administration stalled out… and letting it slip that Athletic Director Damon Evans, his chief partner in negotiating a new deal, already has a foot out the door with an eye on the SMU job.

Adding another layer of maneuvering to the picture, McNeese State head coach Will Wade said that “Villanova’s trying to buy a coach out who’s in the NCAA Tournament right now” following his team’s upset win over Clemson.

At the time of Wade’s comment, coaches still active in the tournament — and reportedly on Villanova’s radar — included Willard, UCLA’s Mick Cronin and New Mexico’s Richard Pitino.

Admittedly, Villanova wouldn’t need to spend much to acquire Pitino due to a stipulation in his contract slashing his buyout number in half if former Lobos’ athletic director Eddie Nuñez left town. Nuñez jumped ship for Houston in June 2024, which could grease the gears for Villanova.

It’s impossible to say just how tapped in Will Wade is to the Wildcats’ coaching search, and whether he’s referring to one of Willard, Cronin and Pitino or another coach currently flying under the radar… but in light of Villanova’s tight lipped approach, the rumor mill accounts for most of the updates.

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