Maryland head coach Kevin Willard is attached to multiple job openings in college basketball. The 49-year-old has yet to sign a contract extension with his current program and does not seem interested in doing so if Damon Evans is going to remain as the athletic director in College Park.
He completely threw him under the bus during a scathing rant at the NCAA Tournament. It could mean one of two things.
Willard was hired by Maryland in 2022 after a long stint at Seton Hall. The Terrapins won 25 college basketball games for the first time since 2016 this season to receive a No. 5-seed in March Madness. They were paired with the Grand Canyon Antelopes in the first round on Friday afternoon.
However, as good as the ‘Crab Five’ may be, a lot of the chatter surrounding the Maryland program is about its head coach’s imminent departure. Willard is considered the top candidate at Villanova. It was even reported that he was formally offered the job. But will he accept?
According to multiple sources in the DMV, Kevin Willard supposedly told his players that he is not going to leave them for Philadelphia. That may or may not be true. That may or may not matter.
Either way, Willard is not happy with the current state of the athletic department at Maryland. His frustrations are specifically focused on the athletic director. He threw Damon Evans under the bus.
Willard specifically took aim at Evans’ unwillingness to spend money and a lack of resources. The Terrapins were told that they could not stay an extra night in New York for the NCAA Tournament because it was “too expensive.” Their head coach finds that to be ridiculous.
During his media availability, Kevin Willard addressed the ongoing rumors about him leaving the program. He confirms that Damon Evans “is probably going to SMU” and that he’s been negotiating for more resources for the basketball program. Listen here: pic.twitter.com/GC01JIeOyg
— Inside Maryland Sports (@Terrapins247) March 20, 2025
As Kevin Willard said, Evans is likely going to leave Maryland to become the athletic director at SMU. That could completely change the coaching cycle in college basketball.
If Evans stays, Willard might be more inclined to take the job at Villanova. If Evans does not stay, Willard set himself up for additional resources — both physical (buildings, etc.) and financial — along with his new contract to stay with the Terrapins. Only time will tell.