Maryland men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard is leaving the Terps and will become the next coach at Villanova.

Villanova is hiring Kevin Willard as its next men’s basketball coach, according to multiple reports, ending a coaching search that began when Villanova fired Kyle Neptune on March 15. Inside Maryland Sports was first to report Willard had accepted the job.

While athletic director Damon Evans is seemingly heading to Southern Methodist University, Willard said he needs to see improved resources for the men’s basketball program before signing a new deal.

Willard guided Maryland to the NCAA Tournament two times in three seasons, including the 2025 trip to the Sweet 16. What's next?

"We took a very proactive and aggressive approach to retain Coach Willard, offering a significant contract extension and salary increase, new staff, and one of the highest revenue

A disorderly ending for Willard in College Park sends him back to the Big East, where he previously coached at Seton Hall

Villanova hired Maryland’s Kevin Willard as its new coach Sunday to replace the fired Kyle Neptune, according to a report from the Associated Press. The report comes just days after the Maryland men's basketball team lost to Florida in the Sweet 16.

Ding dong, Kevin Willard is gone. Good riddance, Maryland fans cried Sunday after 10 days of feeling captive to their (former) basketball coach’s leverage play. What Willard initially pitched as his public crusade to elevate Maryland’s men’s program quickly morphed into a more cynical episode as it became clear he probably would decamp to Villanova.

Finally, some clarity for Maryland after an awkward, uncomfortable few weeks. Kevin Willard to Villanova is done. It comes days after Florida dispatched Maryland in Thursday's Sweet 16 and ended an internal saga that had turned public and a bit nasty.