Maryland basketball is back in the March Madness spotlight for the second time in three seasons. Kevin Willard has the Terrapins set to make an NCAA Tournament run. Except he sounds like he could depart from Maryland afterward.
Willard spoke at length about his future via Inside the Black and Gold Thursday. The 49-year-old head coach is hearing his name linked to new college basketball openings. Willard’s contract surfaced four days ago. But changes have arisen ahead of Maryland’s March Madness debut.
Maryland is already dealing with athletic director Damon Evans heading to SMU. Willard’s words, though, plant his own seeds for a possible departure.
“I’ve addressed it with them directly. I’ll say this: Damon and I talked on Sunday night right before Selection Sunday. He gave me a term sheet right before Selection Sunday. I really wasn’t focused on it. Been focused on this team and this,” Willard said.
Willard adds that Evans spoke to Willard’s agent, then spoke “at length” with the former AD about where things stand. But Evans is leaving to accept the SMU AD opening — which Willard said makes it “tough” to negotiate with someone.
Kevin Willard addresses other concerns with Maryland
Willard wasn’t through with diving into his pending future at College Park. He explained his new deal hasn’t been done due to Evans’s situation. But he expressed multiple wishes for the Terrapins basketball team.
“I want this program to be great,” Willard shared. “I want it to be the best in the country, I want to win a national championship, but there’s things that need to change.”
Willard then revealed he hopes NIL and revenue share are two changes that take place.
“We’ve been one of the worse, if not lowest, in the NIL in the last two years,” Willard said. “So that’s first and foremost. I also have to make a fundamental change where I can do the things that I want to do with my program.”
Willard is expressing financial concerns moving forward for Maryland. The changing landscape of college basketball has clearly placed Maryland behind compared to other power conference programs.
The third-year UM coach is preparing his team against a trending Cinderella pick in Grand Canyon. The native of Huntington, New York is rising as a contender for the open Villanova job. Iowa is one more major CBB opening. Willard has distractions on his plate, including his contract, as he gets the Terps to navigate through the NCAA Tournament.
The post Kevin Willard’s urgent plea plants seeds for possible Maryland departure appeared first on ClutchPoints.
