Rumors are flying, but here's the real deal on Kevin Willard and Maryland
After a weekend-long flirtation with another school, reports surfaced that Kevin Willard has locked in his future as Maryland basketball's coach. Here's where things really stand.
After a weekend-long flirtation with another school, reports surfaced that Kevin Willard has locked in his future as Maryland basketball's coach. Here's where things really stand.
Jon Rothstein reported Sunday afternoon a significant raise and increased revenue-sharing combined the third-year Maryland coach not to consider the Villanova job if offered. As reported by Inside Maryland Sports earlier Sunday, legendary former Nova coach Jay Wright, who's still closely involved with the program, covets Willard.
"Sources: Maryland is working on a new contract for Kevin Willard that will make him one of the Top 10 highest paid coaches in college basketball. The deal will include one of the highest revenue share budgets in the country along with a new $50 million dollar practice facility," he wrote on X.
A university source characterized that report as accurate. But multiple sources with knowledge of the situation said that while some discussion has taken place, no deal was done as of Sunday afternoon and Willard was more focused on preparing his team for the NCAA Tournament with the selection show hours away. It's possible, though, that a new deal could get done before long.
Villanova would be a move back to his Big East roots, and the program is very well-funded, boasting a $6 million payroll as of about a year ago, when Maryland's was about $3 million. But Willard is a family man who seems unlikely to uproot his family three years after moving from Seton Hall, especially after building momentum this season with a team ranked 11th in the AP Poll entering the season and a dangerous profile entering the NCAA Tournament. A successful March Madness rum would earn him long-term security, which would be risky to relinquish by taking another job.
Willard is likely to address the topic tonight during his Selection Sunday media availability session, a source told IMS.
Maryland made Willard happy by securing a deal with an exclusive analytics partner that's helped him evaluate game strategy, personnel and transfers' market values, a tool he's spoke glowingly about on several occasions. Otherwise, though, it's unknown what sort of concessions Maryland A.D. Damon Evans has or will offer Willard to pass on Villanova or any jobs elsewhere. In Maryland's initial plan with the $20.5 million allotted for revenue-sharing beginning next season, $4 million was earmarked for basketball. It's possible some of that money has been shifted to help the coach recruit top players.
"It's going to be amongst the highest revenue share numbers for a basketball teaming the country," a university source said.
It's also unclear why Rothstein painted the $50 million practice facility as an enticement to keep Willard. The movement to build it was launched years ago by former coach Mark Turgeon, and the building is inching toward completion after about two years of construction. A top 10 salary would also be a major hike for Willard, whose deal ranks 22nd nationally in pay; to get into the top 10, he'd need to be bumped past Alabama's Nate Oats, who makes slightly more than $5 million a year.
As always, I'll continue to report on this and keep you updated.
