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Kevin Willard blasts Maryland AD, says uncertainty clouds his future

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Kevin Willard says his Maryland team was denied an extra night in New York City last December to celebrate Christmas together because it was “too expensive.”

At a press conference ahead of Maryland’s first-round game in the NCAA Tournament against Grand Canyon, the Terrapins’ third-year head coach addressed rumors linking him to the vacant Villanova job and took shots at the leadership of the athletic department in the process.

“I don’t know how we can be a top-tier program and I can’t spend one extra night in New York because it’s too expensive,” Willard said. “So there’s fundamental things I’m fighting for for my team and my program.”

Willard told players on Thursday he plans to stay in College Park, according to a report from Inside Maryland Sports. But he has grown aggrieved by the lack of a clear path forward for the Terps’ program.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday that Maryland athletic director Damon Evans is the primary target for the same position at SMU. Evans, who has been in place at Maryland since 2017, is expected to make the move official in the coming days.

And Willard all but confirmed he was gone during his media availability.

“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. Damon’s talked to my agent. I talked to Damon this morning at length about where we are,” Willard said. “Obviously it’s difficult right now because I think we know his situation. He’s probably going to SMU, so it’s kind of tough to negotiate with somebody that’s maybe not here.”

According to Inside Maryland Sports, Willard is particularly displeased with Maryland’s plan to allocate just around $4 million in its rev-share budget for basketball. The Terps, a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament following a 25-8 season, will likely have players who are courted by bigger programs with deeper budgets this offseason.

An agreement on a contract extension has not been reached because, as Willard says, he hasn’t gotten assurances about the level of support he’ll receive going forward.

“I want this program to be great. 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. When you’re at a place for 3 years and you put your heart and soul into it, you kind of sit there and say, ‘OK, wait a second, for us to be really successful, X, Y, and Z needs to change.’

“First and foremost, I need to make sure that we are where we are with NIL, and rev-share is not where we’ve been with NIL over the past 2 years. We’ve been one of the worst, if not lowest, in the NIL in the last 2 years.”

 

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.