Willard has been connected to the Villanova coaching search for weeks so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. The 49-year-old just finished his best season at Maryland, in which the Terrapins went 27-9 and reached the Sweet 16 in the 2025 NCAA tournament. That followed his first two seasons, which would generously be deemed up and down.

Willard left Maryland with a 65-39 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He is fresh off his best season with the program, in which he constructed a talented roster dubbed the "Crab Five" and earned a second-place finish in the Big Ten and a trip to the Sweet 16.

Villanova is set to hire Maryland head coach Kevin Willard, according to ESPN. The former Iona and Seton Hall head coach leaves the Terrapins after three seasons and returns to the Big East. Willard steps in for Kyle Neptune,