Kevin Willard is leaving his position as Maryland men’s basketball coach after three seasons to take the same job at Villanova, according to people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, ending a saga that started just before the Terrapins began play in the NCAA tournament this month and stretched through their exit Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
The move, which was first reported by InsideMDSports, comes on the heels of fourth-seeded Maryland falling to top-seeded Florida in Thursday’s West Region semifinals in San Francisco. The loss ended the Terps’ longest run in the NCAA tournament in nine years, accompanied by myriad distractions away from the court.