Kevin Willard addresses coaching rumors amid contract talks, potential Maryland AD change

As Maryland got ready for its NCAA Tournament opener against Grand Canyon, the school was working toward a new contract for Kevin Willard. His name has come up in connection with multiple job openings, including Villanova, after leading the Terrapins to a No. 4 seed in March Madness.

But another wrinkle emerged Thursday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Maryland AD Damon Evans is the target for the same position at SMU, meaning a leadership change could be on the way. That adds a wrinkle to Willard’s future, and he addressed it all Thursday.

Speaking with reporters ahead of Friday’s game, Willard said he received a term sheet before Sunday’s NCAA Tournament selection show. He pointed out conversations centered around NIL and revenue-sharing that were part of the contract talks if Maryland wants to be a “top-tier program.”

“I’ve addressed it with [the team] directly,” Willard said. “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. Damon’s talked to my agent. I talked to Damon this morning at length about where we are. 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. But I need to make fundamental changes to the program. That’s what I’m focused on right now.

“That’s why probably a deal hasn’t got done because I want to see – I need to see fundamental changes done. 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 three years and you put your heart and soul into it, you kind of sit there and say okay, wait a second for us to be really successful X, Y and Z needs to change and 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 two he years. We’ve been one of the worse, if not lowest, in the NIL in the last two years. So that’s first and foremost.”

Kevin Willard: ‘There’s fundamental things I’m fighting for’ at Maryland

NIL and rev-sharing aren’t the only areas Kevin Willard wants to address in his new contract, though. He noted an instance this past season when he wanted to give Maryland one extra day in New York following a win over Syracuse at Barclays Center, but he was told it would cost too much to do so.

Although he’s “confident” a deal will come together, Willard said the ability to spent some extra money is one of the “fundamental things” he wants. That, he said, is the key to making sure the program can compete at the highest level.

“I also have to make a fundamental change where I can do the things that I want to do with my program,” Willard said. “I wanted to spend an extra night in New York this year to celebrate Christmas with my team and I was told that we can’t do that because it’s too expensive. So 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. So there’s fundamental things I’m fighting for for my team and my program. It’s not so much about me. I want to make sure that whatever we do going forward we’re successful and we’re successful at the highest rate.

“So I am confident that we’ll get things done. It’s a little difficult right now, I’m not going to lie, but I’m confident that no matter who we’re negotiating with at the end of the day, this program’s going to be in a great spot and that’s really my focus is this Tournament, this team, and this program.”