Thursday night marked the end of a very successful basketball season for Maryland, as the Terrapins fell to Florida in the Sweet Sixteen. This marked the first trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in nine seasons for the Terrapins, but a historic finish has already been overshadowed mere minutes after the season's conclusion.
Maryland coach Kevin Willard has been in the news lately due to his connection to the opening at Villanova. It's already an extremely awkward position that the Wildcats are in, with every other power conference coaching opening filled, only topped by the position that Maryland was put in.
While there's no direct correlation between this distraction and Maryland's loss on Thursday night, we might now have some clarity on this situation. There were already many reports and rumors that Willard would take the Villanova job regardless of the Terrapins' result this week or weekend and now their season is complete. Could we expect to see him in Philadelphia before the weekend even hits?
Based on the signals Willard has given in recent interviews, this result isn't completely unexpected. He's done a fantastic job building and leading this Maryland job into this position, but several factors weigh into this decision. There's a bit of upheaval with Maryland's athletic director's departure as well as how football impacts NIL at Maryland, an FBS school, versus Villanova, who sponsors an FCS program that takes up far fewer resources.
Beyond that, Willard did fantastic work in his three seasons in College Park, taking the Terrapins into this Sweet Sixteen after all. His work in the Big Ten was valuable and it's a big reason why Villanova was interested in him in the first place. They get a talented head coach who previously spent twelve years working in the Big East leading Seton Hall and also spent some time on Louisville's staff.
However, this clearly leaves Maryland in a rough spot, suddenly becoming the lone power conference program without a head coach. Several names will be quickly linked to the opening, but it's difficult with the Transfer Portal already open and many coaching decisions already made across the league.
Current George Mason coach Tony Skinn should be high on the list, but recently signed a hefty extension with the Patriots. Duane Simpkins, current head coach at American, is a Maryland alum with a great basketball background who could do great with the Terrapins as well. However, neither of these are really eye-popping hires even if they are two of the most mentioned names in recent days.
Could Maryland turn in another direction? There have been rumblings that Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams could jump at another opportunity. There's also the chance the Terrapins grab someone from the NBA or snatch an unexpected active coach that we didn't mention. One thing that's certain is that Willard got this program back to the Sweet Sixteen and might've been building something, but Maryland's loss is certainly Villanova's gain.