Kevin Willard Advocates for Shaheen Holloway Amid Coaching Uncertainty

The Seton Hall coach doesn't know if he will return next year, but he did say who should replace him if he's not.

Seton Hall’s season ended Friday night with a 69–42 loss to TCU in the round of 64, but that also might be Kevin Willard’s last game as Seton Hall’s head coach.

Jon Rothstein reports Maryland has “zeroed in” on Willard to be their new head coach.

When asked about it after the game, Willard dodged the question, instead deciding to name who he thinks should be his successor if he moves on.

“When I get home tomorrow I will discuss things with my agent. I'll be honest: If I'm not here next year, if Shaheen Holloway is here, that would be the happiest thing that ever happened to me,” Willard said.

Willard on job rumors: "When I get home tomorrow I will discuss things with my agent. I'll be honest: If I'm not here next year, if Shaheen Holloway is here, that would be the happiest thing that ever happened to me"

— Jerry Carino (@NJHoopsHaven) March 19, 2022

Willard has been at Seton Hall since 2010 and took the Pirates to the NCAA tournament five times in that span. He is coming off a 21–11 season in South Orange, but the team went 12–10 in its final 22 games.

Holloway is currently the coach at Saint Peter’s, the team that just upset Kentucky as a No. 15 seed in the tournament. Holloway has been coaching Saint Peter’s for four seasons, steadily improving the team that culminated in MAAC conference championship.

He also played for Seton Hall between 1996 and ’00, which included hitting a clutch shot as a senior to beat Oregon in the 2000 NCAA tournament.

Great moment for Saint Peter’s HC Shaheen Holloway, a Queens native & one of nation’s best high school guards in the class of ‘96. I’m sure this was noted on the broadcast, but this isn’t the first March highlight for Holloway, Ian Eagle & Jim Spanarkel: pic.twitter.com/ufQwpmyGzD

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 18, 2022

Holloway then spent eight years as an assistant on Willard’s staff with Seton Hall before ultimately getting the Saint Peter’s job in 2018.

So while Willard said he is contemplating his future, he knows more than anyone if Holloway would be a good hire as his replacement.