Kevin Willard knows that Maryland fans hate him
In this story:
On Monday, The Baltimore Sun published a story that provided incredible insight into Kevin Willard's tenure at Maryland, along with his messy exit following the NCAA Tournament. According to the report, Willard was unhappy with the lack of resources at Maryland almost immediately after taking the job back in 2022. That frustration carried throughout Willard's time in College Park, ultimately leading him to take another job following the 2024-25 season.
Just days after being hired in 2022, Kevin Willard told a Maryland booster "I've never seen a place that cares less about winning in basketball than this."
— Taylor Lyons (@taylorjlyons) June 9, 2025
Inside Willard and Damon Evans' falling out and how Maryland is moving forward. https://t.co/4QzlnWQCj7
"Willard's instantly fractured relationship with his own athletic department splintered from there over the next three years, developing into a cold resentment for former athletic director Damon Evans that led to a messy breakup and a dark cloud that hovered over the men's basketball team's drama-filled run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament."
On Wednesday, college basketball analyst Seth Davis followed up on that report with his own reporting on Willard. But this time, Willard himself took part in the report, acknowledging that things got ugly at the end.
Kevin Willard has been busy rebuilding @NovaMBB but he understands the bad feelings at Maryland will linger. My story for Hoops HQ @hhqsports @TerrapinHoops https://t.co/mOgOJs2KMY
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) June 11, 2025
"I know it turned out ugly, but I love that place. It's a great place," Willard told Davis. "I like the fan base. I know they hate me, but I loved living there. I loved everything about it."
Despite his reported issues with the lack of resources in College Park, Willard said he intended to remain as the head coach of the Terrapins moving forward. But that plan changed when former athletic director Damon Evans took another job, which was right around the same time Willard learned that he was a leading candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Villanova. According to Willard, it was essentially a perfect storm of circumstances that led to his exit.
Willard also pushed back on the belief that misled his players regarding his future plans.
"I was as honest with my players as I was with the media," Willard told Davis. "I told them exactly what was happening. They knew exactly what was going on the whole time. Why do you think they played so well?"
Although it's interesting to hear Willard's interpretation of how everything went down, it's unlikely to change the minds of Maryland fans. There's no doubt that he deserves some credit for the impressive run the Terps went on last season. But unfortunately for Willard, that impressive run will always be overshadowed by the way it ended.
You can read the full report from Davis HERE.
- Enjoy more Maryland coverage on Maryland Terrapins On SI -
More Maryland News
Maryland football star makes major jersey change, signs with major NIL firm
Scott Van Pelt reveals his 'sleeper' for Maryland basketball next season
Maryland Basketball: Dispute arises over Ja'Kobi Gillespie's unpaid $100,000 NIL claim
Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
Follow TWH_Chris