Maryland Basketball: Head coach Kevin Willard says $10 million commitment came from 'dinner buddy'
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On Monday, Maryland Athletics announced a massive $10 million commitment from an anonymous donor geared specifically toward helping the men's basketball program. On Tuesday, head coach Kevin Willard opened up about the incredible financial commitment and what it means for the Maryland Men's Basketball program.
"One of the biggest draws about this program is... everyone talks about the DMV and the recruiting stuff, but we have 400,000 unbelievable alumni," Willard said. "And the person that gave this gift is a monster, monster fan of the program and has been for a long, long time."
Willard went on to shed some light on the anonymous donor, leaving the rest of us to speculate who his dinner buddy on the road might be.
"He's my dinner buddy on the road, so to speak," Willard said. "But we have so many great alumni at this great university. And we have a ton of very passionate alumni about the basketball program, and this particular person just wanted to give a legacy for the program. I think it shows just the history of the program. It really has nothing to do with me, he doesn't like me that much. I think it has more to do with how great this program has been."
#Terps head coach Kevin Willard on the $10M commitment: “Everyone talks about the DMV and the recruiting stuff, but we have 400,000 unbelievable alumni…this particular person just wanted to give a legacy for the program. I mean, I think it shows just the history of the program” https://t.co/xBOfnWpJwX pic.twitter.com/v5lci0JChZ
— Inside the Black & Gold (@Insideblackgold) January 28, 2025
You can read Monday's official announcement from the university below:
COLLEGE PARK, MD --The University of Maryland Athletic Department and Terrapin Club has received a $10 million philanthropic commitment in support of Maryland Men's Basketball, Damon Evans, the Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics announced. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, hopes to inspire others who share a vision for athletic excellence to follow their philanthropic lead by further supporting Maryland Athletics and the Terrapin Club.
The anonymous commitment will help support the priorities of the men's basketball program and its greatest needs through a newly established program-support endowment. The proceeds from the endowment will fund men's basketball operational needs in perpetuity.
"The philanthropic support from our donors plays a pivotal role in ensuring the continued success and growth of Maryland Athletics, providing our student-athletes with the resources and opportunities to excel both on and off the playing surface," said Evans. "Investments in our programs like basketball not only strengthen the future of Terrapin Athletics but also foster a lasting legacy of excellence and achievement for generations to come.
"This gift comes following Steve Schanwald's $18 million overall gift to the University of Maryland with $10 million supporting Maryland Athletics in early December. The anonymous gift of $10 million is tied for the third-largest gift in Maryland Athletics history and marks the second recent $10 million commitment made to the Athletic Department.
To learn more about how you can support Maryland Athletics, visit umterps.com, giving.umd.edu/athletics or reach out directly to the Terrapin Club at301-314-7020 or tclub@umd.edu.
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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.
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