After the SMU Mustangs poached athletic director Damon Evans from the Maryland Terrapins, men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard raised questions about his future with the program. On Saturday night, Willard left for Villanova, leaving Maryland with significant questions surrounding their sudden coaching vacancy.
Willard was hired by Evans to take over the Terps’ basketball program ahead of the 2022 season. Maryland twice made the NCAA Tournament, including this season, thanks to a 27-9 record. Following his boss’s departure, Willard was critical of the state of the school’s NIL program. While Maryland wanted to sign its coach to a multi-year extension, his apprehension with the program’s issues opened the door for Villanova.
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Villanova landed its top head-coaching target on Saturday night, with ESPN reporting the two sides agreed to a multi-year deal. With the Terrapins now without a head coach, coming off two NCAA Tournament appearances in three years, one name is already emerging in a coaching search.
According to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68, Texas A&M Aggies coach Buzz Williams is “trying to get involved” as a candidate to become the next Maryland men’s basketball coach.
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Williams, age 52, has been very successful in recent years with the Aggies’ basketball program. He replaced Billy Kennedy following a 14-18 record during the 2018-’19 season. After posting a 24-24 record in his first two seasons at Texas A&M, Williams has now pulled off four consecutive seasons with at least 21 wins.
Thanks to Williams, the Aggies have reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years for the first time since 2009-’11 under Mark Turgeon. Texas A&M also had its highest seeding in the tournament, No. 4 seed, this season.
The next Maryland coach will be taking over a program that is set to lose freshman Derik Queen, who will be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. There are also questions regarding the future of guards Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice with the Terps.
Considering Williams’s interest in taking over the Terrapins, especially without an athletic director following Evans’s departure, he could emerge as a leading candidate to take over at Maryland.