Some days ago, the new Pope was announced, and it appears that he attended Villanova. Pope Leo XIV, whose real name is Robert Prevost, studied at Villanova in 1977, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.
Kevin Willard was appointed the new head coach at Villanova earlier this year, and he’s been working to create a new culture with the Wildcats after leaving the Maryland Terrapins. Since the Wildcats gained a famous new fan, it’s all people are talking to Willard about.
Villanova HC Kevin Willard Shares Thoughts On ‘Cats’ Newest Fan
In an interview on his show, Jon Rothstein asked Kevin Willard if he still eats once a day, and the coach replied, “Yes”. But when asked if he would still eat once a day if he met the Pope, Willard had jokes. “Oh, no. I’ll eat 12 meals a day if I get to meet the Pope,” Willard jokingly said.
“It’s so cool. I’m excited. I think it’s not only great for Villanova. I think it’s great for the American Church to have a Pope that was born in America. I just think it’s going to do a lot for religion in this country. So, I think it’s really cool for Villanova, but it’s really cool for America in general,” Willard explained.
Willard was further quizzed about whether he’d ever received as many calls or texts as he did when the Pope was announced.
“I didn’t know what was going on, I was driving home, I was driving back to Maryland to go home, and all of a sudden, my phone was just blowing up. I’m like ‘Oh gosh! Something happened.’ And then I saw it [all the photos and memes]. It was funny and awesome, but I’ve never received that many texts in my life.”
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Kevin Willard is set to begin his own legacy at a historic program. He joins a team that finished with a 21-15 record and 11-9 during Big East conference play earlier this year, and he acknowledges that Villanova is a place where winning championships is what it’s all about.
Under Wright, Villanova won the 2016 and 2018 NCAA national championships. They’ve produced NBA superstars such as Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson, who are currently in the playoffs trying to secure their first NBA championship.
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