Experienced coach Kevin Willard was recently announced as the new head coach at Villanova, replacing Kevin Neptune, who was fired after failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Willard has spent the last three years at Maryland, coming off his third season, going 27-9, and reaching the Sweet 16.
Kevin Willard Reflects on Big East Coaching Legends
Speaking to John Fanta of CBS Sports in a sit-down interview, coach Willard discussed his vision for the program, and what his expectations were going into his first season.
“It’s special it is. I’ve had some time to really think about it, but I got to see Jay build this program, and I have so much respect for the way he coached, for the fan base, how great they are.” Willard explained when talking about former Villanova head coach Jay Wright.
Willard also revealed that he contacted Wright before making his decision to join the program.
“I texted Jay last Saturday. I think it was 9 p.m. My wife and I are sitting there having a glass of wine, and I said, ‘Jay, I’m not doing this if you don’t think, if I’m not the right guy.’ [He] sent me an unbelievable text saying, ‘You’re the right guy, I want you there. I’m 100% behind you,'” Willard said.
NEW: I sit down with new Villanova head coach Kevin Willard to break down why he took the job, this being his final destination, his vision for the roster, what his expectations are in Philadelphia, being back in the Big East and much more. The complete 1-on-1: pic.twitter.com/NwVWvV4LY6
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) April 10, 2025
Willard also discussed how excited he is to be coaching against some of the Big East’s top coaches, including the likes of Greg McDermott, Ed Cooley, and Dan Hurley.
“The respect I have for the coaches in this league, obviously what Dan has done at UConn, I don’t have to talk about Coach Patino, who is arguably the greatest College coach of all time, Ed Cooley and I have had battles, the list goes on,” Willard told Fanta.
“The coaches are, I’m looking forward to go battle against them, since I have so much respect for them.” Willard concluded.
Villanova To Be Kevin Willard’s Final Stop
In his opening press conference as the head coach of Villanova, Willard revealed that this would be his last coaching stint, citing age as the main factor behind his decision.
“I’m not coaching until I’m 70, not in today’s environment,” Willard told the media during his press conference. “It was a big decision for us. It was an extremely hard decision for us.”
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Willard also revealed the reason he chose Villanova as his final destination, citing the culture and community as the main driving force behind his decision.
“But when we looked at all the pros and cons and being part of the Villanova family, being back part of a small community that we were used to for 15 years at Iona and Seton Hall, that was a huge decision,” Willard said.
Willard will open his 2025-26 schedule with a clash in Las Vegas against BYU at the T-Mobile Arena.
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