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Maryland Head Coach Facing Backlash After Sweet 16 Loss Amid Coaching Rumors

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Mar 27, 2025 10:56 PM ET

The Sweet 16 kicked off on Thursday with No. 2 seed Alabama defeating No. 6 BYU, 113-88 and No. Florida topping No. 4 Maryland, 87-71.

It was a double-digit victory for both favorites to start the Swet 16 round. For Maryland, the season ends with a massive question mark regarding head coach Kevin Williard.

The Terrapins coach has seen his name be linked to the Villanova job for quite some time. Ahead of the Sweet 16 game, Willard deflected those rumblings, saying, “As of right now, I’m staying."

After Maryland's loss, Willard stepped up to the podium and spoke in detail about the game and what will come next.

"No, I don't know what I'm doing," Willard said when asked about his future, per NBC4 Sports. "I haven't talked to my agent, I haven't talked to my wife, I made a promise to this team that I was going to just focus on this team."

"I have an agent. I'm sure he's talking to people... I don't know," Willard added.

Willard: "My biggest concerns in life right now, I don't know who my boss is going to be, the guy who brought me here who I really liked, appreciative of him bringing me to College Park, is not here anymore and I don't know who we're going to hire... that worries me a little bit"
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) March 28, 2025

As a result, fans are not too thrilled with Willard, and the Maryland head coach was the center of quite a bit of backlash.

"Kevin Willard with a shameful showing in his press conference to cap a shameful end to his three years here. Get the hell out of Maryland and stay out," Jason La Canfora wrote.

"Seems like some mistruths in this answer," USA Today's Dan Wolken wrote.

" An all time loser," wrote another.

"This dude stinks," wrote another.

"A bad coach and a bad liar," said another.

"This guy stinks. Made it all about him," another fan said.

Several fans wrote that he is gone.

Oh he’s GONE gone. https://t.co/hUPFEY21bR
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopHoops_) March 28, 2025

Willard also skipped a team dinner prior to the Sweet 16 game in a move that rubbed fans the wrong way as well.

Villanova fired Kyle Neptune, and all signs point to Willard, at least leading up to the Sweet 16. Willard was at Iona and Seton Hall before coming to Maryland, and he finished his third season with the Terrapins.

It will be interesting to see if Willard ends up getting the Villanova job or not, but the postgame comments sure don't have fans thrilled with his actions.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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