Kevin Willard officially left for Villanova on Sunday, and now, finally, the University has responded to the saga.
On the team athletics website Sunday afternoon, University of Maryland president Darryll Pines and interim AD Colleen Sorem posted a letter to Terrapin Nation stating the school ‘took a very proactive and aggressive’ approach to try to retain Willard.
“Coach Willard led the Terps on an incredible run this season. The Crab 5, Derik Queen’s miraculous buzzer-beater, and a Sweet 16 berth. This was a season to remember,” the statement read. “We took a very proactive and aggressive approach to retain Coach Willard, offering a significant contract extension and salary increase, new staff, and one of the highest revenue-share budgets in the B1G Conference. We had long and thoughtful conversations about the program and shared the same vision for Maryland Basketball. In the end, he made the choice that he felt was best for him and his family.”
The letter thanked Willard and wished him well, and said a national search is already underway to find his replacement.
“We are working with urgency and thoroughness to find the next leader of our program, and we are confident that we will find a coach who will continue to build and grow the legacy of success of Maryland Basketball,” the statement read, before messages to the team and the fans:
“To our team, Derik, Malachi, Braden, Chance, DeShawn, Lukas, Rodney, Tafara, Ja'Kobi, Jahari, Ben, Jay, Selton, Jordan, and Juju, and coaches, Coach Cox, Coach Norris, Coach Manning, Coach Harris and Coach Petty: We thank you for making us all proud this season.
“To our fans: Your support this season was incredible – from our home games at XFINITY Center to our postseason travels in Indianapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco. We thank each and every one of you for believing in the Terps.”