The Villanova Wildcats are ready to move on with Maryland’s Kevin Willard as their new coach. Willard had been linked to the Villanova job throughout the NCAA Tournament, where the Terrapins earned a No.

SAN ANTONIO -- Before taking the Villanova job this past weekend, Kevin Willard had a phone conversation with Jay Wright from the back of Willard’s deck.

One of the deciders in the process was none other than Jay Wright, Willard’s former adversary over a decade coaching at Seton Hall. After formal conversations with university President Rev. Peter Donohue and athletic director Eric Roedl, Willard fired up the old Big East phone tree Saturday night.

“All I’m going to say is that Maryland just got a great coach in Buzz [Williams],” Willard said at the same time Williams was being introduced at a live press conference on campus. “I’m really happy for them, and I’m super excited to be in a great basketball conference here [in the Big East]. And I just think it’s time that everyone moved on.”

When Kevin Willard left Maryland, the worry was that he was going to take some Terrapins with him. So far, nobody has followed Willard to the 'Cats, but Maryland has lost almost its entire roster to this point to either graduation or the transfer portal.

A disorderly ending for Willard in College Park sends him back to the Big East, where he previously coached at Seton Hall

ESPN's Scott Van Pelt shared his thoughts about the way Kevin Willard left Maryland for Villanova. He didn't hold back.

Kyle Neptune had the unenviable task of succeeding Jay Wright, who delivered a pair of national championships and is the greatest coach in program history. Under Neptune, the Wildcats went 54-47 overall and only once in his three years had a winning record in the Big East.

The Villanova Wildcats have hired Maryland's Kevin Willard as their new coach. Willard had been linked to the Villanova job throughout the NCAA Tournament, where the Terrapins earned a No. 4 seed and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Florida.