Latest news with #KevinWillard
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin basketball announces neutral site game against a Big East powerhouse
The Wisconsin Badgers are quietly putting together a phenomenal non-conference schedule for the 2025-2026 season. Earlier this week, the program announced a home-and-home series with BYU starting this winter in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a return game in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2026-2027. Today, the Badgers announced yet another neutral-site non-conference game, this one against the Villanova Wildcats at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on December 19th. CBS' Jon Rothstein reports a return matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2026-27. This matchup would be the first time the Badgers have faced the Wildcats since Wisconsin's upset win in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The No. 8-seed Badgers defeated the No. 1-seed and reigning national champion Wildcats on a last-second basket from forward Nigel Hayes. Advertisement 2025-26 will be Kevin Willard's first season as the head coach of the Wildcats after leaving Big Ten rival Maryland after the 2024-25 season. Willard went 2-3 against Wisconsin while coaching at Maryland, most recently defeating the Badgers 76-68 in College Park this past January. With games against BYU, Marquette, Kansas/Florida/Providence (Rady's Children's Invitational), and now Villanova, Wisconsin's non-conference schedule has become extremely competitive for this upcoming season. It should provide the team a golden opportunity to stack quality wins early in the season. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball 2025-26 schedule game Villanova Wildcats
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Maryland Terrapins hire former MLB exec as Director of Athletics
Maryland Terrapins hire former MLB exec as Director of Athletics The year of changes for the University of Maryland continues with more moves within the leadership of their athletic department. After a highly public split from men's basketball coach Kevin Willard and the hiring of charismatic Buzz Williams, more changes have come. Maryland has announced that James E. Smith, a former Major League Baseball executive, will be taking over as the university's new Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics, effective May 15, 2025. The hiring comes after a search was conducted to replace Damon Evans, who was part of the public separation that the university was handling. Smith has now given Maryland their new leader to help the athletic programs continue to develop. Smith joins Maryland after an impressive career that has seen him work with Ohio State and the Atlanta Braves in leadership capacities. While with the Braves, he has worked to help their brand and marketing strategies grow, which has helped Atlanta land the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. "Jim is a proven and exceptional talent who has excelled in a variety of professional sports organizations. He will be a wonderful addition to the Big Ten Athletic Director group and I look forward to working with him," Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said about the hire.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball unveils 2025-26 Big Ten Conference schedule
Wisconsin basketball unveils 2025-26 Big Ten Conference schedule Wisconsin basketball announced its 2025-2026 Big Ten Conference schedule on Tuesday morning. The slate, as is the case in the expanded conference, is jam-packed with marquee matchups. The Badgers will play Minnesota, Ohio State, and Purdue both home and away next season. All three programs have had solid offseasons to date, so there's a good chance those contests are tightly contested. Purdue is expected to be a top-three team in the nation entering the season, so that home matchup will be one to look out for. As for the rest of the home games, the notable opponents are Maryland, Michigan State, UCLA, and USC. Maryland just lost head coach Kevin Willard to Villanova, eventually hiring Buzz Williams as his replacement. Michigan State is the reigning Big Ten regular-season champion and always presents a tough test for Greg Gard's program. Both of the new Big Ten members from California, UCLA and USC, will face Wisconsin at the Kohl Center this season, which will be each of their first time doing so in conference. UCLA should carry a high ranking entering the year after the massive addition of New Mexico guard Donovan Dent. USC, meanwhile, will be entering its second campaign under head coach Eric Musselman. The Trojans have also impressed as of late, landing Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara from the transfer portal. Wisconsin's road schedule is tough, as expected. The Badgers will travel to four schools that made the NCAA Tournament last season (Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, and Purdue). These teams will again be some of the best in the conference, making those games pivotal in the Big Ten regular-season race. Overall, Wisconsin has a balanced schedule, both hosting and visiting multiple tournament teams. Thanks to the program's impressive incoming transfer and high school recruiting class, all signs point toward an exciting 2025-26 season in Madison. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Washington Post
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Kevin Willard says he'll maintain culture Jay Wright built while trying to turn around Villanova
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Kevin Willard paid homage to Villanova basketball standard-bearer Jay Wright on Wednesday and pledged to foster the Wright-built culture of attitude, hard work and toughness while he attempts to return the Wildcats to their place among the nation's elite. The school announced Willard's hiring March 30, three days after his Maryland team lost in the NCAA Sweet 16. He said at his introductory news conference he sought Wright's blessing before he accepted the job.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kevin Willard says he'll maintain culture Jay Wright built while trying to turn around Villanova
Maryland head coach Kevin Willard speaks to reporters during a press conference, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in San Francisco, ahead of a Sweet 16 game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Maryland head coach Kevin Willard reacts during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament game against Florida, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Maryland head coach Kevin Willard reacts during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament game against Florida, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Maryland head coach Kevin Willard speaks to reporters during a press conference, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in San Francisco, ahead of a Sweet 16 game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Maryland head coach Kevin Willard reacts during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament game against Florida, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Kevin Willard paid homage to Villanova basketball standard-bearer Jay Wright on Wednesday and pledged to foster the Wright-built culture of attitude, hard work and toughness while he attempts to return the Wildcats to their place among the nation's elite. The school announced Willard's hiring March 30, three days after his Maryland team lost in the NCAA Sweet 16. He said at his introductory news conference he sought Wright's blessing before he accepted the job. Advertisement "He sent me one of the greatest texts I've ever got: 'I am behind you 100%. You are the right guy at the right time for this,'' Willard said. Wright left coaching in 2022 after leading the Wildcats to six Big East titles, 16 NCAA Tournaments, four Final Fours and two national championships in 21 seasons. Kyle Neptune, who succeeded Wright, was 54-47 overall and 31-29 in Big East play in three years with no NCAA appearances. Wright, 2016 national championship game hero Kris Jenkins and Big East commissioner Val Ackerman were among the attendees at the news conference. The Wildcats got a Big East guy in Willard, save for the three years he was at Maryland. Willard was a six-year assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville, which was in the Big East in Willard's last two years there, and he was head coach at Seton Hall from 2010-22. Advertisement 'I feel like I'm in the prime of my coaching career," Williard said. 'I just turned 50. I'm blessed to have two kids who are going to go off to college soon. My wife and I, we're going to be empty-nesters, so this is my life. This was my wife and I making a decision together where we wanted to spend, technically, my last job.' Willard said he has been busy assembling his roster. He said he has done about 120 recruiting-related Zoom calls in the past week. All five starters have exhausted their eligibility, and three reserves have entered the transfer portal so far. 'I'm extremely confident in my staff and I about what we're going to build and how we're going to build it,' he said. 'We're making sure we're doing it the right way with the kids we want. We're going to lose some kids to the portal. That's understandable." Willard's parting with the Terrapins wasn't clean. During media appearances last month, he publicly campaigned for more resources and said Maryland's funding for name, image and likeness pay was woefully inadequate. Advertisement The headline-making scuttlebutt prompted him to open his Villanova news conference with self-deprecating humor. 'I'm going to be brief because I've learned over the last two weeks it's probably better to say less than it is more,' Willard said, drawing laughs. 'I promised my wife I'd be on my best behavior.' Willard said the college sports environment has become 'out of control' the last three years with athletes allowed to earn money for endorsements, and more challenges await once revenue sharing begins as soon as July. 'The average person just doesn't understand what's going on with transfer portal, NIL, how much money is being spent,' he said. "This is the greatest sport, in my opinion. We are in the Northeast. It's the best area to play college basketball. Advertisement 'I think we all hope there are some guardrails put in place to not only help the schools — I think the schools are going to be tremendously challenged the next three, four years — but also to help the players and give them some guidelines and some rules that will help them stay in school longer, be part of a family like this, a culture like this.' ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: and
