NCAAB · 8 months ago

Top Coaching Candidates for Villanova Wildcats

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Buzz Williams - Texas A&M Aggies
Buzz Williams is such a bizarre case study. He wins and seems well-respected amongst his peers, but he bolts from jobs seemingly every five to six years, and when he leaves, fan bases and administrations never seem particularly upset that he is gone. A meticulous planner, Williams is rumored to want out at Texas A&M and is linked to nearly every opening. If things go sideways in this search, the Wildcats could get Williams if they wanted him, and he would probably elevate the program back into the NCAA Tournament consistently before he bolts for another job in a few years.

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1. Kevin Willard - Maryland Terrapins
The Villanova Wildcats have a job opening after firing Kyle Neptune, and it appears a clean break from the Jay Wright era is now in the cards for the Big East power. Kevin Willard might be emerging as the top realistic target for the Wildcats. Willard, the current coach of the Maryland Terrapins and in his third season in College Park, has experience in the Big East at Seton Hall and is rumored to be unhappy with the disparity in resources between basketball and football at Maryland. Willard loved coaching in the Big East and guided Seton Hall to five NCAA Tournament appearances and multiple top-five finishes in the league. The hope for Villanova is that increased resources would help him elevate his performance.

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2. Chris Collins - Northwestern Wildcats
As soon as the job came open, Chris Collins’s name was listed among the candidates. Collins is the head coach at Northwestern and has helped elevate that program to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, which had not occurred at the school previously. He does not have a stellar record, and the conference winning percentage is below 40%. Still, he has experience handling demanding academic standards for admission, and the Collins family name has credibility in Philadelphia from his father’s time there with the 76ers. If they can’t pull Willard, the next call will be made to Collins, and he will definitely take it.
3. Richard Pitino - New Mexico Lobos
The remaining names on this list are long shots because I highly doubt the job gets past Willard and Collins. Richard Pitino is an interesting candidate. Richard is only 42 years old, and it would be fascinating to see him coaching in the same conference as his father. The Pitino name has cache on the East Coast, and Richard has rebuilt New Mexico into one of the best programs in the Mountain West. The Lobos were 26-7 and 17-3 in the league this season and are playing in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
4. Ben McCollum - Drake Bulldogs
Before the Hoosiers hired Darian DeVries from West Virginia, Ben McCollum was a candidate for the Indiana job. He is also the No. 1 name on the top of the board for the Iowa Hawkeyes. McCollum is a native of Storm Lake, Iowa, and if the Hawkeyes offer him the job, it would be difficult to see him turn that position down. However, the Hawkeyes are strapped for cash and would not be able to offer the same NIL resources that Villanova could tempt him with. McCollum’s Drake plays a methodical pace, but they knocked off Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, and all he does is win.
5. Buzz Williams - Texas A&M Aggies
Buzz Williams is such a bizarre case study. He wins and seems well-respected amongst his peers, but he bolts from jobs seemingly every five to six years, and when he leaves, fan bases and administrations never seem particularly upset that he is gone. A meticulous planner, Williams is rumored to want out at Texas A&M and is linked to nearly every opening. If things go sideways in this search, the Wildcats could get Williams if they wanted him, and he would probably elevate the program back into the NCAA Tournament consistently before he bolts for another job in a few years.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Kevin Willard - Maryland Terrapins
The Villanova Wildcats have a job opening after firing Kyle Neptune, and it appears a clean break from the Jay Wright era is now in the cards for the Big East power. Kevin Willard might be emerging as the top realistic target for the Wildcats. Willard, the current coach of the Maryland Terrapins and in his third season in College Park, has experience in the Big East at Seton Hall and is rumored to be unhappy with the disparity in resources between basketball and football at Maryland. Willard loved coaching in the Big East and guided Seton Hall to five NCAA Tournament appearances and multiple top-five finishes in the league. The hope for Villanova is that increased resources would help him elevate his performance.

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Top Coaching Candidates for Villanova Wildcats

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