Maryland coach Kevin Willard says ‘there is no situation’ at school shortly before AD’s departure

SEATTLE (AP) — Maryland coach Kevin Willard bristled at reporters’ questions even as his players celebrated an 81-49 win over Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

Willard openly talked about his frustrations with the school, the changes he wants to make to the program and his relationship with athletic director Damon Evans on Thursday as the two were in the midst of negotiating his future. At the time, Evans was poised to take the same job at SMU and Willard was reportedly a candidate to become Villanova’s coach.

Not long after Willard’s postgame availability on Friday, SMU announced it had hired Evans as its AD.

For his part, Willard became visibly frustrated after a reporter mentioned “the situation” when asking players about their victory, which came by the largest margin for the Terps in an NCAA Tournament game. Willard himself said a day earlier that Evans’ pending departure made it difficult for the coach to negotiate a contract extension.

“There is no situation,” Willard said. “The only situation is you guys and Twitter, and I can’t control you guys and I can’t control Twitter, so there’s nothing I can do.

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“I’ve talked to these guys,” Willard said, gesturing to his players in the interview room. “These guys know exactly what’s going on. I’ve been open with them. I’ve been honest with them. They know exactly what’s going on.”

Players shook their heads and smiled ruefully at the questions. The fourth-seeded Terps advanced to the second round on Sunday against No. 12 seed Colorado State.

Willard compared an outlet that covers his program to the tabloid TMZ a day after his initial comments, which came during a pre-practice news conference on Thursday. He told reporters that he was in negotiations with Evans and was seeking several changes to increase the prominence of the program, including increased NIL money.

The comments, which were remarkably candid in the usually buttoned-down world of college athletics, made headlines across several media organizations. Willard noted that he wanted to keep his team in New York City for an extra night this season near the holidays, but was told the school could not afford the expense.

“Whatever I say, you’re going to write whatever you want to say anyways,” Willard said. “That’s why this is a waste of my time. … There’s nothing else to talk about. You guys just write whatever the hell you want, right? I don’t give a (crap). I really don’t. I’ll probably get a letter from the NCAA.”

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