Scott Van Pelt tears the management of the departure of Kevin Willard from Maryland

The Maryland terraaps had their deepest race in the NCAA tournament in almost a decade this season, reaching Sweet 16 before finally falling into a Florida Gators team from Florida Final. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the host of ESPN Scott Van Pelt, the team’s deep race was ruined by the way in which the head coach of Maryland, Kevin Willard, managed his possible release in Villanova.

Willard’s future has been a subject of constant discussion throughout the Maryland NCAA tournament, asking a number of journalists’ questions to find out if he had entertained other offers.

At each stage of the process, Willard diverted questions aimed at his future, rather attacking the media members who asked the questions while putting the facade that remains in Maryland if his changes desired around the program were respected.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the reports continued to stack by linking Willard to the vacant work of Villanova, which we now know, of course, that he accepted on Sunday.

Van Pelt, who graduated from Maryland and unconditional fan of everything related to Maryland Athletics, offered his point of view on the departure of Willard during the Tuesday edition of his podcast, the SvpodAlongside Stanford Steve, describing how he is more upset by the way Willard managed his departure than to leave.

“Of course, Kevin Willard can go to Villanova,” said Van Pelt. “Of course, you can return to your Big East roots. Of course, if it’s better for your family. We are savages, but we are not soulless savages. If it’s better for your family, of course. But maybe you don’t take a giant s *** on the front steps in the house in which you have lived for three years. In this area for free, so that you are trying to fill the gaps.

“Maybe you don’t tell these people several times when everyone in the industry tells me …” Scott, why are you waste your time. It’s done. Everyone in the business, he left. To divert or continue with (Kevin) Sheehan locally.

“He made the” From now on, right now … “Kevin has done a great job by asking very sharp questions. This is the part that is really difficult not to afford to bother me. Because I know the people involved. And because I was very vocal saying that I agree with him. I want, knowing very well, nothing that they will not give you enough, because you have gone.

On Kevin Willard leaving Maryland for Villanova: pic.twitter.com/2t1dbrqqsf

– Svpod (@_svpod) April 1, 2025

Van Pelt’s grievance is clear here. He wants Willard to have been honest about his desire to leave for the post of Villanova coach in the weeks preceding his possible departure.

We saw the former head coach of the state of McNeese Will Wade doing exactly that throughout his team in the NCAA tournament, frankly describing how he was in negotiations with NC State before finally accepting the work once McNeese’s state was eliminated from the tournament at the end of 32 years.

Willard adopted a very different approach, rather largely of Maryland fans to disappoint by doing an act for his players and his fans, so that he can stay.

Perhaps Willard really did not know that he would certainly leave the post of Villanova until Maryland is already outside the NCAA tournament. But on paper, it seems that Van Pelt, and any other fan of Maryland, have a valid reason to be upset by Willard.