Willard, 43, is 169-126 (.573) in nine seasons at Seton Hall, with four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He also led the Pirates to the 2016 Big East Tournament championship. This past season, Seton Hall was picked eighth in hthe Big East after the departure of four senior starters, but Willard led the team to a third-place finish and a fourth straight appearance in the Big Dance. Asked last month about potentially leaving Seton Hall, Willard told NJ Advance Media: “No, I mean I don’t think about it that way. I love where I am. I’ve been here nine years, my family loves it here. You never think about anything besides your own job so if the Knicks called, yeah, I might take that job.” Rick Pitino, Willard’s mentor, said he was surprised that other schools hadn’t come calling for Willard. “The fact that nobody has been beating down his door is the biggest puzzle of my life,” Pitino, who was Willard’s boss with the Boston Celtics and at Louisville, told NJ Advance Media last month by phone from Greece, where he’s coaching. “Seton Hall is a very difficult job. I’m not knocking the job. Everybody has missiles and jets and they all have these brand new practice facilities and they have everything. And Kevin doesn’t have any of that and he still has maintained that program at a high level.”Expect to hear Kevin Willard as a target at Va Tech.
More $$ but no guarantees he would go as he has a potential top-15 type team and is very loyal to @Myles_MBP_23 https://t.co/6ciz4KBHxq — Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 3, 2019
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And Like ZAGS on FacebookIf Kevin Willard does take Virginia Tech, Tim Cluess will be a leading candidate at @SetonHallMBB, per sources.
Remember, Seton Hall AD Pat Lyons is a former @ICGaels guy. And Tim is a helluva coach. He’s taken the Gaels to 6 NCAA Tourneys in 9 years (Almost 70 percent). pic.twitter.com/ItnGkes5lc — Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 3, 2019