After its best season in years, the Maryland men’s basketball team needs a new coach.

Kevin Willard has agreed to a deal with Villanova, the school announced Sunday, days after the Terps’ season ended in the Sweet 16.

“Villanova Basketball has a deep tradition of excellence and a culture that is second to none in college basketball,” Willard said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be a part of it and join the Villanova community.”

Maryland must now find his replacement. The athletic department, which lost athletic director Damon Evans this month to the same position at Southern Methodist, is expected to conduct a national search.

It won’t be easy. The Terps’ run to the NCAA tournament’s second weekend kept them away from the rising-star coaches who headlined the first wave of this year’s coaching changes. Willard’s public postseason push for more support from the university could also deter interest in the opening.

Willard said the athletic department was unwilling to pay for an additional night in New York for his team after the Terps played Syracuse in the Gotham Classic in Brooklyn on Dec. 21. After Evans’ departure was announced, Willard expressed hope that the school’s athletic department would commit to helping the program “be the best it can be.” Under the NCAA’s new revenue-sharing model, Maryland will allocate the maximum allowable $20.5 million to its student-athletes starting this fall, but Willard indicated his unhappiness over his program’s share.

Still, with a passionate fan base, membership in the Big Ten Conference and fertile recruiting grounds, Maryland will have other options. Here are 11 potential candidates.

The interim candidate

Maryland associate head coach David Cox: The D.C. native has head coaching experience — he went 64-55 over four seasons at Rhode Island before being fired in 2022 — and served on Willard’s staff for all three years, the past two as his top lieutenant. Cox, 51, has strong ties in local hoops and was a lead recruiter in the Terps’ pursuit of five-star prospect Derik Queen.

The established names

Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams: The Aggies have made three straight NCAA tournament appearances, but basketball will always be second fiddle in College Station. Williams, 52, has won NCAA tournament games at three schools over his 18-year career and is a two-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year. Still, he’d be far from a slam-dunk hire. Just two of his past 11 teams finished the season in the top 20 of analytical site KenPom’s rankings. His offenses can be a slog. And he’s reportedly making $4.6 million.

Northwestern head coach Chris Collins: Collins, 50, is the most accomplished coach in Wildcats history. He led the program to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2017 and returned in 2023 and 2024, winning a first-round game in all three trips. A former Duke assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski, Collins has familiarity with Maryland’s tradition and coaches for an Under Armour school, a notable consideration in any Maryland coaching search. Northwestern finished this season 16-15, undone by a handful of key injuries, but Collins could be close to a contract extension.

Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington: The Virginia native oversaw one of the country’s biggest first-year turnarounds this season, taking a Commodores team that finished 9-23 last season and No. 183 in KenPom to 20-13 and No. 47, topped by an NCAA tournament appearance. Byington, 48, worked his magic at James Madison, too, where the Dukes’ win total improved each of his four years. In his final season at the school, JMU went 32-4 and upset Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament.

College of Charleston head coach Chris Mack: After a disappointing four years at Louisville, where he made just one NCAA tournament and was suspended six games for not following university guidelines and procedures in the firing of an assistant, Mack had a solid bounce-back year in his first Colonial Athletic Association season. The 55-year-old announced Tuesday that he would return as the Cougars’ coach, ending speculation about a potential return to Xavier, where he made four Sweet 16 appearances. Could Maryland change his mind?

The up-and-comers

American head coach Duane Simpkins: The former DeMatha and Maryland guard has coached locally at the high school and college levels, making stops at Towson, George Mason and now American. Simpkins, 50, led the Eagles this season to a Patriot League title and their first NCAA tournament appearance in over a decade. But it would be a risky bet to hire a low-major coach for a high-major, high-profile job.

George Mason head coach Tony Skinn: The Montgomery County native served as a Maryland assistant under Willard in 2022-23 before returning to his alma mater as head coach. The Patriots have improved each of the past two years under Skinn, winning a share of the program’s first Atlantic 10 regular-season title this season. George Mason had the nation’s No. 30 defense in 2023-24, according to KenPom, but both of Skinn’s offenses at the school finished outside the top 100. Skinn, 42, signed an extension Thursday, but Maryland could likely afford his buyout.

High Point head coach Alan Huss: The former Creighton assistant has two Big South Conference regular-season titles in his first two years in charge of his own program. The Panthers went 29-6 this season, making the program’s first trip to the NCAA tournament. Huss, 46, has produced two top-40 offenses at High Point, according to KenPom, with two different styles, playing a faster tempo in Year 1 before slowing down in Year 2.

The wild cards

Connecticut assistant coach Luke Murray: The son of Bill Murray — yes, that Bill Murray — helped turn the Huskies’ offense under head coach Dan Hurley into one of the sport’s best. Connecticut finished third in the nation in offensive efficiency in 2022-23, first in 2023-24 and 15th this season, according to KenPom, despite significant roster turnover. Murray is also a solid recruiter, landing five-star prospect Liam McNeeley last year. He knows the area, too, having spent two seasons as an assistant at Towson. But his lack of head coaching experience could make his candidacy a nonstarter.

Washington Wizards associate head coach David Vanterpool: NBA coaches have struggled leading their own college programs, and the Montgomery County native has never even coached on a college staff. But Vanterpool, 51, has a strong record of player development in the NBA, including his work with guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell: The Baltimore high school basketball legend played in the NBA 15 seasons and won three championships. Following his retirement from playing, Cassell has spent the last 16 years as an assistant coach, working on the staffs of the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and, most recently, defending champion Boston Celtics. But he has never held a head coaching job and hasn’t had to navigate the college world of recruiting players in the era of revenue share and name, image and likeness.

Off the list

UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen: Olen, 44, reportedly agreed to a five-year deal Sunday that will make him New Mexico’s next coach. He’d led the Tritons since 2013, when they were a Division II program. UC San Diego won four straight California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament titles over the school’s final four years in Division II, had a bumpy transition to Division I and the Big West Conference, then returned to success in 2023-24. The Tritons won the league this season and advanced to their first NCAA tournament, finishing in the top 40 of KenPom’s rankings. On offense they shot a lot of 3-pointers, and on defense they relied heavily on switching.

Baltimore Banner reporter Andy Kostka contributed to this report.