Jay Wright on Kevin Willard at Villanova: ‘He’s the right guy at the right time’

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Jay Wright and Kevin Willard enjoyed many battles during their time together in the Big East.

Wright and Villanova won most of them, but Willard and Seton Hall scored a few key victories, most notably in the 2016 Big East Tournament championship game at Madison Square Garden.

So when Willard was set to take the Villanova job last month, he called Wright to get his blessing.

“Yeah, I told him that he’s the right guy at the right time,” Wright told NJ Advance Media at the 92nd annual MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards Dinner on Thursday.

“Kevin understands what’s going on in college basketball, how to operate within this new [NIL and transfer portal] structure. He understands the Big East and he knows Villanova. We battled him for so many years, and being in North Jersey, where all our alums are, he knows a lot of our alums, so he had a lot of great connections before he ever stepped on campus. So that’s why I say he’s the right guy at the right time.”

Willard triggered a massive and angry uproar from Maryland fans — and even the parents of some Maryland players — by apparently engaging in talks with Villanova while he was still coaching in the Big Ten. Jay Bilas used the word “tampering” when describing the process.

During Maryland’s run to the Sweet 16, Willard was not shy regarding his concerns about Maryland’s NIL situation and the changing of the guard at the athletic director position, even appearing to advocate for Brian Ullman, the vice president for marketing and communications.

After Maryland lost, Willard was officially named the Villanova coach. He said earlier this month he would not have taken the job without Wright’s blessing.

“He sold me on Villanova, and I would not have even thought about taking this job if I had not talked to Jay and he had not sold Villanova the way he did,” Willard said.

As for the vitriol he received from Maryland fans, Willard said: “All I’m going to say is that Maryland just got a great coach in Buzz [Williams]. I’m really happy for them, and I’m super excited to be in a great basketball conference here. And I just think it’s time that everyone moved on.”

Since taking over, Willard and his staff have been busy in the portal. Eight players transferred out of Villanova, but the Wildcats added Maryland transfer center Braden Pierce, Grand Canyon transfer center Duke Brennan, Temple transfer wing Zion Stanford, JMU transfer guard Bryce Lindsay and Long Beach State transfer guard Devin Askew.

They missed on two key Maryland transfers as Rodney Rice (USC) and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee) went elsewhere.

Still, Wright is optimistic Willard will get it done.

“Yeah, we’ve got a really good structure in terms of the NIL,” Wright said. “But I think what’s most important for Kevin is [to] start a foundation of his program and his culture this year.”

He added: “I think he’s being smart about not going crazy and having to get big-time names, spend big-time money. I think he’s being very judicious about getting the kind of people that are going to fit into his program. And I think he’s going to build on that, and I think that’s important. And I think Villanova people respect that and they will have great support for him in doing it that way.”

Wright went to four Final Fours and won two NCAA championships at Villanova before retiring in 2022 just before things got crazy with NIL and the portal.

Willard, who coached at Seton Hall from 2010-22, has won just four NCAA Tournament games in his career and has one Sweet 16 on his resume.

Does Wright think Willard can get Villanova back to the mountaintop of college basketball?

“I do, I really think he can,” Wright said. “He’s a proven winner and he knows the Big East. I think he’s in the prime of his coaching career, he’s experienced everything. And I think Villanova people will all be patient. Let him build his program and let him take some time to get his culture in place, and that’s what’s going to get him to the top.”

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.