Maryland hires Seton Hall's Willard as basketball coach

Kevin Willard is taking over as Maryland's basketball coach after a dozen seasons at Seton Hall.

The Terrapins announced the hire Monday, three days after

“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin to the Terrapin family,” Maryland athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement. “We are excited about the future of Maryland basketball with Kevin leading the way. Known for his gritty, hard-working teams, Kevin has had tremendous success, winning conference championships and leading his teams to NCAA Tournaments."

Maryland has been in the market for a new coach since Mark Turgeon's departure in early December. Assistant Danny Manning took over as interim coach, and the Terrapins went 15-17 for their first losing season since 1993, early in Gary Williams' tenure as coach.

Williams eventually led the Terps to a Final Four in 2001 and a national title the following season, and that's the level Maryland wants to return to. Turgeon succeeded Williams in 2011 but could never replicate that success, particularly in the NCAA Tournament.

Willard had seven 20-win seasons at Seton Hall.

“I have always admired the Maryland basketball program, and being named the new head coach of one of the biggest brands in college basketball is a tremendous honor,” Willard said. “Thank you to President Darryll Pines and Damon Evans for trusting me to reenergize this proud program as we look to galvanize our passionate fanbase with a gritty, hard-working style of basketball. Having coached against Maryland several times and at XFINITY Center, I know how Terp fans feel about their team and understand their expectations.”

Maryland has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday night.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25