WASHINGTON — In the world of college sports, there are few spectators who are not fans of the home or visiting team. College sports are identity-driven; the attraction lies in having a tangible connection to the school where one grew up or earned a degree.
But Maryland’s red was among the crowd at Capital One Arena on Saturday when Georgetown faced Villanova in a Big East men’s basketball game. These fans are there for one reason only.
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“It was a hate fest for our former head coach, Kevin Willard, who left us with nothing,” admitted Maryland fan Brandon Crawford.
Willard officially left Maryland on March 30 to become Villanova’s head coach, ending his three-year tenure in College Park. Villanova’s game against Georgetown was Willard’s first public return to the area.
The Terps fans who came to greet him were in for a less than pleasant surprise.
“They wasted a Saturday. I don’t know what the hell they were doing,” Willard said of Maryland fans after the game. “They have nothing better to do on Saturday than come and see my bald ass and I don’t know what they’re doing.”
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In his final season, Willard assembled one of Maryland’s best teams since the 2002 national championship game. Led by hometown star Derek Quinn, the Terps entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed, their highest ranking since 2015.
However, the coach refused to renew the contract before the game. As Maryland prepared to face Florida State in the Sweet 16, Villanova was rumored to be interested in Willard. He previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville and as head coach at Seton Hall University, and some believe he will be inclined to return to the Big East for a program that has won two national championships in the past decade.
The media appearances did little to quell the rumors. On March 20, Willard criticized the plan’s commitment to revenue sharing and zero funding; five days later, Willard claimed he was staying “from now on,” but that didn’t inspire confidence.
“The most important storyline in college basketball is not that incredible shot from Derik Queen on the Crab Five,” Maryland fan Brendan Sachs said. “It’s about Kevin Willard, whether he stays or leaves the entire tournament.”
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The Terps lost to the eventual national champion Gators. Just 51 hours after the season horn blew, Willard left. Within weeks, all players and staff also left Maryland.
Willard’s departure was seen as a betrayal. While Terps fans at Capital One Arena on Saturday were generally optimistic about head coach Buzz Williams’ ability to complete a rebuild next year, the feeling that Willard set Maryland back remains.
“He’s a snake. He lied,” Maryland fan Jeremy Jablonover said. “It would be great if he went to Villanova, it’s a great job, it’s a great program. But everything he does is about himself.”
Social media groups have crafted displays of disgust. A sports Reddit community in Maryland encouraged the “invasion of Capital One Arena.” Maryland Community Coordination on the X purchased a dozen seats in District 102, just behind the bench at Villanova.
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Some Terps fans were unaware of the plans and simply came out to support their team.
“We’re not bloodthirsty,” Maryland fan Matt Spear said. “We’re just coming out now and it’s fun.”
Willard wasn’t the only one traded from College Park to Philadelphia. Former Terps Brayden Pierce and Malachi Palmer logged 29 minutes for Villanova on Saturday.
While Pierce’s early foul did draw some extra cheers, neither they nor Maryland’s one-time foul caller Christian Jeffery seemed to bear the brunt of the crowd’s vitriol. It’s all left to the coach.
“Kevin Willard is a bad guy and we’re here to remind him of that,” Jablonover said.
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Some fans in red yelled. Many more stuck to the traditional boos and shouts of “you’re terrible.” Others got creative.
“He’s got a lot of gum,” Sachs said, pointing to three different flavors of Trident next to Villanova’s replay monitor. “‘Kevin, just grab another piece of gum and you’ll be fine’ — that’s what [jeer] We are conducting a workshop here. “
At times, it seemed like Maryland fans were some of the liveliest people on the field. They celebrated every Villanova missed shot or turnover the same way the student section of the Hoyas celebrated Georgetown’s shots.
But the impact of noise is limited. The area the redshirts hope to invade is that of Villanova fans. Considering their team played a major role in the game, it’s no surprise that they were outnumbered by Maryland fans.
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Villanova guard Acaden Lewis, a Sidwell Friends graduate and Washington, D.C., native, admitted he expected more Terps players to emerge.
Those who do put their money where their mouth is, though. Some Terps fans, including a pair who bought tickets in early October, paid up to $100 to attend a Villanova game at Capital One Stadium.
But even they believe the experience will be worth it. Although Villanova and Willard won 80-73, there were no regrets.
“I love college basketball and I love rooting for my team,” Maryland fan John Milage said. “Sometimes that means letting others know they’ve hurt us.”
