Kevin Willard has officially left Maryland to become Villanova's next head coach. The announcement is merely a formality of a sloppy and public departure that played out during the Terps' 2025 NCAA tournament run.
Most Maryland fans have been ready to show Willard the door. After all, his open dalliance with Villanova as the Terps were in the thick of March Madness was distasteful, to put it mildly. Nonetheless, one alumnus is sad to see him go: Steve Blake.
"[It's] tough to see Coach Willard leave," Blake stated on X (formerly known as Twitter). "He did a great job [at Maryland] and I wish him the best!
However, the last part of Blake's post caught our attention. The former two-time All-ACC point guard concluded the message by announcing he's "available and would love the challenge" of stepping in for Willard.
Former Maryland star and NBA veteran Steve Blake expresses desire to replace Kevin Willard
At first glance, it may sound crazy, but Blake boasts an intriguing résumé that's at least worthy of consideration. He was a member/catalyst of the Terps men's basketball program's lone national championship in 2002. Moreover, the 45-year-old has 13 seasons of NBA experience as a player before transitioning to the sidelines.
Blake previously served as a coaching intern for the Portland Trail Blazers before being elevated to an on-court assistant role. He was also part of head coach Monty Williams' staff with the Phoenix Suns, working primarily with the club's point guards. Nevertheless, running the show would be a new position for him.
But after what Maryland went through with Willard, why not hire someone loyal to the school? He effectively quit on the team before their biggest game in nearly a decade during arguably its best season since Blake's title run. That wouldn't be an issue with the latter -- his allegiance to the Terps runs deep.
Expect Maryland to undergo a thorough search to find Willard's successor. There's been no indication Blake will be a legitimate candidate for the vacancy, but they already missed out on the first wave of the coaching carousel. Names like Sean Miller, Richard Pitino, Ryan Odom, Darian DeVries, Ben McCollum and Niko Medved are off the board.
Alternatively, taking a chance on Blake sounds more appealing than some of the potential Willard replacements, namely Texas A&M's Buzz Williams. Bringing in a retread won't excite folks in College Park looking to build on the momentum they captured in 2024-25. If that's what it comes down to, Maryland should seriously ponder bringing in the Terps legend to take over at the helm.