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Kevin Willard threatens to fire Villanova staff during mid-game interview

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs6 hours agogrant_grubbs_

Villanova head coach Kevin Willard raised eyebrows Friday in the first half of the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament showdown against Utah State. During an in-game interview with TNT’s Lauren Shehadi, Willard said he was going to fire his staff. When Shehadi smiled and jokingly responded with, “Not now,” Willard doubled down.

“Yeah, I am. Because we’ve given up eight points on underneath out-of-bounds defense. The only thing I’m gonna do is fire them and get a new staff,” Willard said.

While the first-year Villanova head coach was likely joking, he certainly wasn’t in the mood for a laugh after the game. Utah State defeated Villanova 86-76 in the first-round matchup, ending the Wildcats’ season.

After the loss, a reporter asked Willard about his viral comments. The 50-year-old HC didn’t allow the reporter to finish the question before shutting down any speculation.

“It’s a joke,” Willard said. “I don’t care [about the negative response to my comments]. Welcome to my life. It’s a joke.”

Interior defense continued to be an issue for Villanova after Willard’s first-half interview. In the defeat, the Wildcats gave up 42 points in the paint, while only scoring 26 themselves.

Utah State’s MJ Collins and Mason Falslev proved particularly deadly. The pair combined for 42 points and 11 rebounds against the Wildcats, while shooting 16-28 from the floor.

With the loss, Kevin Willard concluded his debut campaign at Villanova with a 24-9 overall record and a 15-5 mark in conference play. Willard’s comments on Friday aren’t the first time he’s stirred up controversy.

As Maryland‘s head coach last season, Willard made waves in the NCAA Tournament after reports of his interest in Villanova’s opening emerged. Willard didn’t take kindly to questions about his association with the Big East job that he eventually landed.

“Whatever I say, you’re going to write whatever you want to say anyways,” Willard said. “That’s why this is a waste of my time. … There’s nothing else to talk about. You guys just write whatever the hell you want, right? I don’t give a (crap). I really don’t. I’ll probably get a letter from the NCAA.”