Maryland Basketball: Kevin Willard is chasing NIL money, raving about freshmen and wants to see one change


The NIL era of college sports and its role in recruiting hasn’t just developed fast in the past few years. It’s changed dramatically in the year since Maryland basketball coach Kevin Willard signed his first recruiting class in College Park, he said Tuesday night on his radio show.

“The funny thing is Jahnathan’s class, you know, everything with Jahnathan, Jamie and DeShawn, Braden, was all about fit and wanting them and them wanting to be here. Unfortunately, just where the market has gone on what’s going on is now, yes, [NIL is] the first thing kids will say,” Willard said. “And so first thing, if the kid doesn’t say it, then the high school coach or the parents will. I know around town what’s going on, what people are talking about, so it’s, [recruits’ priority] isn’t fit or getting you better or playing a fun style or playing in one of the greatest, in my experience, college basketball towns. That can be irrelevant now. It’s unfortunately turned down to just a money thing.”

Willard is happy to see athletes make money, but he thinks it needs to be done differently.

“I’m all for it. I’m glad that, I’ve been saying it for years, I think the kids should have been getting a very large piece of the NCAA Tournament money for a long time. For a long time. The NCAA Tournament [revenue] should be split up and given back to the college kids, it should not be given to the schools. Should be given to the kids. And I don’t think there should be collectives, I don’t think there should be limits on what they can do NIL-wise, but I just don’t think what we’re doing now is true NIL. It’s just not. So I think there’s better ways that we can be getting what these kids deserve … Fom their real name image and likeness,” he said.

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He’s been spending an increasing amount of time trying to raise money for NIL.

“You know, that money has to come from somewhere. And really what it’s become is almost like a full-time fundraising, full-time fundraising where, you know, you always fundraise for your program. You always have to do things for charters or if you wanted to build a new practice facility, had to go out and fundraise,” he said. “But this is this is on a level that as my wife said the other day, is like she just, she’s like, ‘There’s no way this can continue because you can’t be out four nights a week try to coach, try to be a father and try to raise money for NIL.’ So NIL has really drastically changed what college coaching is all about.”

More below from Willard on his freshman class, his new coaching staff, recruiting and more:


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