With Kevin Willard leaving Maryland to become the next men’s basketball coach at Villanova, the Terrapins have embarked on a search to fill the vacancy that opened only days after the end of a resurgent season in which they reached the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.
Maryland is seeking its fourth coach in five seasons after Willard replaced Mark Turgeon, who stepped down eight games into 2021-22. Then-assistant Danny Manning took over for Turgeon on an interim basis for the remainder of that season before then-Maryland athletic director Damon Evans hired Willard.
None of the Terps’ previous three coaches had ties to the school. The preference among the fan base seems to be for the next coach to have an association with College Park, perhaps even a former player, presumably making it less likely there will be another abrupt departure resembling Willard’s.
“I think that when you look at our bench, we don’t have any Terps alums or guys like that,” said Walt Williams, one of the most accomplished players in Maryland history and a radio sideline reporter for Maryland home games, “and I think when you can add that into the fold, you tend to have guys that are loyal to the program.”
In no particular order, here is a list of six candidates — some with program ties and some without — who could fit as the Terrapins’ next coach.
Simpkins just directed American to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2014 and has deep roots not only with the Maryland program but also in the region.
Simpkins played for the Terps under Gary Williams from 1992 through 1996, starting his final three seasons, following a decorated career at local high school power DeMatha. During his time at Maryland, the point guard was part of three teams that secured berths in the NCAA tournament.
Simpkins served as an assistant at George Mason from 2015 through 2023 and was a high school head coach at Sidwell Friends and St. Albans. The most pressing question surrounding Simpkins, 50, is whether he is ready to run a program in a power conference.
According to a person familiar with the situation, Simpkins is set to sign a contract extension with American on Tuesday.
Skinn led the Patriots to a 27-9 record and a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title this season, his second in Fairfax.
Skinn’s ties to Maryland include serving as an assistant under Willard for one season in 2022-23. Skinn, 42, attended high school at Takoma Academy in Takoma Park, Maryland, less than five miles from College Park, and played collegiately at George Mason, where he was part of the famous run to the Final Four in 2006 under then-coach Jim Larrañaga.
Skinn signed a contract extension at George Mason last week.
Cox, who joined Willard’s staff in 2022, completed his first season as Terps associate head coach after being elevated from assistant coach. Cox had been the head coach at Rhode Island and previously an assistant under then-Rams coach Dan Hurley. He also was an assistant at Georgetown under former Hoyas coach John Thompson III.
The D.C.-born Cox, 51, played a significant role in the recruitment of prized center Derik Queen, who this season was selected Big Ten freshman of the year and whose buzzer-beater sent the Terps past Colorado State and into the Sweet 16.
Williams took the Aggies to the second round of the NCAA tournament in his sixth season in College Station, Texas. The former coach at Virginia Tech and Marquette has earned a reputation for not sticking around at one school for a lengthy period, and speculation about Williams moving on to Maryland began to surface when Willard initially was linked to Villanova.
Williams, 52, does not have an association with Maryland but has a track record of taking teams to the NCAA tournament. Texas A&M has made it in each of the past three seasons. Williams also led Virginia Tech and Marquette to the Sweet 16.
When he announced in 2023 that he was stepping down as Notre Dame’s coach after 23 years, the Bethesda-born Brey, 66, made it a point to say the move wasn’t necessarily a retirement. He remains among the most beloved and respected coaches in the industry.
Brey’s association with the DMV runs deep. He played college basketball for George Washington and began his coaching career in the 1980s as an assistant at DeMatha under Morgan Wootten, perhaps the greatest high school basketball coach of all time.
Brey subsequently served as an assistant at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski from 1987 through 1995, when he became head coach at Delaware. Brey was named Notre Dame’s coach in 2000 and selected Big East coach of the year three times.
Collins’s coaching acumen makes the former Duke star a compelling candidate. The Wildcats are coming off a 17-16 record but ended the season at No. 53 in the NET rankings, one of the metrics used to select the field for the NCAA tournament. Collins, 50, kept Northwestern highly competitive in the rugged Big Ten despite season-ending injuries to point guard Jalen Leach (torn ACL) and forward Brooks Barnhizer (foot).
Collins’s coaching performance compelled Willard to say he deserved strong consideration for Big Ten coach of the year.
Collins took the Wildcats to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024, advancing to the second round each time. He also had Northwestern in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history in 2017.
correction
A previous version of this article cited reports that said Buzz Williams had a $10 million buyout in his contract at Texas A&M. Further reporting Tuesday indicates the buyout amount is significantly less. This story has been updated.
