Rebuilding Villanova into a perennial winner again is the primary focus of Kevin Willard’s ‘last job’

Kevin Willard said the thing coaches often say during their introductory press conferences. One of his mentors, Rick Pitino, once said it when Iona brought him from basketball purgatory back to Division I.

Willard’s new job as the Villanova men’s basketball coach is “my last job,” he said.

It is a loaded phrase, even if it’s mostly coachspeak. “Did I say something that’s loaded? That’s a shocker,” Willard said jokingly.

But he, at least, had a rational explanation.

“I feel like I’m in the prime of my coaching career,” he said. “I just turned 50. I’m blessed to have two kids who will go off to college soon. My wife and I are going to be empty nesters. We made a family decision. This was my wife and I making a decision together where we wanted to spend, technically, my last job.

“This is going to be our last move.”

As in, Villanova is a place he could see himself finishing his coaching career?

“Absolutely,” Willard said. “I’m not coaching until I’m 70, not in today’s environment. It was a big decision for us. It was an extremely hard decision for us. But when we looked at all the pros and cons and being part of the Villanova family, being back part of a small community that we were used to for 15 years at Iona and Seton Hall, that was a huge decision.

“I don’t think there’s any higher level than this.”

All of this ignores the obvious, that even if Willard wants Villanova to be his last job, it isn’t entirely up to him. Kyle Neptune might have wanted to coach Villanova until retirement, too.

Willard said all the right things Wednesday during his official in-person introduction on campus, one week after Villanova made him available to reporters on Zoom. He reiterated his desire to be back in the Big East, his reverence of the conference, his admiration of the program Jay Wright built, his desire to not change the culture but to be “adaptive” and alter the style of play while helping Villanova find its footing in the modern era of college basketball.

His bosses, school president Rev. Peter Donohue and athletic director Eric Roedl, discussed the importance of winning at Villanova and will hold Willard to the same standard they held Neptune, who was fired after not reaching the NCAA Tournament in three seasons.

» READ MORE: New Villanova coach Kevin Willard on moving on from Maryland, working the transfer portal, Jay Wright, and more

In that regard, Willard’s job won’t be easy. Living up to that standard, the one he grew to hate with the utmost respect as the rival opposing coach at Seton Hall, will require a pretty severe and immediate makeover to avoid the tournament drought reaching a fourth season.

Willard hadn’t taken his seat on the stage inside Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday morning before the number of replacement players he’ll need for next season grew by one.

Freshman forward Josiah Moseley became the third Villanova player to enter the transfer portal, and Willard said later he wasn’t sure if there’d be more. Combined with the five starters exhausting their collegiate eligibility, the number of portal players and incoming freshmen needed to fill the holes is at eight, with two players with Maryland ties already committed.

Luckily for Willard, the portal and Villanova’s resources make it possible to rebuild in one offseason. Look no further than Louisville’s year-over-year turnaround for proof. To that end, Willard’s first 10 days as Villanova’s coach were all about next year’s roster.

“I think we’ve done 120 Zooms in seven days,” Willard said.

The Zooms quickly will change to campus visits. Maryland transfer Rodney Rice, a guard, is due on campus this weekend, and so is Michigan State point guard Tre Holloman, among others. There likely will be more clarity about the quality of next season’s roster in about a week or so.

“I’m extremely confident in my staff and I in what we’re going to build and how we’re going to build it,” Willard said. “We’re making sure we’re doing it the right way, with the kids that we want. We’re going to lose some kids to the portal. That’s understandable.

“I’m extremely confident about the team we’ll put on the floor next year.”

It will look a lot different than this past season’s team, but so does everything else. Willard’s coaching staff sat in one of the front rows during the press conference, and Ashley Howard probably was the only familiar face to many.

The press conference capped a weird few weeks that included an awkward exit from Maryland, where Willard is now public enemy No. 1, a reality he acknowledged in his opening remarks Wednesday.

“I’ve learned over the last two weeks that it’s probably better to say less than it is more,” Willard said.

Winning will be the only thing that matters in the end. It will at least give Willard’s words about Villanova being his final destination a chance to be true.