Kevin Willard is moving on from Seton Hall for a bigger program in Maryland. Is Shaheen Holloway on deck for the Pirates?
March Madness isn’t over yet, but the college basketball coaching carousel is already spinning. Kevin Willard, who has been a hot name over the last few offseasons, is finally moving on from Seton Hall.
After 12 years as head coach in South Orange, Willard leaves with the second-most wins in program history, a Big East Tournament Championship (2016), and six trips to the NCAA Tournament.
WELCOME WILLARD!
The Kevin Willard era starts now!
— Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) March 21, 2022
In his tenure, Willard helped transform Seton Hall from a middle-of-the-pack Big East school to a perennial NCAA Tournament team. He’s leaving behind a legacy for a program with more resources in Maryland, but the Pirates are going to land on their feet.
Shaheen Holloway Up Next?
Shaheen Holloway is a name that basketball fans in the New York/New Jersey area should know. He’s a former McDonald’s All-American Game MVP, four-year starter at Seton Hall, and bonafide winner as a head coach at Saint Peter’s. Holloway has led the Peacocks to winning seasons in three of his four years at the helm.
Obviously, the rest of the country is starting to learn all about Holloway this tournament. Saint Peter’s is the undisputed Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament after notching wins over Kentucky and Murray St.
The Peacocks exude the same energy that Holloway played with and this no-fear attitude is leading to big things. They are set for a Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue on Friday. Could it be the last game Holloway coaches for Saint Peter’s?
There are clear and obvious connections between Holloway and Saint Peter’s He was a four-year starter there and led the Pirates to their last Sweet 16 appearance in 2000.
Great moment for Saint Peter’s HC Shaheen Holloway, a Queens native & one of nation’s best high school guards in the class of ‘96. I’m sure this was noted on the broadcast, but this isn’t the first March highlight for Holloway, Ian Eagle & Jim Spanarkel: pic.twitter.com/ufQwpmyGzD
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 18, 2022
Following a pro career that took Holloway all over the globe, he returned to the area to start his coaching career. He spent more than a decade as Willard’s assistant at Iona and Seton Hall before taking the Saint Peter’s job.
He knows the school, can recruit the area, and has head coaching experience. What more could the Pirates want from their next head coach? Even Willard began advocating for Holloway to get the job before a deal was done with Maryland.
“If I’m not here next year, I’d love if Shaheen Holloway is here,” Willard said via the New York Post. “That would be the happiest thing that ever happened to me.”
For the last few years, Holloway appeared to be the “coach in waiting” for Seton Hall. Now that Willard is finally taking another step forward in his coaching career, it clears the way for Shaheen Holloway to come home.
This might be the easiest decision Seton Hall athletics will have to make in a long time. Don’t overthink it.
