A day before Maryland men’s basketball begins March Madness with its highest seed in a decade, coach Kevin Willard’s uncertain future in College Park is garnering more attention than the No. 4 Terps’ bout with No. 13 Grand Canyon.

Athletic director Damon Evans gave Willard a term sheet for a new contract and improved resources for the men’s basketball program on Sunday, but that deal is not finalized and doesn’t seem to be getting any less complicated.

Evans is likely heading to Southern Methodist University and Willard’s name continues to be one of the first mentioned in rumors about the head coach opening at Villanova.

“[Evans is] probably going to SMU, so it’s kind of tough to negotiate with somebody that’s maybe not here, but I need to make fundamental changes to the program,” Willard said. “That’s probably why a deal hasn’t gotten done.”

A Maryland athletics spokesperson told The Diamondback on Thursday there was no update on Evans’ status or future at Maryland.

[Kevin Willard, Maryland men’s basketball working on new contract]

Willard said he’s addressed the situation to his team and added that it’s difficult, but he’s confident that a deal will be secured regardless of who he’s negotiating with.

“I want to be the best in the country. I want to win a national championship, but there’s things that need to change,” Willard said.

The coach cited improvements to Name, Image and Likeness and revenue sharing as some of those “fundamental changes.” Willard said the program has previously been “one of the worst” in that regard.

Schools will be allowed to share up to $20.5 million in revenue with their college athletes starting in the 2025-26 season as a result of the proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA case. Previous NIL rules let college athletes earn money, but not directly from the schools they attend.

At a Big Ten school such as Maryland, the men’s basketball program competes with football for that money. At Villanova, which isn’t a part of the Football Bowl Subdivision, the men’s basketball program is a higher priority.

[Maryland athletic director Damon Evans receives contract extension through 2029]

The coach’s gripes about the lack of financial investment goes beyond spending on the team’s roster.

“I wanted to spend an extra night in New York this year to celebrate Christmas with my team, and I was told that we can’t do that because it’s too expensive,” Willard said. “I don’t know how we can be a top-tier program, and I can’t spend one extra night in New York because it’s too expensive.”

Various reports have named Willard the favorite for the Villanova job. Even if he doesn’t make the move, Willard — who revamped his roster this offseason and went from a losing record to finishing second in the Big Ten — has some leverage with his name.

“When you’ve been somewhere for three years, and I love it here, you’re going to find things that need to be changed,” Willard said. “Right now … I think I have an opportunity to make sure that I make fundamental changes to do what I believe we need to do to be successful.”