None of his Pirates teams had ever finished better than eighth in the Big East, and his only taste of the postseason remained a "run" to the second round of the NIT in 2012. Some Jersey natives had raised a poe currency fuss when Willard's contract was extended in Feb. 2013.



Even more vocalized their concerns after reports of in-fighting turned a promising 2014-15 campaign into one where the Pirates dropped nine of their last 10 games.Despite facing as much bad luck as any head coach in Division I, Willard always managed to keep things together, even if he had to use duct tape.



He's also accomplished that -- thanks in large part to the support and patience of athletic director Pat Lyons -- without relenting to the pressure of any of the many voices around him. Now, Willard and his Big East champions are looking to give Pirate fans the ultimate reward for their loyalty.20.



Derrick Gordon making history We just talked about Kevin Willard not relenting to the pressure of the many voices around him. Well, the biggest and most important example of that likely came last spring.In May, Seton Hall made national headlines when a priest alleged that he was fired by the university for a pro-LGBT post on Facebook.



That same month, Willard brought in graduate transfer Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay player in NCAA men's basketball. Willard dismissed the enormity of the move at the time, saying simply that his team needed experience and a FIFA Mobile Coins defensive-minded guard, a pair of attributes that Gordon could provide. Still, an expected firestorm followed the news, and the heat was felt most by the head coach whose seat was already a notch or two above warm.