Villanova's Willard clarifies 'fire my staff' comment was a joke

Villanova's NCAA Tournament run ended just hours ago with a loss to Utah State, but coach Kevin Willard remains a talking point late into the night Friday.

Willard went viral during the game for an interview in which he told Lauren Shehadi he would fire his staff due to the Wildcats' poor interior defense.

Willard briefly doubled down about making staff changes in his postgame press conference, only to clarify that he was joking. When told the exchange had gained traction online, the coach made his feelings clear.

"I don't care. Welcome to my life. It's a joke," Willard said.

Willard's anger might not have been surprising, as Villanova crumbled down the stretch to allow a Utah State comeback victory. Despite the Wildcats making 14 of 30 triples to the Aggies' two, they ultimately lost by double digits, primarily because Utah State held a 42-26 scoring edge in the paint.

The loss ended Willard's first season with Villanova after he made the move from Maryland last year.