Villanova coach Kevin Willard has been criticized for making an on-air joke during his team's NCAA Tournament loss to Utah State, stating that he will fire his staff after the team had been outscored 16-2 in the paint and given up 8 points. During his postgame press conference, Willard defended his comments, stating they were a joke and not meant to be taken seriously. However, some quarters felt the joke was not taken seriously, with some believing it was an attempt to blame his staff for the team's performance.