Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Day after Jordan Williams says he's leaving. Kind of curious

As I've heard it, and it's really just speculation, this wasn't exactly voluntary

The official announcement may even come today

Everything I've heard is that it was absolutely voluntary and that he has a great relationship with Kevin Anderson, as evidenced by the fact he'll continue working at the school- maybe even as assistant AD. I also heard that if Jordan Williams came back for one more year, Gary probably would have too.

He was a part of the search committee that landed Randy Edsall. Given that, no reason to think he won't be on the search committee for a new B-ball coach.

He's lost out on a lot of local high school recruits over the years, and that hurt him a lot. I heard at times he wouldn't even talk to AAU coaches. Big fail considering they play twice as many games every year with their AAU coach than they do their high school coach. But I give Gary his props for doing it his way and succeeding for the most part. I'm no Terrapin fan, but so many people close to me are. He resurrected a program that was left for dead. SMU football wishes they found a guy like him.

Cheers, Gary.

[SmootSmack]

Yeah it seems it was voluntary.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Yeah it seems it was voluntary.

Yeah I mean if Yow was the still the AD, the writing would be on the wall for sure.

BTW SS, not sure if you know and/or listen to Kevin Sheehan, but his show yesterday on ESPN980 was a really excellent snapshot of Gary Williams' career and impact at Maryland.

[RedskinMike]

Sounds like Sean Miller will be the new coach.

[RedskinMike]

nevermind

[Monkeydad]

Sadly, I don't see this helping the Terps. I hope it doesn't become an Indiana post-Bobby Knight type of run, but it may. He was a great coach. To compete and have the success he did in a conference with UNC and Duke at a school like MD without the spotlight and recruiting power...impressive. Hopefully what he's built can be sustainable.

Good luck Terps.

[GMScud]

Kevin Sheehan and other delusional Maryland fans seemed to think they'd have their choice of guys like Sean Miller, Mike Brey, Jamie Dixon, and Jay Wright. Guess not. Maryland is not nearly the job that their alums/fans think it is.

If Turgeon turns down their offer, they're in trouble. There are also rumblings that Kevin Anderson may be bungling this a bit.

Kevin Anderson, Sean Miller, and Mike Brey or: What Just Happened? - Testudo Times

I've got no dog in this race, so I don't really care that much, but a few of my friends are pretty cocky about Maryland basketball. So part of me is smirking a bit....

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Kevin Sheehan and other delusional Maryland fans seemed to think they'd have their choice of guys like Sean Miller, Mike Brey, Jamie Dixon, and Jay Wright. Guess not. Maryland is not nearly the job that their alums/fans think it is.

If Turgeon turns down their offer, they're in trouble. There are also rumblings that Kevin Anderson may be bungling this a bit.

Kevin Anderson, Sean Miller, and Mike Brey or: What Just Happened? - Testudo Times

I've got no dog in this race, so I don't really care that much, but a few of my friends are pretty cocky about Maryland basketball. So part of me is smirking a bit....

Agreed, I think we're somewhere in the middle from what kool-aid fans and haters think about UMD. This team is still riding on the success from the late 90s and early 2000s and they need to wake up a bit. The program does still have a lot of tradition, it's in a major TV market, and it is in a historically premier basketball conference. I do think that with the right approach the Athletic Department could have lured a top candidate like Miller, but I think they are screwing it up. So who knows what will happen.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Agreed, I think we're somewhere in the middle from what kool-aid fans and haters think about UMD. This team is still riding on the success from the late 90s and early 2000s and they need to wake up a bit. The program does still have a lot of tradition, it's in a major TV market, and it is in a historically premier basketball conference. I do think that with the right approach the Athletic Department could have lured a top candidate like Miller, but I think they are screwing it up. So who knows what will happen.

Rumor is that Miller only entertained Maryland's interest to squeeze more money out of Arizona. He's got 4 of 5 players coming back from a team that went to the Elite 8.

Mike Brey didn't even want to talk to Maryland, which is pretty telling. Plus the Big East is a better conference than the ACC and has been for a few years now. Why would any of those guys want to leave?

[SmootSmack]

Well looks like it's Mark Turgeon

Is there a Kevin Plank connection there?

[Ruhskins]

Taking this with a grain of salt, but I just got this from Twitter:

"Billy Liucci
Turgeon just informed Aggie players he is leaving for Maryland"

Well at least is it not coming from ESPN980. LOL.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well looks like it's Mark Turgeon

Is there a Kevin Plank connection there?

Is it Turgeon? Heard there was an offer and that he was strongly considering it....

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Is it Turgeon? Heard there was an offer and that he was strongly considering it....

Apparently he accepted

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Apparently he accepted

Yup...

Mark Turgeon leaving Texas A&M, accepts Maryland coaching offer | Texas A&M Aggies News - Sports News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW

[BDBohnzie]

Solid, if not boring, choice. Turgeon's had success at A&M and Wichita State. However, it'll remain to be seen how well he can recruit, especially in College Park's backyard. First order of business is to replace the gaping hole left in the middle by Jordan Williams' jumping to the NBA.