Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

He will announce his retirement tomorrow

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Wow. Don't know how I feel about it.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Damnnnnnnnnnnnn great coach. Gonna miss him, all the best

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

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

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

I just threw up in my mouth.

So, when are the Nationals moving to Vegas?

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/terrapins-insider/post/gary-williams-retiring-after-22-seasons-as-maryland-coach/2011/05/05/AFgPuc0F_blog.html]Gary Williams retiring after 22 seasons as Maryland coach - Terrapins Insider - The Washington Post[/url]

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

ESPN.com makes it seem like he's sticking around CP, [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6487292"]as an assistant AD and adviser to Anderson[/URL], so I'd be a little surprised if this wasn't voluntary.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=ArtMonkDrillz;801478]ESPN.com makes it seem like he's sticking around CP, [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6487292"]as an assistant AD and adviser to Anderson[/URL], so I'd be a little surprised if this wasn't voluntary.[/quote]

Maybe it was.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=Ruhskins;801466]Wow. Don't know how I feel about it.[/quote]

I feel the same way since I'm a Terps fan.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

A good buddy of mine who's a Marlyand alum and HUGE terp basketball fan sent out a mass text at lunch time on April 1st that Gary Williams was going to announce his retirement at 3pm that day. Fooled a bunch of us. I guess the joke's on him now.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Sad day for Maryland basketball. Many people might not have liked him, but he achieved a helluva lot with the limited resources he had. Plus he brought this program from rock bottom back to a respectful level. He gave Maryland alum a reason to watch Terps basketball again. Whomever they hire will have large shoes and sweaty suits to fill. I wonder if this means he'll be spending more time at the Starboard in Dewey?

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=SmootSmack;801469]Day after Jordan Williams says he's leaving. Kind of curious

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

The official announcement may even come today[/quote]

Honestly, I really appreciate everything he's done to make the program what it is and I'll never forget the title run, but I was thinking that he needed to go. Too many players are coming out of PG County and going to other schools. I know that a lot of them are 1 and done types, but there's still no reason guys like Melo, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley are coming out of schools in UMD's backyard and going to other schools. Williams is a great X's and O's coach, but I have a big issue with the way he recruits. I think the types who refuse to recruit the *potential* one and done players are really going to fall behind other schools at this point. I'm not saying I necessarily want Calipari, but I wouldn't mind someone who believes in a mix of graduating players as well as recruiting kids who may leave early.

Btw, Gary did recruit Steve Francis and he was, at most, a 2 year guy (I know he was a JC recruit, so that was all the eligibility he had)

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

I agree it was time for him to go. Yes, you can't take away his one title or the fact that he helped bring them back from the Bob Wade era. But his inability to recruit locally really hurt them. Who was the assistant they had that used to be the key recruiter? Was it Dickerson? Hahn?

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=SmootSmack;801658]I agree it was time for him to go. Yes, you can't take away his one title or the fact that he helped bring them back from the Bob Wade era. But his [B]inability to recruit[/B] locally really hurt them. Who was the assistant they had that used to be the key recruiter? Was it Dickerson? Hahn?[/quote]

More than a few people would change the bolded to "inability to cheat as much as many other coaches"

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

I was there in person when the Terps won the National Championship back in 2002. Along with a host of other memories that date back to as early as 1991. Anyway thanks for the memories Gary.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=SmootSmack;801469]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[/quote]

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.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Yeah it seems it was voluntary.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=SmootSmack;801764]Yeah it seems it was voluntary.[/quote]

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.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Sounds like Sean Miller will be the new coach.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

nevermind

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

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.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

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.

[url=http://www.testudotimes.com/2011/5/8/2160514/maryland-coaching-search-kevin-anderson-sean-miller-gary-williams-mike-brey]Kevin Anderson, Sean Miller, and Mike Brey or: What Just Happened? - Testudo Times[/url]

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....

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=GMScud;802042]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.

[url=http://www.testudotimes.com/2011/5/8/2160514/maryland-coaching-search-kevin-anderson-sean-miller-gary-williams-mike-brey]Kevin Anderson, Sean Miller, and Mike Brey or: What Just Happened? - Testudo Times[/url]

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....[/quote]

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.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=Ruhskins;802050]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.[/quote]

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?

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Well looks like it's Mark Turgeon

Is there a Kevin Plank connection there?

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

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.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=SmootSmack;802058]Well looks like it's Mark Turgeon

Is there a Kevin Plank connection there?[/quote]

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

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=GMScud;802061]Is it Turgeon? Heard there was an offer and that he was strongly considering it....[/quote]

Apparently he accepted

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=SmootSmack;802065]Apparently he accepted[/quote]

Yup...

[url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/texas-aggies/20110509-update-texas-am-coach-mark-turgeon-accepts-maryland-offer.ece]Mark Turgeon leaving Texas A&M, accepts Maryland coaching offer | Texas A&M Aggies News - Sports News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW[/url]

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

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.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Good read by Wise:

[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/marylands-high-profile-reality-check/2011/05/09/AFyX87cG_story.html]Maryland’s high-profile reality check - The Washington Post[/url]

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=GMScud;802206]Good read by Wise:

[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/marylands-high-profile-reality-check/2011/05/09/AFyX87cG_story.html]Maryland’s high-profile reality check - The Washington Post[/url][/quote]

Personally, I think Wise is ignoring the fact of the timing of Gary's retirement (and how that affects a coaching search). While I'm a big Terps fan, I don't necessarily drink the Kool-Aid (and you can see my previous comments back that up) but I also don't think that the Maryland coaching job is that terrible or that Maryland Athletics is that irrelevant as Wise makes it out to be.

I think the biggest concern as a fan is the work of the AD. I never liked the way Fridgen was let out as a coach. And there is words that Miller was interested in the job, but was put off by Anderson. I'm sure all will be forgiven if Edsall and Turgeon work out, but I just don't have a good feeling about this guy.

In the end, I don't think Maryland is Duke or any other current basketball powerhouse. I do believe that Maryland Basketball need to stop riding past success and create their own future success by doing well in conference play and making it to the tournament on their own. I am excited about this new coach and look forward to what he can bring to this team.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

[quote=Ruhskins;802209]Personally, I think Wise is ignoring the fact of the timing of Gary's retirement (and how that affects a coaching search). While I'm a big Terps fan, I don't necessarily drink the Kool-Aid (and you can see my previous comments back that up) but I also don't think that the Maryland coaching job is that terrible or that Maryland Athletics is that irrelevant as Wise makes it out to be.

I think the biggest concern as a fan is the work of the AD. I never liked the way Fridgen was let out as a coach. And there is words that Miller was interested in the job, but was put off by Anderson. I'm sure all will be forgiven if Edsall and Turgeon work out, but I just don't have a good feeling about this guy.

In the end, I don't think Maryland is Duke or any other current basketball powerhouse. I do believe that Maryland Basketball need to stop riding past success and create their own future success by doing well in conference play and making it to the tournament on their own. I am excited about this new coach and look forward to what he can bring to this team.[/quote]

I think Anderson may have screwed up with this BBall coaching search, but I like the Randy Edsall hire. A lot. That said, basketball always has and probably always will reign supreme in the eyes of fans/students/alums in College Park.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

The Edsall hire is a swing for the fences hire. If he works out it looks genius...otherwise it looks terribly dopey. But it doesn't look ho-hum. The Turgeon hire looks incredibly panicy and like they settled. They'd have been better off taking another few days to find someone who hasn't been just "above average" like Turgeon has been. He hasn't beaten the best teams consistently and doesn't have a crazy-good reputation for recruiting or getting far in the tourney. If they aspire to compete with the Dukes and Carolinas then they needed another swing for the fences hire. Not a "we're happy to win 23-25 games year and bow out by round 2 in the tourney" type hire. The hire looks pretty damn average.

Re: Terps Basketball Coach Gary Williams Stepping Down
 

Why didn't we get Shaka? We could have Shaked the world with that hire.