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?

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

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)

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?

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?

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

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.

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.

Yeah it seems it was voluntary.

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.

Sounds like Sean Miller will be the new coach.

nevermind