Gary Williams resigned after 22 seasons as the head coach of the University of Maryland today. Williams won more than 600 games in his career, went two final fours, won the 2002 national title, and is easily the greatest coach in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference not named Smith or Krzyzewski. The man took a once proud program that was under NCAA scrutiny to national prominence never seen in College Park, including the Len Bias era. The last ten years of career have been characterized by his battle with Duke and Coach K. While Maryland didn?t always win, the Terps and Williams put some memorable stamps on what has become one of college basketball?s greatest rivalries.
In 2001, Maryland went to Cameron and won on Shane Battier?s senior night; the game was even more special for the Terps following the meltdown at Cole Field House earlier in the season. One year later, Maryland handed #1 Duke a humbling loss that all Terp fans remember as the day Steve Blake picked Jason Williams pocket. The rivalry continued throughout the decade as Maryland upset Duke for the 2004 ACC Championship in what is still the greatest sporting event I have ever attended. The Terps even swept the Devils during the Nick Caner-Medley years and following a stretch of losses to the Devils, Gary Williams left the school with one final crowning moment. Senior Grevis Vasquez refused to lose on his senior night by scoring 20 points while adding five assists and four rebounds in the Terps 79-72 win over the Devils to win the 2010 ACC crown. For his career, Williams coached greats such as Walt Williams, Joe Smith, Steve Francis, Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Steve Blake, Chris Wilcox, and Grevis Vasquez.
However, the coach?s greatest accomplishments may be found in his ability to find diamonds in the rough. His national title team did not have a McDonalds High School All American on the squad and players like Byron Mouton, Jamar Smith, Exree Hipp, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Eric Hayes became stars on their own team.
Personally, Gary Williams? retirement in a way marks the end of my fandom as a youth. I grew up in love with Maryland Basketball, Sean Casey of the Cincinnati Reds, and Darrell Green. Williams was the lone remainder of that group and I am thankful I saw the man coach. I was at the last game he ever won and at the last game he ever coached.
My only regret is that I never went to the Comcast Center to watch his team play. Looking back, I have no clue why I never did; last season alone I saw Maryland play three times and since 2002 I had averaged seeing the team play 2-3 times a year. Regardless, a great era has ended and I personally hope Gary is quickly enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, he deserves it. Gary did it the right way, he was never in trouble with the NCAA and he represented his school with the upmost dignity while providing quality teams to compete in the country?s most difficult conference.
In closing, I leave you with a song that played throughout my house, wherever I lived, throughout the last ten years. One Hell of a coach has just retired.
YouTube - I Love Gary Williams
