No more excuses, it's time for Williams to go

[Tony-OH]

After reading this article in the Sun about the upcoming woes, this has to be the final nail in Gary Williams coffin.

Yes, Gary took a program from rags to riches but unfortunately, he's returned them to the rags.

I heard a few months ago that Williams never even uses his entire recruiting budget because he barely goes anywhere.

Thanks for the memories Gary, but the game has change and you didn't change fast enough. The Terps will be an embarrassment this up coming year and it's William's shoddy recruiting that's to blame.

I know Gary has his supporters, but I'm sorry, recent actions/results speak louder than history!!

Gary, do what's best for the school and resign.

[Mackus]

Still I think suggesting the game has passed Gary by is ridiculous. The team is gonna suck this year, and he's gotta take the hit for that, but I think he can rebuild it faster than anyone else we'd bring in.

I'm not giving him a pass for the sins he's committed since the championship (well moreso since the Gilchrist/McCray/Jones class, up until that class blew up things were fine). He's gotta be accountable for the problems with the team, and I think he is. But I still strongly feel that he's the best guy for getting Maryland back to a Final 4. Its just not gonna be in the next 2 years.

[beaner]

Dear Maryland,

Please get rid of Gary Williams ASAP.

Sincerely,

Alumni and Fans of the University of North Carolina Basketball program

[BaltimoreTerp]

Dear Maryland,

Please get rid of Gary Williams ASAP.

Sincerely,

Alumni and Fans of the University of North Carolina Basketball program

I bet you'll have ten other teams signing that letter.

Maybe more like 300+.

[beaner]

I bet you'll have ten other teams signing that letter.

Maybe more like 300+.

No doubt the rest of the ACC will sign that letter. If the only coach that has consistently challenged Carolina and Duke the past 15 years is on the hot seat, I'd hate to see what happens to truly unsuccesful coaches.

This is still the same Gary Williams that led two teams to the Final Four this decade, right? How many teams have been to two Final Fours this decade? And the same guy who is the only coach besides Roy Williams and Coach K to win the ACC tournament the past 12 years, right? I honestly can't believe some of the Maryland fans on the board would want this.

[Eight]

Gary Williams should not leave now. He has earned the right to have another season to turn this around. If this season is as bad as his detractors claim it will be - and due to the collapse of a once promising '08 recruiting class it may well be - then it will likely be time for him to step down.

That said, when he does step down, Carolina and Duke fans will be wise to hold off on throwing their parades for a bit. Maryland will be a very attractive job and will attract a very good coach.

[Mackus]

Gary Williams should not leave now. He has earned the right to have another season to turn this around. If this season is as bad as his detractors claim it will be - and due to the collapse of a once promising '08 recruiting class it may well be - then it will likely be time for him to step down.

That said, when he does step down, Carolina and Duke fans will be wise to hold off on throwing their parades for a bit. Maryland will be a very attractive job and will attract a very good coach.

I think its absurd to base his job on the results of this season. At least depending on what your expectations are.

An NCAA trip this year would be worthy of a Coach of the Year award. An NIT trip would have to be considered a pretty solid job by Gary, given the talent on the team.

He's gotta take the hit for the expected poor performance next year and the NIT trip last year (largely due to a poor roster constructed). But if you're gonna be crazy enough to fire him if next year isn't a good season, might as well just do it now, because next year isn't going to be a good season. They're gonna stink.

Gary gets more time than that. This will be the first year where we are very bad. The three NIT years we were probably no more than a win or two away from an NCAA bid. Not where we should be by any means, but still not a disaster. Next year we won't be that close, but people shouldn't be expecting us to be.

[inmn]

Gary Williams should not leave now. He has earned the right to have another season to turn this around. If this season is as bad as his detractors claim it will be - and due to the collapse of a once promising '08 recruiting class it may well be - then it will likely be time for him to step down.

That said, when he does step down, Carolina and Duke fans will be wise to hold off on throwing their parades for a bit. Maryland will be a very attractive job and will attract a very good coach.

Good post, this would not be the opportune time to make a change anyway.

I would rather see GW go out on top but it doesn't often end that way. They are making inroads with younger recruits than in the past which will hopefully pay dividends in the next few years but I am afraid the next 2-3 years are going to be difficult. There is no excuse for Md basketball to miss the NCAA's 5 of 6 years-which is likely. As pointed out by another poster Md's other sports within the athletic department continue to excel while men's basketball is going the other way. And it's not just on the court, the administrative problems are telling.

My biggest concern if GW goes is that you end up with a coach who can recruit but can't coach (Wade)-which is more frustrating than a great coach that can't recruit or doesn't care to. Don't forget even Wade beat Duke and UNC one year.

GW has been a wonderful coach over the years but his record is eerily the same as Lefty's. Lefty built Md basketball not Gary-he has simply continued the legacy. Md will be a strong if not stronger program when GW goes as it is one of the top jobs in the game.

[Eight]

I think its absurd to base his job on the results of this season. At least depending on what your expectations are.

An NCAA trip this year would be worthy of a Coach of the Year award. An NIT trip would have to be considered a pretty solid job by Gary, given the talent on the team.

He's gotta take the hit for the expected poor performance next year and the NIT trip last year (largely due to a poor roster constructed). But if you're gonna be crazy enough to fire him if next year isn't a good season, might as well just do it now, because next year isn't going to be a good season. They're gonna stink.

Gary gets more time than that. This will be the first year where we are very bad. The three NIT years we were probably no more than a win or two away from an NCAA bid. Not where we should be by any means, but still not a disaster. Next year we won't be that close, but people shouldn't be expecting us to be.

If you're going to give him a pass on next year, are you going to give him a pass on '09-'10 as well? That will be the same roster with a bit more experience. Greivis may well be gone, especially if this coming season is a disaster. We will likely add one or two recruits, but none of them are likely to be instant impact players.

I am a huge Gary fan. I think he's been dealt a bad hand with how the '08 class has gone down with Gilchrist, Maze, Evans, Jennings, et al, but in the end, the roster construction and the team's performance rests at the feet of the head coach. The '05-'07 classes were recruited by Gary Williams, and if he can't win with them next year, after the recent performances, I hope he will retire for the good of the program. I haven't given up on him yet, but another bad year and I don't see where my optimism about his remaining years will come from.

[Mackus]

If you're going to give him a pass on next year, are you going to give him a pass on '09-'10 as well? That will be the same roster with a bit more experience. Greivis may well be gone, especially if this coming season is a disaster. We will likely add one or two recruits, but none of them are likely to be instant impact players.

I am a huge Gary fan. I think he's been dealt a bad hand with how the '08 class has gone down with Gilchrist, Maze, Evans, Jennings, et al, but in the end, the roster construction and the team's performance rests at the feet of the head coach. The '05-'07 classes were recruited by Gary Williams, and if he can't win with them next year, after the recent performances, I hope he will retire for the good of the program. I haven't given up on him yet, but another bad year and I don't see where my optimism about his remaining years will come from.

If its up to me he'd have a lifetime pass. I wouldn't be the guy to tell a legend to leave. That's not the way its done in college basketball. I certainly think he'd leave if things were getting to the point where they are irreparable, and if we miss the tourney both of the next two years, I'd expect to see him decide to hang them up.

He's gotta sign a good class for next year though to get an infusion of talent in here. Even if that means taking one or two one-and-dones.

[ccbird]

I think its absurd to base his job on the results of this season. At least depending on what your expectations are.

An NCAA trip this year would be worthy of a Coach of the Year award. An NIT trip would have to be considered a pretty solid job by Gary, given the talent on the team.

He's gotta take the hit for the expected poor performance next year and the NIT trip last year (largely due to a poor roster constructed). But if you're gonna be crazy enough to fire him if next year isn't a good season, might as well just do it now, because next year isn't going to be a good season. They're gonna stink.

Gary gets more time than that. This will be the first year where we are very bad. The three NIT years we were probably no more than a win or two away from an NCAA bid. Not where we should be by any means, but still not a disaster. Next year we won't be that close, but people shouldn't be expecting us to be.

See this is what gets me and this isn't directed at you as much because I know you've acknowledged that Gary is mostly to blame for the state of the program. The expectations are so low that Gary is already being set up to have people praise him if and when we have even a decent season. It bugs me that Gary can't lose with some people no matter what.

I can almost see how this will play out. Gary is a fighter, he doesn't quit and it's by far his best coaching aspect. With that said, I think he has a chance to get this program back where it was 10 years ago as a consistent NCAA tourny team and because of where this program has fallen he will be hailed by some for getting this program back to that level. I just expected and still expect the next step which is getting top talent and the ability to get to the Final Four. If Gary coming off 2001 and 2002 wasn't able to get this program to that level then that he isn't going to be able to do it now.

Truth be known for anyone who wants to see this program take the next step than the sooner Gary leaves the better. He is getting old, he has never recruited well and didn't take advantage of his best chance when he won the NC.Now, 6 years later and a program in the worst shape it's been since 1992, I fail to see how Gary is gonna take this program to the level where it could and should be.

[Ruzious]

After reading this article in the Sun about the upcoming woes, this has to be the final nail in Gary Williams coffin.

Yes, Gary took a program from rags to riches but unfortunately, he's returned them to the rags.

I heard a few months ago that Williams never even uses his entire recruiting budget because he barely goes anywhere.

Thanks for the memories Gary, but the game has change and you didn't change fast enough. The Terps will be an embarrassment this up coming year and it's William's shoddy recruiting that's to blame.

I know Gary has his supporters, but I'm sorry, recent actions/results speak louder than history!!

Gary, do what's best for the school and resign.

There's no news in that article. It's just an excuse to kick the man when he's down.

And what does "recent actions/results speak louder than history" even mean? Are you saying that Maryland winning a national championship didn't matter?

He's obviously not going to resign now - with the contract he's got - unless the state of Maryland pays him off. Would you quit a job that pays you 7 figures - quitting on the kids that you recruited and actually got to keep? How would that help the school - when any coach worth anything has a job? You're basically asking for another Wade/Slaughter situation.

[Golgo]

There's no news in that article. It's just an excuse to kick the man when he's down.

And what does "recent actions/results speak louder than history" even mean? Are you saying that Maryland winning a national championship didn't matter?

He's obviously not going to resign now - with the contract he's got - unless the state of Maryland pays him off. Would you quit a job that pays you 7 figures - quitting on the kids that you recruited and actually got to keep? How would that help the school - when any coach worth anything has a job? You're basically asking for another Wade/Slaughter situation.

I was thinking the same thing... theres nothing new in this article.

[Tony-OH]

There's no news in that article. It's just an excuse to kick the man when he's down.

And what does "recent actions/results speak louder than history" even mean? Are you saying that Maryland winning a national championship didn't matter?

He's obviously not going to resign now - with the contract he's got - unless the state of Maryland pays him off. Would you quit a job that pays you 7 figures - quitting on the kids that you recruited and actually got to keep? How would that help the school - when any coach worth anything has a job? You're basically asking for another Wade/Slaughter situation.

Williams is a lazy recruiter and it's now coming back to bite him hard. Three out of four years in the NIT and we're looking at an even worse team next year and probably the year after. This program is in a shambles and it's ashamed there are so many people blind to it.

Maryland should be an elite program. Maybe not Duke and North Carolina year in and year out, but no way they should be out of the to 25 year in and year out.

People can make excuses all they like. The same people who point to the national championship were the same people who pointed to Billick winning a Super Bowl. Just because you win it all once doesn't give you an unlimted amount of stinkitude.

I have no problem with you supporters. I just happen to think you are sadly wrong, but I'll try not to remind you when the Terps stink it up again and you eventually realize your mistakes...

[ccbird]

Williams is a lazy recruiter and it's now coming back to bite him hard. Three out of four years in the NIT and we're looking at an even worse team next year and probably the year after. This program is in a shambles and it's ashamed there are so many people blind to it.

Maryland should be an elite program. Maybe not Duke and North Carolina year in and year out, but no way they should be out of the to 25 year in and year out.

People can make excuses all they like. The same people who point to the national championship were the same people who pointed to Billick winning a Super Bowl. Just because you win it all once doesn't give you an unlimted amount of stinkitude.

I have no problem with you supporters. I just happen to think you are sadly wrong, but I'll try not to remind you when the Terps stink it up again and you eventually realize your mistakes...

Well I disagreed with you on Billick but I mostly agree here. I'm not quite to the point of firing Gary yet but like I said I do think the sooner he goes the better.

I actually see a lot of comparisons between Billick and Gary. They both have abrasive personalities and egos. Both led their teams from the depths to championships and are the best coaches their franchises/teams have ever had. However, they both have done little since their titles and have had one glaring flaw in their duties as a coach, Billick with his offense and Gary with his recruiting. It's weird how so many were ready to can Billick but most everyone wants Gary to stay.