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Buzz Williams is heading to College Park.
On Tuesday, Maryland announced it hired Williams, the former Texas A&M coach, as the Terrapins' newest men's basketball coach.
Williams, who spent the past six seasons in the SEC with the Aggies, replaces Kevin Willard at Maryland after Willard took the vacant coaching job at Villanova on Sunday. Maryland will pay Texas A&M a $1 million buyout for Williams to come to College Park, according to a contact obtained by the USA TODAY Network.
REQUIRED READING: When is Final Four for March Madness? Dates, location, schedule for NCAA Tournaments
"It is an honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the University of Maryland men's basketball team," Williams said in a statement.
"I want to thank President (Darryll) Pines and (interim Maryland athletic director) Colleen Sorem for this opportunity to lead one of the most prestigious programs in the country. In leading this program, I promise to uphold the history of Maryland basketball and make Terp Nation proud with the men who represent this institution."
Tuesday's announcement comes roughly a week after Williams was first was linked to the Maryland job if Willard decided to leave and take another position. Prior to his six years at Texas A&M, where he led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament each of the past three seasons, Williams has one other Power 4 conference-level coaching gig on his resume: Virginia Tech from 2014-1019. He got his first head-coaching job in 2006 at New Orleans before being hired in 2008 by Marquette, where he was head coach for six seasons and elevated the Golden Eagles back to national prominence.
Maryland and Marquette are set to face each other in the back end of a home-and-home series this upcoming season, a non-conference matchup that will mark Williams' first return to Milwaukee since leaving for the Virginia Tech job in 2014.
Williams holds an overall record of 373-228 in his 18 seasons as a head coach. He has won at least 100 games at each of his past three stops – Marquette, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M – and now finds himself in his third Power 4 level conference.
As noted in Maryland's news release, Williams is one of 12 active Division I basketball head coaches to win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament with three different programs. He has led his teams to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four career NCAA Sweet 16 appearances (three at Marquette, one at Virginia Tech) and one Elite Eight appearance (2013 Marquette).
Maryland finished 27-9 overall this past season under Willard and it went to the Sweet 16 of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament, where it fell to No. 1 seed Florida.
Williams will now look to rebuild Maryland's roster to compete once again in the Big Ten, as the Terrapins have already lost Rodney Rice, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Braden Pierce to the transfer portal, and star freshman Derik Queen is expected to declare for the NBA draft.
(This story will be updated.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buzz Williams hired at Maryland, leaves Texas A&M after six seasons
Continue reading...
On Tuesday, Maryland announced it hired Williams, the former Texas A&M coach, as the Terrapins' newest men's basketball coach.
Williams, who spent the past six seasons in the SEC with the Aggies, replaces Kevin Willard at Maryland after Willard took the vacant coaching job at Villanova on Sunday. Maryland will pay Texas A&M a $1 million buyout for Williams to come to College Park, according to a contact obtained by the USA TODAY Network.
REQUIRED READING: When is Final Four for March Madness? Dates, location, schedule for NCAA Tournaments
"It is an honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the University of Maryland men's basketball team," Williams said in a statement.
"I want to thank President (Darryll) Pines and (interim Maryland athletic director) Colleen Sorem for this opportunity to lead one of the most prestigious programs in the country. In leading this program, I promise to uphold the history of Maryland basketball and make Terp Nation proud with the men who represent this institution."
Tuesday's announcement comes roughly a week after Williams was first was linked to the Maryland job if Willard decided to leave and take another position. Prior to his six years at Texas A&M, where he led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament each of the past three seasons, Williams has one other Power 4 conference-level coaching gig on his resume: Virginia Tech from 2014-1019. He got his first head-coaching job in 2006 at New Orleans before being hired in 2008 by Marquette, where he was head coach for six seasons and elevated the Golden Eagles back to national prominence.
Maryland and Marquette are set to face each other in the back end of a home-and-home series this upcoming season, a non-conference matchup that will mark Williams' first return to Milwaukee since leaving for the Virginia Tech job in 2014.
Williams holds an overall record of 373-228 in his 18 seasons as a head coach. He has won at least 100 games at each of his past three stops – Marquette, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M – and now finds himself in his third Power 4 level conference.
As noted in Maryland's news release, Williams is one of 12 active Division I basketball head coaches to win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament with three different programs. He has led his teams to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four career NCAA Sweet 16 appearances (three at Marquette, one at Virginia Tech) and one Elite Eight appearance (2013 Marquette).
Maryland finished 27-9 overall this past season under Willard and it went to the Sweet 16 of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament, where it fell to No. 1 seed Florida.
Williams will now look to rebuild Maryland's roster to compete once again in the Big Ten, as the Terrapins have already lost Rodney Rice, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Braden Pierce to the transfer portal, and star freshman Derik Queen is expected to declare for the NBA draft.
(This story will be updated.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buzz Williams hired at Maryland, leaves Texas A&M after six seasons
Continue reading...
