The Maryland Terrapins made headlines earlier this week with the announcement of Buzz Williams as their new head coach. Williams takes over for Kevin Willard, who departed after leading the program for three successful seasons. This marks Williams’ third head coaching position in a Power Five conference.
Williams Arrives at Maryland After Strong Run with the Terps
Buzz Williams comes to Maryland following a successful tenure with the Terps, who just completed a 27-9 season, including a Sweet 16 appearance and near-misses in both the Big Ten title race and Big Ten Tournament. It was one of the best seasons the program has seen in over 20 years, and fans hoped the momentum would continue. However, with Kevin Willard leaving for Villanova, Williams now takes over the reins.
Luckily for Maryland, Williams has a proven track record as a winner. With a 373-228 overall record as a head coach and a history of leading three different programs to the NCAA Tournament, Williams brings significant experience. Notably, he guided Marquette to an Elite Eight in 2013 and Virginia Tech to a Sweet 16 in 2019. In total, Williams has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and has also navigated the NIL landscape successfully.
However, there are some concerns about Williams’ history of job movement. Often seen as a “journeyman” in college basketball, Williams has built successful teams at Marquette, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M, before moving on each time. His decision to leave for new opportunities, even when the programs didn’t offer a clear upgrade in terms of prestige or resources, suggests he could eventually move on from Maryland in the coming years.
Additionally, while Williams has had success, he’s never quite reached an elite level. Despite spending 17 years across three schools, his resume only includes one conference championship and one trip past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2013. His teams are usually solid but rarely exceptional, which may explain his tendency to leave when things seem to plateau.
In summary, while Williams may not be the coach who will lead Maryland to the top of college basketball, this is still a solid hire for the program. Fans can be optimistic that if Williams continues his recent success, the Terps should remain competitive and consistently in the NCAA Tournament picture.
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