Why Is Mark Turgeon Leaving Maryland?

17.11.2022 Irving S. Martin 0 Comments

Could Mark Turgeon get back into the coaching game next season? It’s been a common question since he left the Maryland basketball program eight games into this season, and for the first time, he’s been linked to a specific school: Missouri. The Tigers just fired Cuonzo Martin after five seasons and are in the market for a replacement. Turgeon, a native of neighboring Kansas who spent part of his career coaching in the region at Wichita State, is a natural name to throw into the mix. The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton and Seth Davis listed him as a potential candidate for Mizzou’s vacancy. They wrote: ” Mark Turgeon, former Maryland head coach. He’s a high-floor candidate: A head coach who had success in a tough league over a long period of time. If Missouri is looking to juice up the fan base, is Turgeon the spark? Can Missouri hire a Kansas guy? Does Turgeon even want to dive back in or does he want to take a breath, spend a year with family and then rejoin the fray?” The first two questions here: is Turgeon ready to get back to coaching, and would MU hire a Jayhwak? Missouri and Kansas share one of the most hateful rivalries in college basketball, so hiring a former Kansas player and coach might be akin to Maryland bringing in a Dukie. And then there’s Turgeon’s unknown mindset. He left Maryland because he was burned out with the job and the fans, and he’s spent the time since then without saying a word publicly, so it’s possible if not likely he’ll stay out of the game for another season. Maryland Basketball Coaching Search Scoop: Brey Buzz and Interview Hints With his team, ranked No.21 in the preseason AP Poll, struggling to a 5-3 start and fan unrest growing, Turgeon resigned from his job last December. Sources with knowledge of his thinking have said he’s likely to get back into coaching, but perhaps not until he’s taken a year or two off to reset. Despite his unceremonious departure and the shortage of postseason success during his 11 seasons in College Park, he’s respected nationally. At Maryland, he posted a,661 overall winning percentage and won at a,571 clip in conference play. In his previous stop at Texas A&M, he went to the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons. While his results didn’t live up to the Maryland fanbase’s hopes of top-10 rankings or deep March Madness runs, his body of work says someone will want to hire him. While the Missouri speculation is a longshot, Turgeon might be more comfortable reentering the business away from a Power Conference program. The Providence Journal listed him (paywall) as a name Rhode Island could consider after firing David Cox, a D.C. native who might be worth a look as an assistant from whoever the Terps’ next coach is. Meanwhile, Maryland A.D. Damon Evans has hit the final stretch of an abnormally long coaching search created by Turgeon’s early-season departure. “I feel like I have a good sense of who might be interested in the job,” Evans told the Washington Post’s Emily Giambalvo. “We owe it to the people who have come before us, the Gary Williams of the world, the Lefty Driesells of the world, the players that put it on the line for us. It’s time for us to get back to where we rightfully belong.” If Turgeon takes another job, Maryland would save money. The school owes him $5 million in installments spanning to 2026 – a smart move by Evans – so his salary elsewhere would be subtracted from that buyout. “>247Sports

Contents

0.1 Why did Turgeon quit Maryland?
- 0.1.1 Why is Turgeon stepping down?
0.2 Where did Mark Turgeon go?
0.3 How much does Mark Turgeon make a year?
- 0.3.1 What is Mark Turgeon buyout?

1 Who will be Maryland’s next basketball coach?
- - 1.0.1 Who replaces Turgeon?
2 Why did Quin Snyder resign from Missouri?
- - 2.0.1 What happened between Maryland and Michigan coaches?
  - 2.0.2 What is Brenda Frese salary at Maryland?
- 2.1 How much does the Maryland lacrosse coach make?
3 Who is the best high school basketball player in Maryland?

Why did Turgeon quit Maryland?

Over the years, the restlessness of Maryland men’s basketball fans intensified, but Mark Turgeon stayed relatively insulated from criticism. He kept away from social media, and strangers treated him well in public. Turgeon knew what these fans wanted — more postseason success, marquee wins and title runs — but he wanted all of that, too.

And every coach, even this mild-mannered man from the Midwest, has a healthy dose of fiery confidence that he’s the right person for the job.
As Turgeon entered his 11th season with the Terrapins, his athletic department didn’t offer resounding affirmation that he would continue leading this team into the future.

Turgeon signed a contract extension in the spring, and the new deal included terms that wouldn’t strain the school as much financially if it wanted to move on from Turgeon. Multiple people with ties to the program said that Turgeon stepping down from his job was indeed his decision, particularly the timing, rather than a product of the university pressuring him to do so midseason.

But the coach never felt as if he had a long-term future with the school or was supported under this administration, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Both sides held on to this fraying relationship that probably could have been repaired only by a remarkable tournament run.
The voices of disgruntled fans grew louder.

They booed sometimes after Turgeon’s name was announced during introductions, but that could be muffled by music and cheers from others. Then their displeasure became clear and undeniable: A larger group of critics inside a quieter Xfinity Center booed after a loss against Virginia Tech on Dec.1, and as Turgeon and his players walked off the court, some fans chanted, “Fire Turgeon!” That night, Turgeon began a conversation with Athletic Director Damon Evans about his future with the program.

Two days later, he stepped down from his position, a surprising move just eight games into the season.
Turgeon declined to comment, but his statement provided by the school said he “decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down.” Under Turgeon, Maryland began the season 5-3 with losses to George Mason, Louisville and Virginia Tech — a disappointing start but not one that would typically lead to a coach’s departure.

The extent of the disapproval, building over years, peaked last week, and “I think that ripped a hole in his heart,” Rick Jaklitsch, a major athletic department donor who considers Turgeon a close friend, said of the reception after the Virginia Tech loss.

Turgeon’s wife and three children could not be fully shielded from the negativity, and the emotional toll on him and his family played a role in this decision, multiple people said. When Turgeon told the team of his decision last Friday, the players were shocked. Senior guard Eric Ayala compared the feeling inside the meeting room to the day they heard that the 2020 postseason had been canceled because of the coronavirus,

But those who had been part of this team for years understood how even the past three seasons — which included two trips to the NCAA tournament’s second round and the Big Ten regular season title the year they didn’t get to play in the postseason — had bred criticism.

We kind of knew that he went through a lot with everything going on and the fan base,” Ayala said.
He wanted to put his family first.
We all respect that.
I’ve been with Coach Turgeon the longest and been able to build that relationship with him.
I know how much he loves his family.
I admire him as a man for making that decision.” After a second-round exit in 2019, when Ayala was a freshman on that young Maryland team, Turgeon squirmed a bit in his seat as he explained that he felt bad for his players because “people are so critical of me and my team.” A year later, the Terps won a share of the conference title, and Turgeon yelled with glee inside Xfinity Center, referencing a “thousand-pound gorilla” no longer on his back.

Turgeon’s oldest son, Will, who’s now in college, occasionally engaged with disgruntled fans on social media, defending this team and his dad. In response to a now-deleted tweet last week, Will Turgeon wrote : “I love every single one of those guys behind the scenes please support them better you supported my family.” Interim coach Danny Manning, a longtime friend of Turgeon’s who was fired as Wake Forest’s head coach in 2020, said when describing his initial shock and ensuing conversation with Turgeon: “Our families go through a lot.

And it gets tough at times. It’s no secret.” Turgeon still had considerable support inside the program’s top groups of donors. Multiple people who are part of the Friends of Maryland Basketball group, which has roughly 100 members, said they appreciated Turgeon’s honesty and straightforward approach. They felt they had a more intimate relationship with the former coach, and Mike Freiman, a past president of the Terrapin Club, said, “I hope he knows that most of the fans appreciate the work he did.” During a long-scheduled event Tuesday, Manning helped calm these donors after dealing with what Freiman described as “a shock period and almost a grieving process.” These are the type of fans who feel it’s their duty to support the program, its coaches and the players in any circumstance.

“Everybody that I knew that was in that group of Friends of Maryland Basketball were rock solid behind Mark,” Jaklitsch said. “They knew what we had with Mark Turgeon and loved him for what he did for that program. The support he had from the inner group, the core group that’s putting down a lot of money for Maryland basketball, they loved Mark for good reason.” Marcos Bronfman, who is a member of Friends of Maryland Basketball and a past president of the Terrapin Club, said: “Everybody that I’ve talked to in the group was very supportive of Mark.

I’m sure there are people that are giving lots of money that weren’t happy, but they just didn’t voice it the same way.” “Yet,” said Fabian Jimenez, the president of another booster club called the Fastbreakers, “there was a growing number amongst the standard fan base, ticket holders, who were expressing their concern for one reason or another, on the current state of the program.” Turgeon built a résumé in College Park that managed to reinforce the arguments of fans with opposite views.

His teams had consistently solid seasons; the Terrapins reached five of the past six NCAA tournaments, and Turgeon, who had the second-highest winning percentage in school history, led Maryland to a Big Ten regular season title in 2020. Supporters lament how that championship team never had its chance to play in the postseason, which could have led to Turgeon’s best run in March.

Critics think about that same team and remember how it started to fade down the stretch, winning just two of its final five games and clinging to the shared conference title that the team failed to win outright. Turgeon’s teams became regulars at the NCAA tournament, but Maryland advanced to the Sweet 16 only once.

That appearance came from a team that ascended as high as No.2 in the Associated Press poll but was pummeled by Kansas in its tournament exit. This is a program with tradition that went to back-to-back Final Fours and won a national title two decades ago, so that leads to grander expectations.

When Turgeon and the school negotiated a contract extension this past offseason, the deal included a buyout that started at $5 million and would have decreased with time or increased with conference titles and trips to at least the Sweet 16.
The deal required the school to pay the buyout if it terminated the contract in the best interest of the university, and athletic department officials said the school will honor the $5 million buyout.

Turgeon has said in the past that, as a coach, “I always think I’m going to figure it out.” Before this season, he brought in six transfers and two scholarship freshmen. Newcomers filled the rotation, and they haven’t meshed into a strong unit that matched the potential of the individual pieces and the lofty preseason hopes.

Why is Turgeon stepping down?

Dec 3, 2021

Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer Close

Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.

Less than one month into the college basketball season, Maryland announced Friday that head coach Mark Turgeon is stepping down, effective immediately. Turgeon had been in charge of the Terrapins since 2011, and he signed a three-year contract extension in April that was expected to keep him in College Park until 2026.

He stood to make more than $17 million over the length of the new contract, but the Baltimore Sun reported last spring that the buyout was $5 million if taken before May 1, 2022.
After several in depth conversations with Damon, I have decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down, effective immediately, as the head coach of Maryland Basketball,” Turgeon said in a statement.

“I have always preached that Maryland Basketball is bigger than any one individual. My departure will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward. “Maryland Basketball has been my passion and focus for the last 10 seasons, and I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished.

It is through the combined effort and commitment from our coaches and players, both past and present, that we have sustained consistent success in a sport that is ultra-competitive. I am extremely grateful to have worked with each and every one of you. It has truly been an honor to be the men’s basketball coach at the University of Maryland.” Danny Manning, who was hired as an assistant coach last summer, has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season, starting with Sunday’s game vs.

Northwestern, The school said the decision for Turgeon to step down was a mutual one, and that a national search for a new coach would take place following this season. “After a series of conversations with Coach Turgeon, we agreed that a coaching change was the best move for Coach Turgeon and for the Maryland Men’s Basketball program,” Evans said in a statement.

“He has dedicated over a decade of his life to the University of Maryland, and has coached with distinction and honor. He’s a great coach and a great person, and I wish Mark, his wife Ann and his entire family all the best in the next chapter of their lives.” After being ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, Maryland has struggled to a 5-3 start this season.

A home loss to Virginia Tech on Wednesday followed a neutral-court loss to Louisville last weekend. Maryland also lost to George Mason at home earlier this season. Turgeon took over at Maryland in 2011 after four seasons at Texas A&M and seven at Wichita State,

He led the Terps to a 226-116 record and five NCAA tournament appearances in the past seven seasons, and he won a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship in 2020 before the NCAA tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. After finishing in the top three of the Big Ten each season from 2015 to ’17, Maryland finished higher than fifth just once in the past four seasons.

The Terrapins reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season before falling to Alabama to finish 17-14. Manning, who played with Turgeon at Kansas in the 1980s, was hired as an assistant in April. He formerly served as head coach at Wake Forest for six seasons, and was fired after the 2020 season with a 78-111 mark and just one NCAA tournament appearance.

Where did Mark Turgeon go?

Mark Turgeon

Biographical details
2000–2007	Wichita State
2007–2011	Texas A&M
2011–2021	Maryland
Head coaching record

How much does Mark Turgeon make a year?

Maryland

Year	School	Total Pay
2021	Maryland	$2,936,908
2020	Maryland	$3,015,508
2019	Maryland	$2,847,232
2018	Maryland	—

What is Mark Turgeon buyout?

Mark Turgeon, Maryland men’s basketball mutually agree to part ways Men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon and Maryland have mutually agreed to part ways, according to a news release from the university. Mark Turgeon was in the middle of his 11th season as the head coach of the program.

This year’s Maryland team had high expectations coming into the year and after a rough 5-3 start, criticism only became louder for the veteran head coach. Towards the end of his last game, a loss in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge against Virginia Tech, “fire Turgeon” chants were heard in the stadium and he was heckled as he walked off the floor for the last time.

Turgeon amassed a 226-116 record in his time at Maryland. Maryland had made the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons under Turgeon, but only reached the Sweet 16 once. “Maryland basketball has been my passion and focus for the last 10 seasons, and I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished,” Turgeon said in a statement.

Although the decision to part ways was mutual, per the release, Maryland Athletics will honor the terms of the contract including the $5 million buyout, per a team spokesman.Danny Manning has been named the interim head coach and a national search will begin following the end of this season. Editor’s note: This story will be updated with information as more becomes available.

: Mark Turgeon, Maryland men’s basketball mutually agree to part ways

Who will be Maryland’s next basketball coach?

COLLEGE PARK, MD – Kevin Willard has been named the new head coach of the Maryland Men’s Basketball program as announced by Damon Evans, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics on Monday. Willard recently coached Seton Hall to its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six events that were played.

Having won a regular-season conference championship, conference tournament championship and earning conference coach of the year, Willard is one of 10 active head coaches in the Power 6 conferences to achieve each of the accomplishments in the last six seasons. He has been one of the winningest coaches in terms of NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) Quad 1 victories over the last four seasons.

He also has the most non-conference wins of any coach in the nation against Big Ten teams since 2014-15. In his career as a head coach, his teams have 28 wins over Associated Press Top-25 teams including 18 wins over Top-15 teams, 14 wins over Top-10 teams and six wins over Top-5 teams.

We are thrilled to welcome Kevin to the Terrapin family,” said Damon Evans, Barry P.
Gossett Director of Athletics.
We are excited about the future of Maryland basketball with Kevin leading the way.
Nown for his gritty, hard-working teams, Kevin has had tremendous success, winning conference championships and leading his teams to NCAA Tournaments.

He has made a habit of scheduling challenging opponents and winning in those games as evidenced by his record against Big Ten teams in recent years. He has familiarity with the region, being a native New Yorker and having spent much of his life in the Northeast corridor.

We welcome Kevin, his wife Julie, and their sons Colin and Chase to the Maryland family and we look forward to the next great chapter in Terrapin basketball history.” “On behalf of the entire University of Maryland community, it is my honor to welcome Coach Kevin Willard and his family to College Park,” said Darryll J.

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Pines, President of the University of Maryland. “As a leader, coach, mentor, and teacher, Coach Willard is a tremendous choice to lead our men’s basketball program into its next era of distinction.” Kevin Willard becomes the 10th head coach in Maryland Men’s Basketball history. Kevin Willard guided Seton Hall to the 2016 Big East Championship. “Growing up and coaching in the region, I have always admired Maryland basketball. Being named head coach of one of the nation’s premier basketball programs is a tremendous honor,” said Willard.

“Thank you to President Pines and Damon Evans for trusting me to energize this proud program as we look to galvanize our passionate fanbase with a gritty, hard-working style of basketball. Having coached against Maryland several times and at XFINITY Center, I know how Terp fans feel about this team. I embrace the high expectations.

Skill development and a dedication to academic success will be cornerstones of our program and I can promise Terp Nation we will work to make them proud of this basketball team as we build winners on the court and in the classroom. Julie and our boys are excited to join the Terrapin family.” Willard served as the head coach at Seton Hall from 2010-22 where he helped the Pirates to the 2020 Big East Regular Season Championship and the 2016 Big East Tournament Championship.

He coached the Pirates to five NCAA berths and what would have been six in the last seven seasons when you include the COVID-shortened season, when Seton Hall was assured of a berth in the tournament after winning the Big East title in 2020. His teams have posted,500 or better records in the last nine consecutive seasons.

He has a 225-161 overall record at Seton Hall in 12 seasons. He is second all-time in victories (225) in Seton Hall basketball history and has the most wins in conference play in program history (110). He is also the 11th all-time winningest coach in Big East history, dating to the conference’s inception in 1979. He has claimed prestigious coaching honors including the USBWA District II Coach of the Year in 2020, the NABC District 5 Coach of the Year in 2019, the Peter A. Carlesimo Metropolitan Writers Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2019 and Big East Coach of the Year in 2016.

He was also named one of Forbes Top 10 NCAA Basketball Coaches for the Next 10 Years in 2017.
His teams won the prestigious NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for five straight years (2016-20) and earned three NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Awards.
With Seton Hall, he has posted seven 20-win seasons with six coming in the last seven years.

He also finished in the top-four in the Big East on six occasions. In 2018, he led the Pirates to their first victory in an NCAA Tournament since 2004. His teams at Seton Hall have been ranked in the Top 25 in five of the last eight seasons with a high ranking of No.8 in the 2019-20 season.

This past season the Pirates were ranked as high as No.15 and spent eight weeks in the polls.
Willard’s Seton Hall teams have posted 26 Quad 1 wins over the last four seasons since the NET tool started being used by the NCAA.
The 26 Q1 wins are among the Top 15 among all coaches in the nation since the 2018-19 season.

His teams have also posted an 11-5 record against Big Ten teams over the last eight seasons, which includes wins over Maryland in 2018 and 2019. Willard’s teams also won road games at Michigan, Iowa, Penn State and Rutgers and beat Indiana at home. Willard has the most non-conference wins over Big Ten teams of any coach since 2014-15.

The Pirates have 82 combined wins between the Big East regular-season and postseason, second only to Villanova in the conference since the 2015-16 season.
Willard coached the Big East Player of the Year in two of the last three years in Myles Powell (2020) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (2021).
He mentored two of the last five Big East Most Improved Players of the Year in Powell (2018) and Romaro Gill (2020).

He coached the Big East Tournament MVP, Isaiah Whitehead (2016); the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Fuquan Edwin (2014) and Gill (2020); the Big East Rookie of the Year, Angel Delgado (2015) and the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Michael Nzei (2019) and Ike Obiagu (2021).

Whitehead, Delgado, Powell and Mamukelashvili all earned All-American honors and Consensus First-Team All-Big East honors, and all in the last seven years. All four went on to play in the NBA with Powell playing for the Philadelphia 76ers this season and Mamukelashvili playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Powell was Seton Hall’s first Consensus First-Team All-American since 1953. This past season, Jared Rhoden was named to the All-Big East First Team marking the sixth time in seven years that Willard coached a first-team all-conference honoree. Overall, he mentored 15 All-Big East selections and three Big East All-Rookie Team honorees.

Making a huge emphasis on effort in the classroom, Willard’s student-athletes combined for 72 BIG EAST All-Academic team selections, and the program has boasted a perfect single-year academic progress rate in six of the nine NCAA reports since he became head coach as well as perfect multi-year APR scores in 2016 and 2017.

The NCAA has also recognized Seton Hall with NCAA APR Public Recognition awards for boasting an APR in the top 10 percent in the country three consecutive years from 2015-17. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has given the program the Team Academic Excellence Award five consecutive years from 2016-20 for finishing the academic year with a grade point average above 3.0.

Willard has proven to be a strong evaluator and recruiter of talent, as he brought in a consensus top-15 national recruiting class in 2014, led by Whitehead, the program’s first McDonald’s All-American since 2001 and just the fifth all-time. His 2021-22 recruiting class was also rated in the top 25 by 247Sports.

The 2020-21 season marked Seton Hall and Willard’s sixth consecutive top-four finish in the Big East Conference, one of the best basketball conferences in the country. Only Villanova also completed six straight top-four finishes in the same span. Willard was named head coach of the Seton Hall men’s basketball program on March 29, 2010.

He became the 19th head coach in Seton Hall history joining the Pirates after three years serving as the head coach at Iona.
In 2007, he had inherited a Gaels team that had won just two games the prior season.
In his first year at the helm, the Gaels had a 10-win improvement, ranking as one of the top turnarounds in NCAA Div.I.

Then in year three in 2009-10, Willard guided Iona to a 21-10 overall record, and he was named MAAC Coach of the Year. Prior to the start of his career as a head coach, Willard was an assistant and associate head coach for six years at Louisville, where he was mentored by Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Pitino.

Willard also credits his father, Ralph, as one of his coaching influences.
Ralph Willard enjoyed a successful 19-year run as the head coach at Western Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Holy Cross, winning 336 games and advancing to six NCAA Tournaments.
At Louisville, Willard was responsible for assisting with the Cardinals’ game preparations, scouting and preparing game plans.

He also served as chief recruiting coordinator. During his tenure, Louisville was ranked in the Top 25 for five seasons and reached the postseason in each of his six years. The squad reached the NCAA Tournament on four occasions including a visit to the 2005 Final Four, the first time in 19 years that the Cardinals had advanced that deep into the postseason.

In his six seasons at Louisville, the Cardinals posted a phenomenal 142-58 record averaging nearly 24 wins per season.
Prior to Louisville, Willard worked with Pitino as a coaching associate with the Boston Celtics for four years.
His duties with the Celtics included game and practice preparation, scouting and assisting the coaching staff in all facets of basketball operations.

He also provided advance scouting, videotape breakdowns and assisted with individual workouts prior to games. A basketball lifer, Willard played point guard on the Division I level for four years; the last three coming at the University of Pittsburgh.

He earned Big East All-Academic honors while appearing in 60 games for the Panthers. He spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky, where he played in the backcourt and sank over 40 percent of his three-point field goal attempts. Willard hails from New York and was born in Huntington on Long Island, but played his high school basketball at Bowling Green High School (Ky.) while his father was the head coach at Western Kentucky.

He earned second-team All-State honors as a senior and helped his team to a combined 76-15 record in his final three prep seasons. Willard is married to the former Julie Wagner and they have two sons, Colin, who was born in August 2006 and Chase born in June 2008.5 NCAA Tournament Appearances (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020* (COVID), 2022) 2020 Big East Conference Regular-Season Championship 2016 Big East Conference Tournament Championship 2016 Big East Coach of the Year 2020 USBWA District II Coach of the Year 2016, 2017, 2019 Peter A. Most Non-Conference Wins Against The Big Ten Since 2014-15*

Kevin Willard, Seton Hall	11 (5 on the road)
Greg McDermott, Creighton	10 (4)
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke	9 (3)
Tony Bennett, Virginia	8 (3)
Mike Brey, Notre Dame	8 (1)
Jim Larranaga, Miami	7 (4)
Leonard Hamilton, Florida State	6 (1)
Roy Williams, North Carolina	6 (0)
Bill Self, Kansas	5 (0)
*When Maryland joined the Big Ten

Most NET Quad 1 Wins Since 2018-19*

Bill Self, Kansas	42
Scott Drew, Baylor	39
Greg Gard, Wisconsin	35
Mark Few, Gonzaga	34
Tom Izzo, Michigan State	34
John Calipari, Kentucky	33
Rick Barnes, Tennessee	30
Tony Bennett, Virginia	30
Fran McCaffery, Iowa	28
Jay Wright, Villanova	28
Matt Painter, Purdue	27
Kevin Willard, Seton Hall	26
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke	26
Chris Beard, Texas Tech/Texas	26
Chris Holtmann, Ohio State	26
*When NET Started

Wins Over Ranked AP Teams vs. Top 25: 28 wins vs. Top 20: 22 wins vs. Top 15: 18 wins vs. Top 10: 14 wins vs. Top 5: 6 wins #3 Villanova in 2014 #3 Villanova in 2016 #4 Michigan in 2021 #5 Xavier in 2016 #5 Butler in 2020 #6 Villanova in 2015 #7 Maryland in 2019 #7 Texas in 2021 #8 UConn in 2012 #9 Kentucky in 2018 #9 Georgetown in 2012 #10 Villanova in 2020 #13 Butler in 2017 #16 South Carolina in 2016 #17 Louisville in 2017 #22 Texas Tech in 2017 What Are They Saying “We are thrilled to welcome Kevin to the Terrapin family.

We are excited about the future of Maryland basketball with Kevin leading the way. Known for his gritty, hard-working teams, Kevin has had tremendous success, winning conference championships and leading his teams to NCAA Tournaments. He has made a habit of scheduling challenging opponents and winning in those games as evidenced by his record against Big Ten teams in recent years.

He has familiarity with the region, being a native New Yorker and having spent much of his life in the Northeast corridor. We welcome Kevin, his wife Julie, and their sons Colin and Chase to the Maryland family and we look forward to the next great chapter in Terrapin basketball history.” Damon Evans, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics, Maryland ” Kevin Willard was a proven winner in the Big East while at Seton Hall. The intensity level of his teams reflect the passion that Kevin will bring to our team and the University.” Gary Williams, Hall of Fame Coach, Maryland National Champion ” Kevin Willard has always been one of the best coaches in the country. He’s a great recruiter, a great tactician and a good man. He will do a great job at the University of Maryland.” Jay Wright, Head Coach, Villanova “Maryland got a young coach who has a great pedigree. Between his dad’s influence and his years with Rick Pitino Kevin was able to learn and grow into the outstanding coach he is today. Kevin is one of the best in coaching at developing players to achieve their optimum ability. Congrats to Maryland on their extraordinary selection.” Bill Raftery, CBS Sports ” Kevin Willard is one of the best coaches in college basketball and a dear friend. His accomplishments at Iona and Seton Hall speak for themselves. He is the perfect fit for Maryland Basketball, and I know he’s thrilled for the opportunity to lead the Terps.” Mick Cronin, Head Coach, UCLA “I am so happy for Kevin and his family. Kevin is an amazing strategic game planner, an excellent program builder and a very good role model for young men. Maryland is getting a great person, husband and father. As much as I will miss him as a fellow coach in the BIG EAST, I think Mayland is getting one of the top coaches in our game. Ed Cooley, Head Coach, Providence ” Kevin Willard is one of the best coaches in college basketball. He knows what it takes to win and he knows how to develop players and them put them in position to win. Maryland’s players are going to get better under Kevin Willard, This is a tremendous marriage for both sides.” Jon Rothstein, CBS Sports “The job Kevin Willard did at Seton Hall has been incredible. People don’t realize how difficult a job that truly is, and they were a mainstay in the tourney these last 5 or 6 years. He was the no-brainer pick for me in College Park because of his ability to coach, develop players and also connect with players.” Jeff Goodman, Stadium Sports “Kevin has had sustained success at seton hall and put together teams that were consistently tough to handle. His teams play extremely hard every game and are always well prepared. Maryland will have a passionate person on the sideline who will be determined to get the Terps in the NCAA tournament.” Andy Katz, Big Ten Network, NCAA.com, Turner Sports “Kevin brings a wealth of basketball experience & has a winner’s mentality. Kevin is very passionate and has a great sense of pride. He will represent the Terps in a very professional manner.” Dick Vitale, ESPN “I’m excited to have Kevin as the head coach at Maryland. His Big East peers have shared with me privately, what they’ve said publicly, the guy is a winner. In speaking with Kevin, I know that HE knows the long list that makes Maryland great. Passion is high on that list. I know he is bringing that with him to College Park and look forward to cheering his teams on.” Scott Van Pelt ’88, ESPN – TERPS –

Who replaces Turgeon?

Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon, right center, and his team celebrate after they won a share of the Big Ten regular season title after defeating Michigan in an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, March 8, 2020, in College Park, Md. Maryland won 83-70.

AP Photo/Nick Wass) AP Former Kansas guard Mark Turgeon is out as Maryland’s men’s basketball coach after 10 years with the program.
A former Jayhawk will replace him as interim coach; Maryland athletic director Damon Evans named former KU forward Danny Manning as the team’s replacement for Turgeon until the end of the season.

Maryland was off to a 5-3 start this season. That included losses in the last two games to Louisville and Virginia Tech. “After several in-depth conversations with Damon, I have decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down, effective immediately, as the head coach of Maryland Basketball,” Turgeon said in a release.

I have always preached that Maryland Basketball is bigger than any one individual. My departure will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward.” Turgeon, who previously was an assistant at KU and also was Wichita State’s coach from 2000-07, went 226-116 in his 10 seasons with the Terps. Manning was hired as a Maryland assistant coach by Turgeon in April.

He also previously was an assistant at KU before later becoming head coach at both Tulsa and Wake Forest. “We are fortunate that Coach Turgeon has surrounded himself with an outstanding group of coaches,” Evans said in a release. “Coach Manning has been a head coach at the highest level and we have the utmost confidence in his abilities to lead this program.” Evans said that Maryland would have a national search for Turgeon’s replacement once this season concludes.

U coach Bill Self was asked about Turgeon leaving Maryland and Manning taking over after KU’s win over St. John’s on Friday night in New York. “I feel bad for Turg. Maybe I should be feeling happy for him, too, if it’s what’s best for he and his family,” Self said. “I text ‘D’ (Manning) early in the day I haven’t talked to Turg in months.

When we do that (job status) hasn’t been something that’s come up,” Self added. This story was originally published December 3, 2021 12:31 PM. Jesse Newell — he’s won an EPPY for best sports blog and previously has been named top beat writer in his circulation by AP’s Sports Editors — covers the Chiefs for The Star. His interest in sports analytics comes from his math teacher father, who handed out rulers to Trick-or-Treaters each year.

Why did Quin Snyder resign from Missouri?

Snyder’s rocky years Mizzou – Snyder resigned mid-season in February 2006 under far from harmonious circumstances. Amid a losing season and with the program under NCAA probation, he said at the time he was told he would be fired at season’s end. That was the beginning of a stretch of five pro-level assistant coaching jobs for Snyder, including three on NBA benches.

Snyder then became the boss of a team once again when the Jazz hired him as head coach in June 2014. Two former Missouri standouts interviewed earlier this year said they were pleased about the success Snyder achieved with six straight winning NBA seasons. “I personally feel extremely happy for Quin,” former MU star guard Kareem Rush told the Tribune in March.

“Just personally, to see him rebound from what he was going through and have success at the NBA level, definitely good to see.” More: How Mizzou basketball’s 2002 Elite Eight team wants to be remembered 20 years later: ‘The memories are priceless’ Synder faced pressure from the start in Columbia.

He coached the Tigers as Norm Stewart’s successor.
Snyder led the Tigers to NCAA Tournament bids in his first four seasons.
This includes an Elite Eight appearance in 2002, after Missouri wasn’t sure it would be in the field.
His tenure ended after a three-year stretch where Snyder was mentioned 17 times in an NCAA investigation centered on recruiting violations in 2004 surrounding the recruitment of point guard Ricky Clemons.

That led to a three-year probation. It all culminated with Snyder’s resignation Feb.10, 2006. After a 22-11 season in 2002-03, Snyder finished his time at Missouri with a 42-42 record over his final nearly three seasons. Clarence Gilbert, captain of the 2002 Elite Eight MU team, told the Tribune in March that Snyder’s shortcomings were never that he wasn’t a competent coach.

What happened between Maryland and Michigan coaches?

Juwan Howard, Mark Turgeon explain what led to Big Ten Tournament confrontation The non-pandemic-related college basketball story of the day is from the quarterfinal win over the on Friday. He and Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon were involved in a verbal spat that saw both benches empty and Howard need to be held back.

The television broadcast never explicitly said what led to the altercation and it was not apparent what had been said.
A fake post made its way through social media stating that Turgeon commented on Michigan’s banners about Howard’s presence on the Fab Five.
That was determined to be false as both coaches shared what happened from their point of view after the game.

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“This has been going on for three games,” Turgeon said. “I’ve been doing this for 34 years, and I called the conference office, called the commissioner about what transpired in the first two games. I said I wasn’t going to take it the third game. So I stood up for my team, I stood up for me.

There’s a rumor out there saying that I said something about the banner. All I said is, ‘Don’t talk to me.’ There was nothing about a banner. Never backed down. I just stood there and said ‘Don’t talk to me.’ That’s it. The commissioner of the league, the league was well-aware of what transpired the first two games.

They’ll handle it from here. But I thought I was as professional as I could try to be in the moment, standing up for myself. I’ve been doing this for 34 years of doing the right way and for Maryland basketball. That’s all I did. Stood up for myself and my program and said, ‘Don’t talk to me.’ And then it escalated.” Here is Howard’s full and uncut response to what took place on Friday afternoon: “I have respect for everyone’s time and also during this situation.

I’m just gonna say it one time, so please, write your notes. After this, let’s talk about basketball. At the end of the day, first, I want to apologize to my team, which I did in the locker room for my actions. That’s not the way how you handle situations like that under adverse moments. You can’t let your emotions get the best of you.

I love the fact of how our guys stepped up and supported their coach, because they know I always want to support them. But I always want to take ownership when I’m wrong and admit when I’m wrong. So that’s not the right way to handle that situation. “Now, my version, because there’s always gonna be so many versions.

My version, this version — but at the end of the day, my version, I’ll tell you the truth of how it all happened. I noticed that Smith went for the offensive rebound and it went off his hands last, but the referees called the ball out of bounds and I think it was their possession. I’m like no, that’s not how I saw it.

So I was out of the coaching box. And I went down to explain that it was (not) off of Smith. It’s tough to communicate when it’s loud and also when you have your mask on. So Turgeon said that I was out of the box. He told the referee to look at my feet, I’m out of the box, and I was like, ‘C’mon man, that’s what we’re worried about? My feet being out of the box?’ So he said to me, ‘Juwan, I’m not gonna let you talk to me.

I’m never gonna let you talk to me ever again,’ and then he charged at me! And that right there — I don’t know how you guys were raised, but how I was raised by my grandmother and also by Chicago, because I was raised by Chicago and I grew up on the south side, when guys charge you, it’s time to defend yourself.

Especially when a grown man charges you. And that right there, I went into defense mode, forgetting exactly where I’m at. Because that’s not the right way to handle a situation when you come in and charge someone. I didn’t charge him, so, when he charged me, I reacted, and I reacted out of defense.

So, that’s it, my version of things. And then, I got tossed. “That’s the story. Like I said, you’re gonna hear his side, you’re gonna hear my side. You guys can write the narrative. But that’s all I have to say about that.” Howard and his team have made it a habit to make some enemies this year, but this was the most notable dustup of the season.

We will have the Maryland game circled next season after both coaches saw their frustrations boil over on Friday afternoon. First, the Wolverines will finish their postseason. They will play in the Big Ten Semifinals on Saturday afternoon before the NCAA Tournament kicks off next week.

What is Brenda Frese salary at Maryland?

Maryland women’s basketball head coach Brenda Frese receives extension through 2028-29 season Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese received a contract extension through the 2028-29 season, per release. The news was marked as “Celebrating 20 Years of Brenda Frese at Maryland,” a clear honoring of Frese’s past and a commitment to her future at the school.

Frese was hired at Maryland in 2002 and has sustained remarkable success throughout her 20 years in College Park.
This deal locks her down for an additional seven years.
The future Hall of Fame head coach will receive $1,040,000 in Supplemental Annual Income, which will increase by $100,000 each year beginning with the May 1, 2023 to April 3, 2024 calendar year.

This is in addition to her $660,000 annual base salary, meaning she will earn $1.7 million per year from her new contract. If Frese is still serving as the head coach as of May 2, 2024, she will receive a Longevity Payment worth $350,000. She will receive the same payment again if she maintains the job as of May 2, 2027.

All information regarding Frese’s extension was obtained via a Maryland Public Information Request. Frese won a national championship in 2006 and has been to three Final Fours, six Elite Eight and 10 Sweet Sixteens. She has been awarded the AP National Coach of the Year Award twice. Since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014, Frese’s teams have dominated the conference, winning six of eight league championships.

Last May, Frese was awarded a contract extension through the 2026-27 season. This deal adds two more years of security for Frese. This past year, Maryland had high expectations heading into the season but because of injuries, personal issues and other factors, it did not reach those goals, getting knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament and in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.

Following the season, Maryland stars Ashley Owusu and Angel Reese entered the transfer portal in what came as a surprising move to many on the outside. However, Frese reloaded quickly, adding some of the top players in the transfer portal to make up for the losses. Last week, star Princeton guard Abby Meyers announced her commitment to Maryland.

Frese also added four-star freshman guards Brianna McDaniel and Gia Cooke. Frese has set the standard for winning at Maryland, securing 14 conference championships and 18 straight 20-win seasons in addition to her national title. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the specifics within Frese’s contract extension, which were obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act Request.

How much does the Maryland lacrosse coach make?

John C. Tillman (born c.

Current position
Team	Maryland
Conference	Big Ten
Record	160–40 (.800)
Annual salary	$341,000 (contract through 2022)

Who is the best high school basketball player in Maryland?

Rnk	Athlete	School
1	Kevin Durant	Montrose Christian (Rockville)
2	Adrian Dantley	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville)
3	Gene Shue	Catholic (Towson)
4	Sam Cassell	Dunbar (Baltimore)

What is Jeff Capel salary?

Total:$10,184,282

Rank	Coach	Total Pay
17	Jeff Capel	$3,533,438
18	Scott Drew	$3,511,477
19	Juwan Howard	$3,500,000*
20	Brad Underwood	$3,500,000

Who is the highest-paid NCAA baseball coach?

Ole Miss makes Bianco one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches – SuperTalk Mississippi by August 10, 2022 August 12, 2022 Photo by SuperTalk Mississippi News When you win a national championship, you get paid like it. On Wednesday, Ole Miss and head baseball coach Mike Bianco agreed on a new four-year contract with a base salary of $1.625 million, making him the second-highest-paid coach in the nation behind Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin.

We are blessed to have Mike Bianco as our head coach, and we intend for him to lead our baseball team for many, many years to come,” Ole Miss AD Keith Carter said.
With his remarkable track record, no one was more deserving of that national title run than Mike.
We have accomplished so much in every facet of our program, and under Mike’s leadership, we look forward to continuing that level of success and experiencing more championship moments.” Bianco’s new contract also includes an extensive bonus structure, including $400,000 for another national championship.

Full term sheet for Mike Bianco’s new contract. Safe to say he’ll be the head coach of for a long time. — Richard Cross (@RichardCrossSTM) “I appreciate Keith, Chancellor Boyce and our Board of Trustees for proactively and aggressively getting this done,” Bianco said.

I am ecstatic about continuing to lead this incredible program with the support of a community that means so much to Camie and me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is no better fan base in the country. We’ve always known that but after what you guys did in Omaha, the entire country knows it – Rebel fans showed up and made a difference! As always, none of this happens without the incredible players and coaches who have helped us build this program along the way.

I can’t wait to see everyone back at Swayze next spring, and I am proud to be an Ole Miss Rebel.” In 22 years at Ole Miss, Bianco has compiled an overall record of 854-485-1 with 18 NCAA Tournament berths. In 2022, he led the program to its first-ever national championship, subsequently being named National Coach of the Year by D1Baseball, the American Baseball Coaches Association, and Collegiate Baseball.

What happened to Maryland basketball coach Mark Turgeon?

Maryland fans finally got what they wanted Friday: Mark Turgeon’s tenure as the school’s basketball coach ended suddenly — if not necessarily shockingly. Turgeon was 226-116 in 10-plus years coaching in College Park, If there had been an NCAA postseason in 2020, he would have entered this season having been to six NCAA tournaments in the past seven seasons.

But Maryland fans never embraced him. He was ice to Gary Williams’s fire, and even though his record was good — very good at times — he couldn’t match what Williams accomplished in 22 seasons at his alma mater, Those last two words — alma mater — are important. Maryland was always Williams’s dream job, and he walked away from an Ohio State program that was ready to take off to become Maryland’s coach, even though the school was in the midst of an NCAA investigation that would result in two years of postseason sanctions.

Turgeon is a Kansas graduate, a quiet Midwesterner who would have walked to Lawrence to coach at his alma mater. He’s only 56, and there’s little doubt he’s going to coach again somewhere, sometime. He’s too good a coach not to. But Turgeon and Maryland were never a comfortable match.

Turgeon wasn’t the least bit happy when the school was forced to leave the ACC to grab the money dangled by the Big Ten.
When he was offered the job in the spring of 2011, he had told then-athletic director Kevin Anderson that he wanted to coach in the ACC.
He got the chance to do that — for three years.

By then, Maryland fans already were complaining about Turgeon. Many had fallen out of love with Williams in his final seven seasons because the Terrapins didn’t maintain the level they had reached between 1994 and 2004, when they went to 11 straight NCAA tournaments, seven Sweet 16s and back-to-back Final Fours, winning the national title in 2002.

During Williams’s last seven seasons, Maryland reached the NCAAs only three times and didn’t make it out of the first weekend of the tournament.
Coincidence or not, Maryland took off under Turgeon after moving to the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season and went 79-25 the next three years, making the Sweet 16 in 2016.

In 2020, the Terrapins were 24-7 and finished in a three-way tie for the Big Ten regular season title. That team never got to find out how good it might have been because the coronavirus pandemic shut down the postseason before it got started. Would Turgeon have taken that team to the Final Four? Most Maryland fans would tell you it wouldn’t have happened.

Which takes me back to 2001, when I was frequently stopped by Maryland fans in Cole Field House telling me, “It’s time for Gary to go; he’ll never be more than a Sweet 16 coach.” After a loss that winter to Florida State, Williams was booed lustily by fans while doing his postgame radio show on the building’s public-address system.

“Yeah, you should go ahead and boo,” Williams said angrily at the time. “Because the last seven years around here have sucked, haven’t they?” That was Williams: He never held anything in before, during or after a game. Or in practice or the locker room.

You always knew exactly where he stood. I later asked him about the booing incident, and he laughed. “My attitude was: ‘F- you. I’ll show you,’ ” he said. And he did. The Terrapins turned things around after that, and Williams is now an iconic figure in Maryland’s pantheon. Turgeon never will be — and never would have been short of matching Williams by winning a national title.

He also never would publicly attack his fans, referees, other coaches or even the media. He internalized. And even if he had won a national title, he wouldn’t have been as beloved as Williams because he rarely seemed to get angry. The notable exception was his near-fight with Michigan Coach Juwan Howard last season,

That was a moment Maryland fans loved. In the spring, Maryland announced that it had given Turgeon a contract extension through the 2026 season, but that was a smokescreen. To get extended, Turgeon had to accept a reduction in buyout money, meaning it would be easier for the school to move on from him.

My guess is Turgeon’s fate was sealed when the Terrapins lost at home to George Mason, Power schools often lose to mid-majors in this day and age — Navy over Virginia, Colgate over Syracuse and Liberty over Missouri are only a few of this season’s examples — but Turgeon was already on thin ice with many Maryland people before that game.

Then came a defeat to Louisville and Wednesday’s loss to Virginia Tech, a game the Terrapins led by seven in the second half at home. By sheer coincidence I was in the car driving home from another game Wednesday and heard Turgeon’s postgame radio interview. He sounded like a beaten man. Without being asked, he noted the boos that had followed his team off the floor and said he knew most of them were for him.

He talked about how frustrated he felt — and that it was only Dec.1. Did I think he had just coached his last game at Maryland? No. But having known him since his playing days under Larry Brown at Kansas, I felt like I was listening to someone who was very unhappy.

Turgeon was always aware that Maryland’s fan base never fully accepted him.
He made a mistake by never embracing Williams, who is still on the Maryland payroll and would no doubt have loved to have some involvement with the program that went beyond fundraising.
While the timing of his departure, eight games into the season, feels strange, these are strange times in college athletics.

In the past two weeks, football coaches have left storied programs at Oklahoma and Notre Dame for big money and big pressure at Southern California and LSU. Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall suddenly resigned Thursday, and now Turgeon is gone from Maryland.

Danny Manning, Turgeon’s former teammate at Kansas, is a good choice to take over for the rest of the season.
He has coached a big-time program at Wake Forest and is certainly someone the players should respect.
He won a national championship as a player in 1988 and as an assistant coach in 2008, both at Kansas.

Now the search begins. Maybe Manning will produce a turnaround that will earn him the job — if he wants it — at season’s end. Until then, Maryland would do well to stay away from any silly, overpriced headhunters and instead form a search committee chaired by Williams.

Why did Maryland give Mark Turgeon a contract extension?

But Maryland fans never embraced him.
He was ice to Gary Williams’s fire, and even though his record was good — very good at times — he couldn’t match what Williams accomplished in 22 seasons at his alma mater,
Those last two words — alma mater — are important.
Maryland was always Williams’s dream job, and he walked away from an Ohio State program that was ready to take off to become Maryland’s coach, even though the school was in the midst of an NCAA investigation that would result in two years of postseason sanctions.

Turgeon wasn’t the least bit happy when the school was forced to leave the ACC to grab the money dangled by the Big Ten. When he was offered the job in the spring of 2011, he had told then-athletic director Kevin Anderson that he wanted to coach in the ACC. He got the chance to do that — for three years.

During Williams’s last seven seasons, Maryland reached the NCAAs only three times and didn’t make it out of the first weekend of the tournament.
Coincidence or not, Maryland took off under Turgeon after moving to the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season and went 79-25 the next three years, making the Sweet 16 in 2016.

You always knew exactly where he stood.
I later asked him about the booing incident, and he laughed.
My attitude was: ‘F- you.
I’ll show you,’ ” he said.
And he did.
The Terrapins turned things around after that, and Williams is now an iconic figure in Maryland’s pantheon.
Turgeon never will be — and never would have been short of matching Williams by winning a national title.

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That was a moment Maryland fans loved. In the spring, Maryland announced that it had given Turgeon a contract extension through the 2026 season, but that was a smokescreen. To get extended, Turgeon had to accept a reduction in buyout money, meaning it would be easier for the school to move on from him.

Turgeon was always aware that Maryland’s fan base never fully accepted him. He made a mistake by never embracing Williams, who is still on the Maryland payroll and would no doubt have loved to have some involvement with the program that went beyond fundraising. While the timing of his departure, eight games into the season, feels strange, these are strange times in college athletics.

Danny Manning, Turgeon’s former teammate at Kansas, is a good choice to take over for the rest of the season. He has coached a big-time program at Wake Forest and is certainly someone the players should respect. He won a national championship as a player in 1988 and as an assistant coach in 2008, both at Kansas.

Does Mark Turgeon still have support from top donors?

And every coach, even this mild-mannered man from the Midwest, has a healthy dose of fiery confidence that he’s the right person for the job. As Turgeon entered his 11th season with the Terrapins, his athletic department didn’t offer resounding affirmation that he would continue leading this team into the future.

But the coach never felt as if he had a long-term future with the school or was supported under this administration, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Both sides held on to this fraying relationship that probably could have been repaired only by a remarkable tournament run.
The voices of disgruntled fans grew louder.

Two days later, he stepped down from his position, a surprising move just eight games into the season. Turgeon declined to comment, but his statement provided by the school said he “decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down.” Under Turgeon, Maryland began the season 5-3 with losses to George Mason, Louisville and Virginia Tech — a disappointing start but not one that would typically lead to a coach’s departure.

“We kind of knew that he went through a lot with everything going on and the fan base,” Ayala said. “He wanted to put his family first. We all respect that. I’ve been with Coach Turgeon the longest and been able to build that relationship with him. I know how much he loves his family. I admire him as a man for making that decision.” After a second-round exit in 2019, when Ayala was a freshman on that young Maryland team, Turgeon squirmed a bit in his seat as he explained that he felt bad for his players because “people are so critical of me and my team.” A year later, the Terps won a share of the conference title, and Turgeon yelled with glee inside Xfinity Center, referencing a “thousand-pound gorilla” no longer on his back.

Critics think about that same team and remember how it started to fade down the stretch, winning just two of its final five games and clinging to the shared conference title that the team failed to win outright.
Turgeon’s teams became regulars at the NCAA tournament, but Maryland advanced to the Sweet 16 only once.

When Turgeon and the school negotiated a contract extension this past offseason, the deal included a buyout that started at $5 million and would have decreased with time or increased with conference titles and trips to at least the Sweet 16. The deal required the school to pay the buyout if it terminated the contract in the best interest of the university, and athletic department officials said the school will honor the $5 million buyout.

What do critics think about Mark Turgeon’s teams?

And every coach, even this mild-mannered man from the Midwest, has a healthy dose of fiery confidence that he’s the right person for the job. As Turgeon entered his 11th season with the Terrapins, his athletic department didn’t offer resounding affirmation that he would continue leading this team into the future.

But the coach never felt as if he had a long-term future with the school or was supported under this administration, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Both sides held on to this fraying relationship that probably could have been repaired only by a remarkable tournament run.
The voices of disgruntled fans grew louder.

Two days later, he stepped down from his position, a surprising move just eight games into the season. Turgeon declined to comment, but his statement provided by the school said he “decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down.” Under Turgeon, Maryland began the season 5-3 with losses to George Mason, Louisville and Virginia Tech — a disappointing start but not one that would typically lead to a coach’s departure.

Turgeon’s wife and three children could not be fully shielded from the negativity, and the emotional toll on him and his family played a role in this decision, multiple people said. When Turgeon told the team of his decision last Friday, the players were shocked. Senior guard Eric Ayala compared the feeling inside the meeting room to the day they heard that the 2020 postseason had been canceled because of the coronavirus,

“We kind of knew that he went through a lot with everything going on and the fan base,” Ayala said. “He wanted to put his family first. We all respect that. I’ve been with Coach Turgeon the longest and been able to build that relationship with him. I know how much he loves his family. I admire him as a man for making that decision.” After a second-round exit in 2019, when Ayala was a freshman on that young Maryland team, Turgeon squirmed a bit in his seat as he explained that he felt bad for his players because “people are so critical of me and my team.” A year later, the Terps won a share of the conference title, and Turgeon yelled with glee inside Xfinity Center, referencing a “thousand-pound gorilla” no longer on his back.

And it gets tough at times. It’s no secret.” Turgeon still had considerable support inside the program’s top groups of donors. Multiple people who are part of the Friends of Maryland Basketball group, which has roughly 100 members, said they appreciated Turgeon’s honesty and straightforward approach. They felt they had a more intimate relationship with the former coach, and Mike Freiman, a past president of the Terrapin Club, said, “I hope he knows that most of the fans appreciate the work he did.” During a long-scheduled event Tuesday, Manning helped calm these donors after dealing with what Freiman described as “a shock period and almost a grieving process.” These are the type of fans who feel it’s their duty to support the program, its coaches and the players in any circumstance.

I’m sure there are people that are giving lots of money that weren’t happy, but they just didn’t voice it the same way.” “Yet,” said Fabian Jimenez, the president of another booster club called the Fastbreakers, “there was a growing number amongst the standard fan base, ticket holders, who were expressing their concern for one reason or another, on the current state of the program.” Turgeon built a résumé in College Park that managed to reinforce the arguments of fans with opposite views.

Critics think about that same team and remember how it started to fade down the stretch, winning just two of its final five games and clinging to the shared conference title that the team failed to win outright.
Turgeon’s teams became regulars at the NCAA tournament, but Maryland advanced to the Sweet 16 only once.

When Turgeon and the school negotiated a contract extension this past offseason, the deal included a buyout that started at $5 million and would have decreased with time or increased with conference titles and trips to at least the Sweet 16.
The deal required the school to pay the buyout if it terminated the contract in the best interest of the university, and athletic department officials said the school will honor the $5 million buyout.

Irving S. Martin