Maryland basketball Coach Gary Williams retired late last week to the surprise of some.
But the guy earned the right to quit on his own terms. Williams served as a head coach for 33 years including the last 22 at alma mater Maryland.
He left his mark with the Terps. He led them to a 460-248 over record including the 2002 National Championship. Williams’ teams were a consistent visitor to the NCAA tournament and would occasionally defeat Duke and North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Williams’ fire on the sidelines will be missed. The guy worked extremely hard on game day. He was consistently “chewing” out his players and frequently the guys in the stripe shirts. A Gary Williams team was never dull.
Williams could also be controversial. The latest incident was when former Maryland Athletic Director Deb Yow charged that he sabotage Yow’s present school’s (NC State)
basketball job search. It’s safe to assume that the two didn’t get along too well when they worked together at College Park.
Williams won’t go too far as he will now assist the athletic department. The new guy in the Maryland basketball chair will face challenges. He will replace a legend and the Williams will have a nearby seat to chart the progress of the national caliber-team he built.
Showing posts with label Deb Yow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deb Yow. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
A Curious Hire
North Carolina State finally landed itself a basketball coach yesterday and it was just plain strange.
I have nothing against Mark Gottfried the new coach. I have heard and read he is a good guy. Gottfied had success at Alabama before resigning in the middle of the season. He has been working for ESPN the last two years.
The fact that the Pack hired a coach who had been out of the game for two years tells you something about how low this job has sunk. Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart turned it down and apparently a host of others.
In another strange twist, athletic director Deb Yow sent an email out to Pack fans the night before Gottfried was hired. She said coaches she talked to about the position said it would take a major revamp job and that fans need to be patient about the search.
Then to top off the strangest of all twists, Yow attacked Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams for in Yow’s words “sabotaging the search.” This happened at Gottfied’s press conference. Yow is a former Maryland athletic director and the two didn’t get along in College Park. Apparently, Yow thought Williams wasn’t saying nice things to potential NC State coaching candidates. Williams, of course, denied this through the Maryland sports information office.
I am wondering if after the sideshow, Gottfried really wants this job. The marriage has gotten off to a rocky start and we haven’t even had time for the honeymoon.
I have nothing against Mark Gottfried the new coach. I have heard and read he is a good guy. Gottfied had success at Alabama before resigning in the middle of the season. He has been working for ESPN the last two years.
The fact that the Pack hired a coach who had been out of the game for two years tells you something about how low this job has sunk. Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart turned it down and apparently a host of others.
In another strange twist, athletic director Deb Yow sent an email out to Pack fans the night before Gottfried was hired. She said coaches she talked to about the position said it would take a major revamp job and that fans need to be patient about the search.
Then to top off the strangest of all twists, Yow attacked Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams for in Yow’s words “sabotaging the search.” This happened at Gottfied’s press conference. Yow is a former Maryland athletic director and the two didn’t get along in College Park. Apparently, Yow thought Williams wasn’t saying nice things to potential NC State coaching candidates. Williams, of course, denied this through the Maryland sports information office.
I am wondering if after the sideshow, Gottfried really wants this job. The marriage has gotten off to a rocky start and we haven’t even had time for the honeymoon.
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Silent Coaching Search
North Carolina State Athletic Director Deb Yow has been true to her word. The silent has been deafening.
Yow has made no public comments about the Wolfpack coaching search since she fired Sidney Lowe about three weeks ago. Yes, there has been speculation, but nothing firm from Yow’s office.
Former NC State Athletic Director Lee Fowler’s basketball coach search was extremely public. Apparently, Lowe was way down on the pecking order as big-named coaches turned down Fowler.
So Yow has done a 360-degree turn in hiring philosophy.
Apparently, Yow did go after Arizona coach Sean Miller. The former Wolfpack assistant said no to Yow according to Miller’s father.
This job may not be as attractive as some people reason. Lowe’s performance lowered the appeal. He led the Pack to zero NCAA tournaments. At least, the guy before, Herb Sendek got NC State to the tourney. Plus, the Pack is in an extremely competitive environment. For my foreign readers, NC State is only about 30 miles from powerhouses Duke and North Carolina.
So maybe Yow is trying to attract a hot, postseason coach. When the tournament is over, we may realize why Yow waited in silence.
NC State fans hope the silence is worth the wait.
Yow has made no public comments about the Wolfpack coaching search since she fired Sidney Lowe about three weeks ago. Yes, there has been speculation, but nothing firm from Yow’s office.
Former NC State Athletic Director Lee Fowler’s basketball coach search was extremely public. Apparently, Lowe was way down on the pecking order as big-named coaches turned down Fowler.
So Yow has done a 360-degree turn in hiring philosophy.
Apparently, Yow did go after Arizona coach Sean Miller. The former Wolfpack assistant said no to Yow according to Miller’s father.
This job may not be as attractive as some people reason. Lowe’s performance lowered the appeal. He led the Pack to zero NCAA tournaments. At least, the guy before, Herb Sendek got NC State to the tourney. Plus, the Pack is in an extremely competitive environment. For my foreign readers, NC State is only about 30 miles from powerhouses Duke and North Carolina.
So maybe Yow is trying to attract a hot, postseason coach. When the tournament is over, we may realize why Yow waited in silence.
NC State fans hope the silence is worth the wait.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Sidney Lowe Done at North Carolina State
As I predicted a couple weeks ago in this space, Sidney Lowe is no longer the basketball coach at North Carolina State. The former Wolfpack guard resigned Tuesday.
Lowe, who was a member of Jim Valvano’s national championship team, couldn’t build the team into a national presence again. He posted a below .500 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and never led NC State to a NCAA tournament appearance in five seasons.
Lowe seemed like a good recruiter, but a poor game coach. His teams didn’t possess good chemistry on floor and lacked passion. Ultimately, that falls back on the coach.
One writer said a problem with Lowe was he didn’t have college coaching experience. He did coach two NBA teams, but this writer noted that wasn’t the same.
Some people think the NC State job is a difficult one with Duke and North Carolina down the road only about 30 miles. But I think in their hearts, Wolfpack fans believe their school can field a winning, national team again. NC State has the tradition (remember David Thompson), it just needs to bring it to the present.
Last year, NC State hired Deb Yow as its new athletic director. She’s noted as a mover-and-shaker in the business. I sense she will comb the college basketball world in search of a successful and good fit coach for NC State.
The Pack should return to the NCAA tournament consistently. Yow needs to make it happen.
Lowe, who was a member of Jim Valvano’s national championship team, couldn’t build the team into a national presence again. He posted a below .500 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and never led NC State to a NCAA tournament appearance in five seasons.
Lowe seemed like a good recruiter, but a poor game coach. His teams didn’t possess good chemistry on floor and lacked passion. Ultimately, that falls back on the coach.
One writer said a problem with Lowe was he didn’t have college coaching experience. He did coach two NBA teams, but this writer noted that wasn’t the same.
Some people think the NC State job is a difficult one with Duke and North Carolina down the road only about 30 miles. But I think in their hearts, Wolfpack fans believe their school can field a winning, national team again. NC State has the tradition (remember David Thompson), it just needs to bring it to the present.
Last year, NC State hired Deb Yow as its new athletic director. She’s noted as a mover-and-shaker in the business. I sense she will comb the college basketball world in search of a successful and good fit coach for NC State.
The Pack should return to the NCAA tournament consistently. Yow needs to make it happen.
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