He won a great number of games in his 33 years as a head coach, though Gary Williams’ success at Maryland is the highlight of his career. Any basketball player would be excited to receive the head coaching job at their alma mater, but Williams made sure his time with the Terrapins would be greatly remembered.
A Maryland point guard in the mid-1960s, Williams began his coaching career at the high school level before spending six seasons as a college assistant. He got his chance to run the show at American in 1978.
After four promising years, he was hired at Boston College for four years before moving to Ohio State for three. Success was had at both schools (including NCAA Tournament appearances), but the best was yet to come, as Williams accepted the job at his alma mater in 1989.
Over the next 22 years, Williams built success at a Maryland program reeling from the death of former star Len Bias and violations under his predecessor. By 1994, this was a Sweet 16 team and became a mainstay in national rankings for the next decade.
He led the Terrapins to the Final Four in 2001 and took this team one step further the following season. The Terrapins, led by Juan Dixon among others, won their first national championship in 2002.
Williams’ career would continue for nearly another decade, but he’d never build another team quite as successful as those Final Four teams. He won nearly 500 games while at Maryland and his legacy will never be forgotten.
The success was great, especially in the tough ACC of recent decades, but he did make just two trips to the Final Four. His accomplishments led him to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and made him one of the ACC’s great head coaches of all time.