Head Coach Randy Edsall

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –

Opening Comments:

“Evan Mulrooney was released from the hospital just now, just came into the facilities. I talked to him for a little bit before I came in here. He looks good, he had a viral infection. I don’t know what it was, but he’ll be out for an extended period of time until the doctors clear him, however long that will be we don’t know, but hopefully first and foremost he gets healthy and then once the time comes he’s able to get out there with us and he’ll be out there but not until he’s cleared 100 percent to be able to do those things.

“Quinton Jefferson is still with his wife as they are finding out exactly the issues she might have. I spoke to Quinton today and he’s in good spirits, but in our program it’s all about their faith first and foremost and then the family, then academics, then football and then the social so our thoughts and prayers are with him and his wife and his family and hopefully everything works out well from that standpoint.

“Looking forward to fan appreciation day on Saturday. Give our fans a chance to come out and watch us scrimmage and then also get a chance to interact with our players afterwards, get some autographs. I know our guys are really looking forward to that, they like spending time with all the people who come to support them and watch them so we’re looking forward to Saturday.

“And then lastly we have a new website MarylandPride.com. It’s a really interesting website, giving people an inside look, supporters, recruits, an inside look to what goes on here. What goes on in the life of a student-athlete, goes behind closed doors, be able to see the camaraderie, the love these guys have for each other and just the demands they have on them as student-athletes and how they manage their time and what they do and they’re very appreciative of all the people who support them so if people get a chance to check that out, there’s going to be things up there new each and every day. A lot of content that we think will be really good for people to get to know more about our student-athletes and our football program.

“Been pleased with the first eight practices that we’ve had. Seen a lot of improvement but also know that we still have a lot of work to do before our first game. There are some things that are starting to become a little bit clearer in regards to our team and what we’ve got to do now is a little bit more difficult than last week because we have a two-a-day on Tuesday and Thursday. So, we have two this week and again we’ve got a couple things we have to install that now what we have to get down to is the precision and the timing, especially offensively, with the guys that we feel will be in there playing. We’ve stayed pretty healthy. Sean Christie is a young man who will have surgery at some point in time on his knee, talked about Evan, we just have some guys that have some bumps and bruises, which you get in camp, but other than that nothing from a serious nature.”

On defensive back Denzel Conyers and possible position changes:

“Denzel got back Saturday night and then he did work out yesterday. It’s good to have him back. He was very appreciative to be able to go home and he needed to go home for his family situation. Don’t really want to get into any position changes because if there are going to be some position changes, I haven’t spoken to the players yet. I’ve got some meetings after this today, so as you come to practice tomorrow you’ll see some things that have taken place based on what has transpired in the first eight practices. I want to caution you just to say that the changes that we make or you see some things in the depth chart as you come out to practice tomorrow, that’s where we are after eight practices. We still have time to go with preseason and guys will still have an opportunity to move up or down based on their performances.”

On offensive lineman Andrew Zeller:

“We’re really pleased with what he’s doing so far. On the offensive line, he’s a young man that we expect to be a leader for us. He’s getting better as he continues to improve his technique. And that’s the biggest thing that we’re harping on him about. When he is technically sound he is very, very good, but when he has some flaws in his technique, he just becomes average. He works hard each and every day, he’s got a great attitude. Somebody that you can count on, he’s going to be there every day. Knows how to fight through the little things. Really pleased with where he’s at. What we have to do is just kind of get him to that next level. And he sees it and he knows it, in terms of the things he has to do and he’s working extremely hard to improve upon that.”

On the competition at running back:

“I’ve been impressed with Brandon Ross. I think Brandon is having a good fall. He put the ball on the ground a couple times, but since the last time he hasn’t done that. He understands ball security. Brandon is better as a pass blocker, has good hands and is being productive out there.

“Albert [Reid] is steady as Albert always is. Albert gives you everything that he has. He knows everything, his assignments. He’s a leader, hard-nosed.

Jacquille [Veii] brings a lot of energy, enthusiasm, has the skill set, the ability. And again just trying to perfect all his assignments.

‘Wes [Brown], you can see that the time away for him was something that he’s still getting back into the swing of things. But again, he’s a tough, downhill runner that again just has to be more efficient and more affective with executing all the things he’s being asked to do as a running back.”

On Sunday’s scrimmage:

“I thought we had a better day yesterday. There were some things that we did in the scrimmage that were better. And again, I think it’s that those guys, just working together, getting those reps together and everybody just doing their job. That’s the biggest thing that everybody has to understand. Everybody just has to do their job to the best of their ability. But again the things that they do on their own in the summer time in terms of the 7-on-7 and those sort of things is great, but it’s totally different than what we’re going to do when we start practice. And you can just see the guys start to make more improvement with each practice and like I said I thought yesterday was better, again a step in the right direction and again I think this week as we continue to go we’ll continue to make that progress.”

On the progress of quarterback C.J. Brown:

“The thing with C.J. [Brown] is just continually doing all the things his job requires. We want him to be more decisive on his decision-making. We want him to understand that when he sees things to utilize all parts of his repertoire to get the job done. That means his arms, his legs, all those things. And really as I told him, this is his team that he needs to just go and take more charge of what’s going on out there. But he’s better than he was in the spring. And again, we’ve got to understand that we have a very high level of expectation for our players and we’re not going to be satisfied with just being average.  We as coaches, and even the players, they want to be the best they can be and the biggest thing is we always have to focus and concentrate on those little things and those are more of the things that we got to get C.J. to just always be cognizant of. Be a little bit more decisive and also understand to utilize whatever the defense gives you. If that means taking off and running with it, if it means throwing it, whatever it is. Do it and don’t hesitate.”

On the team’s preparation this year compared to last year:

“I think every year is a different year. We’re older, we’re more mature, we’re stronger, and those guys are bigger. I’ll give you an example, Matt Robinson, this is the first time he’s ever been able to lift weights in the summer time because he hadn’t been injured and you can see the difference in him and again when you have more mature guys and older guys they understand what they’re going to be up against and they understand that what you have to do in order to compete against the schedule that we have.”

On the progress of tight end Derrick Hayward:

“Derrick [Heyward] is doing well. And again that thing you have to understand about Derrick, he’s just a redshirt freshman. He’s just a young kid, he’s a young guy that’s getting better. He wants to be good, he works hard. He still makes some mistakes, which we understand that. But I like how he’s working, I like the things that he’s doing. And again everybody, we try to tell the kids this. It’s a process what they’re going through. They all want to come in here and start and play as freshman, but there’s a process that you have to go through when you come from high school to college. Some of the challenges that we have as coaches is to get these guys to understand that they’re not failures if they come in here and they don’t play right away because they were the superstars in high school and for some guys it’s going to take a little bit longer. And they have five years to complete four years of eligibility and you want them to come in and make sure that they understand what the Maryland pride way is and what you have to do. Derrick is a young man who is doing all those things that we do. He’s not going to be the finished product as a redshirt freshman. He’s making great progress and he’s going to continue to make progress because of the type of young man he is.”

On the depth along the defensive and offensive lines:

“Well on the defensive line, you look at Malik Jones and if you take a look at his picture when he first got here then look where he is now, you can tell that he’s been working very hard. He’s put on weight, but again I like where we are right now and we’ve got Malik and Spencer [Myers]. Spencer Myers is doing some really good things out there. He’s caught the attention of everybody and he’ll have the opportunity to work with the one’s tomorrow, but its great competition, that’s the biggest thing. Then on the other side, you’ve got Andre Monroe and behind him you’ve got Roman [Braglio]. Roman is just a fierce competitor and he goes out there ready to compete and does everything he can to earn more playing time. You’ve got Keith [Bowers] and Darius [Kilgo] at nose guard. Who I’ve been impressed with and our coaching staff has been impressed with is David Shaw and what we’ve seen out of him. Kingsley [Opara] is also doing a good job so we’ve got competition, which always makes everyone better. On the defensive line we have depth.

“On the offensive line, when you look at it, we don’t have as much depth as we’d like to. I mean, Michael Dunn is having a really good preseason. Again, we’ve got to get him to be more technically sound. He’s very conscientious, does the things we ask him, he’s smart, we moved him to the left side and he didn’t have any problems, he had a great scrimmage yesterday. Of course, you’ve got Sal [Conaboy] in there at center, Andy Zeller at right guard, and Ryan Dunn was moved from left to right and it seems like much more of a natural fit for him. Then behind him, Jake Wheeler, he’s been playing his best football since he’s been here at Maryland, the left tackle. He’s got a lot of mobility, he’s still learning how to play the game, but he’s doing great. Then you’ve got JaJuan Dulaney at guard, Steve Grommer, and another guy is Brendan Moore, the freshman center and Damian [Prince] has got all the tools. You watch all these guys come in and again; part of the process is trying to get the kids up to speed to become technical offensive linemen. We’re going to be a lot younger on the offensive line, so those young guys will face a challenge and hopefully everybody will stay healthy and we’ll be ready.”

On the wide receivers:

“Well to be truthful, we’ve got a lot we need to work on with the receiving corps. The two guys that I’ve been the most impressed with at the receiving corps so far are Levern Jacobs and Taivon Jacobs. Those are the guys that I think have practiced the best so far when we’ve practiced. They’ve all worked very hard and the truth is that we’re not looking for receivers who only catch the ball around here. This isn’t flag football or 7-on-7. We’ve got to have complete receivers and our receivers have to make sure they listen to Keenan [McCardell] and that they do what he asks them to do. With the talent that they have, they can be very good. However, we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

On the status of wide receiver Deon Long:

“From what I’m being told, he should be back out there tomorrow, and again, what I just said about the receivers includes him.”

On the biggest challenge joining the Big Ten:

“They may have some bigger offensive linemen or people that run the ball a little bit more. A lot of teams run the spread, I know Indiana does and Ohio State runs a version of it so again, we’ve seen all of those things, it’s not like we haven’t seen them. We’ve played against good teams before. Again, what we’ve got to do is get ourselves as good as we can be and we know that in college football we’re going to go against good people week in and week out, but what we’ve got to do is make sure we take care of ourselves and that we do the things that are necessary to put ourselves in a position to allow us to compete and win, and go against the schedule we’re going to go against.”

On the talent at the safety position:

“I think Sean Davis has made tremendous growth, he’s a hard worker, a guy you need to tell to back off. He spent a lot of time in the film room to get better. From what we’ve seen out of Sean, I believe he’s focused, he’s ready to have a great year. You can watch a guy on the practice field and understand how much they get it or not based on how much they talk. You can feel and see that Sean’s confident, he’s focused, he’s playing fast and I’m really proud of him in terms of how he really went out and attacked it. Anthony [Nixon] is ‘Steady Eddie’ back there, we’re trying to get him to talk a little more. He’s been very, very steady for us back there.”

On defensive lineman David Shaw:

“He’s got natural strength and natural ability and he’s really quick off of the ball. That’s the thing that really attracted me to him when watching just how quick he was on high school tapes and just to watch him work and how he pursues the ball and comes to the ball. But again, we’ve got two guys in front of him who are seniors including Keith Bowers. We’re going to try to get David in there as soon as possible but again, I wouldn’t count on seeing him on the kickoffs or playing on the special teams. We’ve got to try and do everything we can to get him ready. We don’t have any injuries right now, but if we do, he’s a guy we’d call upon if he keeps it up.”

On if he has communicated with Dexter McDougle since the injury: 
“I texted him. I didn’t get a chance to call him. We were texting back and forth. I just feel so bad for him. He was playing well and doing a good job, but I just told him that you’ve been through this before, you’ll come back stronger. I touched on this earlier, but with the defensive backs, you can see that camaraderie and I’d probably say that they’re our tightest group. Those guys were in the film room watching a ton of film when we’d walk by and they enjoy each other and I think a lot of that was because of Dexter. What people don’t understand about the game is the relationships we build. I talked to Dexter, Marcus Whitfield, who’s doing well with the Jags, and Joe [Vellano] was here the other day.  We saw the video of A.J. Francis doing the ice bucket challenge. He’s a big man so it took three buckets to cover him, but that’s just what we do. They may frustrate you a bit, but the relationships you build with these guys make you feel very, very special.”

Head Coach Randy Edsall

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –

On who is missing practice:

“You won’t see Quinton Jefferson today. He’s got a family issue that he’s dealing with. Denzel Conyers won’t be here. He’s got a death in the family so he’s not at practice as well.  Evan is getting better and hopefully by Monday he’ll be released, but we still have no other details on him. Sean Christie will require surgery on his knee, so once the swelling goes down, they’ll take care of that. It’s not the ACL, it’s another ligament in the knee. It’s the same injury Mike Minter had a year ago.”

On if there is a timetable for Evan Mulrooney’s return:

“The only thing that I’m concerned about right now is his health. I just want to make sure that he’s healthy and I want him to focus and concentrate. I talked to him today because he had gotten some things from different doctors. I told him just get healthy and we’ll see what happens from there. You’ve got no control over any of this that’s going on just all the things you can do to get healthy and we’ll just work from there.”

On if he will add someone to compete with Silvano Altamirano:

“Silvano is doing a pretty good job there. Once we get through tomorrow’s scrimmage, we’ll revaluate all of our personnel at all positions and we’ll see where we are and if we are going to make any changes, we’ll make those chances by the time we’re going to come out to practice on Tuesday.”

On yesterday’s practice:

“We had a chance to work a lot of situations yesterday with short yardage and goal line and redzone and tight redzone. I thought there was some good give and take there. I though the offense had the better of it in short yardage. I thought the defense was better on the goal line and the red and the tight red. We’ve got some guys coming along and again I’d rather just wait to talk about that next time we talk on Monday after we get through the scrimmage. See how guys react as we go there. I was pleased with the effort. I thought we had a really good practice this morning coming off of yesterday and then you’re back at it early in the morning, you don’t have as much recovery time as you do when you go one-a-days.  I thought our guys really handled it well and know I’m anxious to see how they handle this afternoon which they’ll handle really well.”

On Juwann Winfree:

“I think he’s done a good job. You see him doing some things each day where you say, okay, this is exactly what you thought you were getting. Now it’s just a matter of him trying to refine things. He made a real good catch yesterday and did some good things. You see him really starting to come along. He’s got size, he’s got strength, he’s got speed, he’s got athletic ability and he’s got good hands. Now it’s just a matter of him getting the plays down and getting the precision of what we want in terms of the route running.  He’s picking it up quickly, and we’ll see if he can stay consistent now and keep getting better as we go through these next two weeks.”

On Brad Craddock

“I don’t know if there’s a harder worker on our team in terms of working to prepare himself to be the best he can be. You talk about the work he’s done on his own to make himself the kicker he is today is remarkable. You have to congratulate the young man. He’s one of those guys that is a student of the game and a student of kicking and the art of kicking. To watch what he’s done, I’m very proud of him. We kicked this morning and he did a good job. He kicked a 52 yarder. He’s improved tremendously since he first got here.  He’s one of those guys that is kind of silent but deadly, he doesn’t say a whole lot. But focused and that will to be good, you can just see it. You can see it in his face and his eyes that he wants to be really, really good.  I’m just very proud of him in terms of what he’s been able to accomplish and I think he’s going to continue to get better and he wants to get better and he’s going to do whatever he can do to get better.”

On whether local players honored on preseason watch lists impacts recruiting:

“It’s nice that guys get recognized in the preseason, but that’s just a list. What they have to do it work hard and do the things in the scheme from a team standpoint in order to get better. It’s great that they’re local, but I’m just as proud of Brad Craddock that he’s on the list and all of these guys. It doesn’t matter where they’re from, but it shows that their hard work and their previous production has given them the opportunity for that recognition. Now they’ve got to continue to work hard and continue to produce if they want to achieve those honors. What we always talk about is, with our team success, you’ll get individual honors. That’s what’s more important for our guys if you ask them, they’ll tell you they want the team to do well and then if we do well as a team, then those individual honors will come to the individuals on the team.”

On the fullback competition:

“I think Kenny [Goins] is playing very well.  Kenny is having a really good [camp]. He’s stronger and he’s put on a little bit more weight. He’s doing a good job. He’s separating himself from Tyler [Cierski]. Kenny is the clear No. 1. Tyler has got do just keep pushing and he’s in a dogfight with Drew Stefanelli to see who is going to be the second guy. Kenny is the clear-cut fullback as we speak right now.”

On Levern Jacobs and Deon Long:

“He [Levern] practiced and he was out there and looked good. He did good things and you’ll get a chance to see him this afternoon.   Deon didn’t practice this morning and he probably won’t do anything this afternoon or on Sunday. We’ll see where he’s at on Monday and Tuesday.”

On Derrick Hayward:

“He’s getting better. Derrick is one of those guys who every day is a great experience for him and a great learning experience for him to get better. That’s what we are looking for him to do is keep improving. You can see it. He hasn’t play the position all that much. All the little stuff that goes with it. That’s the thing you see with watching these young guys whether they’re the true freshmen or the redshirt freshmen. You can see them grow and develop right before your eyes. The redshirt freshman are further ahead, but when you take a look at these freshmen you can tell that the techniques, that they haven’t used a lot of these that we’re using. They’re getting there and they’re going to be fine, but they’re not ready right now because they don’t have the technique part down and to play at this level, you’ve got to be technically sound in order to play against who we’re going to play against.”

On what his expectations are for Stefon Diggs:

“We’re going to do the things we have to do in order to be successful as a team and we’re going to utilize Stefon any way we can because of his ability. Our mindset is that we’re going to take all of our pieces and get them in the best position for us to be successful, Stefon included. There are a lot of different things we can do with him because he is so talented. But again, we’ve got to make sure that he can handle the load that we want to do at several different positions.”

On how he knows if Stefon Diggs can handle that load:

“We can tell by what we do in practice.  I’m talking in terms of what we do on offense. We’re going to utilize all of our pieces in order to be the best we can, however we have to do that.”

Head Coach Randy Edsall

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –

On if there is any update on Evan Mulrooney or Sean Christie:

“No. We’re still waiting to get back results on some tests that were done. I went up and saw [Evan] today. He’s doing well. I think he’ll still be in the hospital through the weekend and then hopefully we’ll have some more information after that and he’ll be out really soon. Sean, we’re waiting for word from the doctor. He had an MRI, so we’ll see where he’s at.”

On if he would consider moving Will Ulmer from quarterback:

“I told Will during the recruiting process that he’ll be a quarterback until he comes to me and tells me he doesn’t want to be a quarterback. We’re working him at quarterback and we’re developing him as quarterback. It he doesn’t think that he wants to be a quarterback anymore then he’ll come and tell me that.”

On if Shane Cockerille has improved:

“I think Shane is a little bit better than he was in the spring. Again, there are things he still needs to work on. He needs to get his elbow up a little bit when he throws and just some mechanical things that he’s got to do all the time. He does them sometimes, but he’s not doing them all the time so sometimes the accuracy isn’t where it needs to be. We’ve got to just continue to get him to focus on all those little things.”

On P.J Gallo’s improvement as a pass catcher:

“P.J’s a guy that can line up on the ball and can also flex out. He’s in a great competition with Andrew [Isaacs] and also with Derrick [Heyward]. It’s going to be interesting to see how that all plays out. P.J.’s just got to keep improving because he’s got great competition at that position.”

On the running back competition:

“I think there is great competition there. Brandon [Ross] has put the ball on the ground a little bit, which I don’t like. We have some guys that have missed some assignments. Again, we’re looking for those guys that can be consistent with everything they’re doing in terms of ball security, in terms of catching the ball, in terms of pass protection and in terms of their assignments. It’s too early to say this guy is sticking out or that guy is sticking out, but again, we’ll have a little bit of a scrimmage today with redzone and tight redzone and short yardage and goal line. We’ll have a bigger scrimmage on Saturday.”

“Like I said, I hope that somebody takes the bull by the horns and just separates them self. If nobody does then we’re going to have to make a decision on who are the two or three guys that have earned the right to play. Again, you can’t get four guys reps during the season. You can hardly get two guys reps there at that position. They are going to determine that. I hope that it’ll be determined when those guys determine it.”

On the settlement between the ACC and Maryland:

“Just glad that it’s over and we can just focus on the season and focus on football.”

On the freshman class:

“I’m pleased with the freshman class. Let’s reserve judgment until we get enough of a book on them here in preseason to be able to make any comments as they get into some of the scrimmage situations and more game like situations. Let’s see how they respond. Practice is one thing, but then when you get into the scrimmages, that’s another. I’m very pleased with the overall group. I think it’s a very good group and one that works hard. You can tell that they have a lot to learn. Again, I think the biggest thing from high school to college is just the technique. It’s so much different. For some of these guys, they’ve been coached, but they might not have had the extensive coaching they’re getting here and all the meeting time and everything else. How do they take it from the meeting room to the field and then when they get a little bit tired in the up tempo that we go, can they manage that. Overall I’m very pleased with the group. Those guys will separate themselves, but I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen so far.”

On if adding more pads adds more intensity to practice:

“I thought we had pretty good intensity yesterday. Here’s the thing, I’m never going to be satisfied after we get out here and everything because, again, I’m trying to get them to understand that we are striving for perfection each and every day. We might not get there, but we’re going to strive for it. I’m still looking for us to go from start to finish without any ebbs and flows to that practice. Sometimes some sides of the ball make more plays than others, but in terms of that consistent effort running to the ball and finishing plays on offense, that’s what we’re looking for and we’re not quite there yet. Now that we have the full pads on, all that’s going to do is allow us to a little scrimmaging, but we’ll still do some drills where we tag off and some drills where we thud. Of course today we’ll have scrimmaging, but even though we’re in full pads, other days we won’t be going live.”

On if he saw improvement from the receivers:

“I thought we were better in practice three and four, but still not at the level that we expect out of them. I thought we were better and we’ll continue to get better. I think the biggest thing there is once we get through Sunday; we’ll sit down as a coaching staff and say, who are our three best guys? Then come out here on Tuesday and kind of practice that way. That’s the thing we’re always looking for. Even though you’ll see some guys in the slot and see guys on the outside, it’s still a situation of who are our best three or who our best four, when you go into a four wide receiver set. Just because you see a guy at No. 2 right now, I’m not going to do too much with the depth chart until after our first scrimmage.”

On JaJuan Delaney:

“I think he’s playing with a little bit more effort and intensity than he did in the spring. That’s good to see and that’s what we saw in film from high school. Maybe it’s him feeling more comfortable coming off that injury. That’s one thing you’ve got to take a look at, or at least I do, from the standpoint that he might have not felt so comfortable cutting it loose in the spring. Now I see a guy who is starting to cut it loose more. He’s being more physical. Like all those young kids, he’s just got to get more consistent. That’s the one thing he’s lacking right now is consistency. All the young kids, especially the lineman, it’s the technique. At this level you’ve got to be able to punch and keep the hands in. Too many of them are going in and trying to hug the bear. Those are some of the big thing that we’re concentrating on with those young linemen.”

On Jeremiah Johnson:

“I thought he was a little bit rusty as we first got started. You could start to see him get a little more comfortable and more confident. When you come off the toe and you come off the hamstring, that’s probably natural. Then you come out here and you do all the things that you did before. I like the progress that he’s making and he’s just going to continue to get better and like I said, he hasn’t had any ill effects with the toe or with the hamstring, which is good.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Former University of Maryland men’s basketball head coach Gary Williams was officially enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Friday night in Springfield, Mass.

“This is the biggest honor you can get as a coach,” Williams said during his induction speech. “I am truly honored to be a member of the [Naismith Memorial Basketball] Hall of Fame.”

Presented by Billy Cunningham, Williams acknowledged many of his former players and his longtime assistant coaches at Maryland: Dave Dickerson, Billy Hahn and Jimmy Patsos.

“Our fans at Maryland always stayed behind us,” Williams said. “I can’t thank our fans, alumni and students enough for all their support over the years. I thought I had a lifetime job at Ohio State, but Maryland called and gave me an education, a chance to play and an opportunity to coach.”

Also selected for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame , Williams is the first coach in history to be selected to both institutions in the same year.

Joining Williams in the Class of 2014 is Immaculata University’s AIAW National Championship teams of the early 1970s, Alonzo Mourning, Nolan Richardson, Mitch Richmond, Bob Leonard, Nat Clifton, Sarunas Marciulionis, Guy Rodgers and David Stern.

To be elected, finalists required 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  The addition of the direct elect committees were incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.

Upon returning to the College Park campus in 1989, Gary Williams (Maryland ‘68) led his alma mater’s basketball program from a period of troubled times to an era of national prominence during his 22 seasons at the helm from 1993-2011.

With 14 NCAA Tournament berths in his final 18 seasons, Williams and his staff garnered seven Sweet Sixteen appearances, a pair of consecutive Final Four showings, and the 2002 National Championship – the first of its kind in Maryland basketball history.

After leading the Terrapins to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in 2010, Williams was voted the league’s Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. It was his second such award, as he was also honored in 2002.

With an all-time record of 461-252 (.646) as Maryland’s head coach, Williams stands as the Terrapins all-time winningest head basketball coach. He passed Charles “Lefty” Driesell, who amassed 348 victories in 18 seasons from 1969 to 1986.

The rise of the Maryland program ran parallel with Williams’ ascent among the most notable in the collegiate coaching fraternity. Williams was one of only five coaches to boast a string of 11 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament from 1994-2004. He produced at least 20 wins in a school-record eight straight seasons from 1996-97 to 2003-04.

Williams was heralded as the national and Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year during the Terps’ 2002 championship run.

In 2001, Williams became just the sixth coach since 1980 to direct his alma mater to the Final Four. A year later, he became the first coach since 1974 to guide his alma mater to a national title.

A former Terrapin point guard and 1968 graduate, Williams was a starter under coach Bud Millikan during the 1965, 1966 and 1967 seasons. He was the team captain as a senior and still lists one of his most memorable basketball moments as his experience as a spectator at the 1966 national championship game conducted at Maryland’s legendary Cole Field House, between Texas Western and Kentucky.

Williams was hired by Maryland on June 13, 1989, inheriting a team that had won only nine games the year before and finished in last place in the ACC. Displaying his coaching abilities immediately, he helped the Terps to 19 wins while advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament – and making him the first coach in school history to lead a team into the postseason in his first year.

Williams began his coaching career as a graduate student at Maryland under freshman coach Tom Davis. The 1969 freshman team finished with a 12-4 record as Williams bonded with Davis in a relationship that would serve him well as his coaching career progressed.

After earning a degree in business, he continued his coaching career as an assistant at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, N.J. After one year, he took over as the head coach and guided his first team to a perfect 27-0 record and the state title. Williams has called that season “the ultimate — there wasn’t another game to win.” Upon winning the NCAA West Region championship in 2001, he fondly recalled his championship at Camden as the “only other time I’ve ever got to cut down a net.”

Williams spent one more year at Woodrow Wilson before accepting an invitation from Davis in 1972 to become an assistant at Lafayette College. While an assistant at Lafayette, Williams also served as the head soccer coach. In 1978, Williams accompanied Davis to Boston College. After one year there, Williams became the head coach at American University.

Williams immediately began making his mark at American. His 1981 squad set the still-standing school record for victories with a 24-6 mark, won the East Coast Conference championship, and played in the NIT. Williams was named the district coach of the year.

American returned to postseason play the next season as the Williams-led Eagles went 21-9 and played in the NIT for the second consecutive year. Only once prior to Williams’ arrival had AU attended a postseason tournament, and the Eagles have not returned since. Williams’ four-year record at AU was 72-42.

In 1983, Williams succeeded Davis at Boston College. He was once again an instant success, posting a 25-7 record and leading the Eagles to the regular-season championship of the Big East in his first season. Making his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Williams directed the Eagles to the Sweet 16. He finished third in the balloting for national coach of the year, and was honored again as the Eastern Coach of the Year by his peers. He went on to duplicate that NCAA Tournament success again in 1985, leading B.C. back to the Sweet Sixteen.

In 1987, Williams accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State, becoming the 10th basketball coach in that school’s illustrious history. He succeeded Eldon Miller and once again enjoyed success. In three years, the Buckeyes made three postseason appearances. His first squad defeated then-No. 1 and unbeaten Iowa (coached by Tom Davis) in the regular season, in what would be the first of many giant-killings.

During Williams’ three-year term at Ohio State, the Buckeyes defeated a second-ranked Purdue team, perennial power Kansas and highly regarded Big Ten powers Michigan and Illinois. Each of Williams’ three Ohio State teams advanced to postseason play, and he laid the groundwork for the highly successful teams that followed when he left Columbus for College Park.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Maryland Athletics hosted a luncheon Friday afternoon at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to celebrate Gary Williams’ enshrinement.

Family and friends joined Williams hours prior to the ceremony for a luncheon, which was hosted by Maryland broadcast icon Johnny Holliday.

Director of athletics Kevin Anderson, current men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon, former Terps standout Walt Williams, assistant coaches Billy Hahn and Dave Dickerson, and Williams’ daughter, Kristen Scott, were also in attendance and shared fond memories of the newest member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“He’s a Hall of Fame Terp,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “The Maryland family appreciates his commitment, dedication, and love for Maryland basketball and the University.”

Williams, who was also selected for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, will be the first coach in history to be selected to both storied institutions in the same year.

“The true test of being a great coach is the relationships you develop with your student-athletes,” said head coachMark Turgeon. “It’s great to see him getting the recognition he deserves. This is an outstanding day for the University of Maryland.”

The enshrinement ceremony is scheduled to begin in the Springfield Symphony Hall at 6:30 p.m. and the event will be broadcasted live on NBA TV.

University of Maryland and Atlantic Coast Conference Reach Legal Agreement

Lawsuits filed in the State of North Carolina and Maryland are dismissed

 COLLEGE PARK, MD – The University of Maryland and the Atlantic Coast Conference announced today they have reached a mediated agreement that ends all litigation between both parties.

Maryland has agreed that the ACC will keep the sum of $31,361,788 previously withheld in order to resolve the lawsuits, and the ACC has agreed that Maryland will have no obligation to make any other payments to the ACC. In addition, the lawsuits filed in the State of North Carolina and Maryland will be dismissed.

“The University of Maryland is proud of our long and storied 61-year association with the Atlantic Coast Conference,” said Wallace D. Loh, president of the University of Maryland.  “Today’s agreement helps usher in exciting new eras for both the University and the ACC.  We wish the conference and our ACC university colleagues well.”

“Our student-athletes, coaches, staff, fans and alumni will forever hold dear the memories of six outstanding decades in the Atlantic Coast Conference,” said Kevin Anderson, Director of Athletics at the University of Maryland.  “Today marks the next chapter in the history of Maryland Athletics, and we look forward to creating new memories in the decades to come.”

“On behalf of the ACC’s Council of Presidents, I am pleased that all parties can move forward, returning our focus where it belongs – on our student-athletes, intercollegiate athletic programs and institutions of higher learning,” said Donna Shalala, Chair of the ACC Council of Presidents and President of the University of Miami. “There is great excitement surrounding the ACC and its 15 member institutions and we extend our best wishes to our colleagues at Maryland as we look ahead to the upcoming academic year.”

“I commend our Council of Presidents and specifically President Donna Shalala for steering us to this resolution,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “This agreement allows everyone to fully focus their energy and efforts on prioritizing the student-athletes, especially in this significant time of change within the NCAA restructuring. We wish the University of Maryland well and appreciate their past contributions as we collectively look toward the future.”

The ACC and the University of Maryland consider this matter closed and will have no further comment.

COLLEGE PARK, Md - The fourth day of practice proved to be a momentous one for a Terps, as BTN was on the scene to capture Maryland’s fourth day of preseason camp at the on-campus practice facility.

“It won’t interrupt anything for us,” head coach Randy Edsall said. “We’ll be just going about our practice and they’ll be filming. It’s nice that they’re here. It’s nice to get that type of exposure and notoriety for our program. We look forward to hosting them and having them here.”

The extra attention didn’t distract from the competition happening on the field. Junior Albert Reid, locked in a four-way battle for the starting running back job, enjoys the balance of competing against and mentoring his fellow position mates.

“I‘m able to balance it. It’s not just coming out and competing with your teammates,” Reid said. “You also have to have that bond with your teammates. It’s not like you can just come out here and play football and then go in the locker room and not talk. To have a great team without building that family bond. Those guys are my family.”

Wes Brown, Brandon Ross and Jacquille Veii join Reid in the fight for carries. The player on the other side of the line witnessing that battle is senior linebacker Cole Farrand. The veteran acts as the quarterback of the defense and relishes keeping his teammates on the right track.

“I have obligations to the team,” Farrand said. “I have to help the freshman. The MIKE’s job is the quarterback of the defense, so I have to have my head on straight. With the core we have and we have a lot of seniors coming back, I think it looks very good on defense.”

As a whole, Farrand sees camp moving in the right direction.

“I think camp is going really well so far. The team is really coming together.”

Head Coach Randy Edsall

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –

On Wednesday’s practice:

“I thought we had a better day yesterday. I thought that guys were sharper in what they were doing and picking things up and getting around. The offensive had a lot more enthusiasm yesterday. We still have a lot of things to get better on. Again, get the pads on for the first time and getting used to those things. I’m sure it will continue to get better each and every day.”

On Evan Mulrooney:

“Nothing concrete. He’s in the hospital, but nothing more than what I said yesterday.”

On Levern Jacobs’ absence from full team drills:

“Head coach’s decision. He’ll be out there probably on Saturday doing things. He and the head coach had an understanding on what was happening. He’ll be out doing things full speed on Saturday.”

On Spencer Myers:

“I see a guy that’s got high energy. He’s got a really good motor. He’s relentless and chases the ball. He plays with good leverage. We’ll work to get him some reps with the two’s this weekend in the scrimmage to go up against those guys. I’ve been pleased with him so far.”

On if he’s surprised by Spencer Myers:

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised because anytime you get involved with someone who has a passion and a want to, to do something, you are going to get pretty good results. He’s talented. He understands competition. He understands leverage. He’s played the game before and he was very successful at it. I think playing that position he’s playing and what he does from a wrestling standpoint. It’s a pretty good relationship between the two.”

On Albert Reid:

“Albert’s another one of those guys who gives you everything he’s got all the time. He’s a guy that’s got a smile on his face. He competes hard. All the qualities you look for in a student athlete he embraces and he embodies. I just love the way the guy competes. He’s tough. He’s hard-nosed. He’s a team guy. He’s one of the guys on our leadership council. You know this; every day you come out here, you’re going to get his best effort and he’s going to do everything he can to not only make himself better but to push other guys to make them better.”

On the running back competition:

“You’re not going to keep four guys happy. That isn’t going to happen. They’ve already been told they’ll be two guys that will be there. Fourth and fifth guy, they’re going to have to make their name on special teams.  They know exactly what they have and its great competition out here. We’ve got to get it to two and then there’s a third. That’s all you can have up to practice. The other guys have got to go down and make their niche. They can get on special teams and play anywhere from 20-to-28 plays a game. They know exactly what it is. All of them are doing a great job. You can see that there’s competition. They’re hungry. They want it. But we aren’t keeping four guys happy. There’s going to be primarily two guys, but if we can have one guy, that’s what we want and then a guy who spells that guy You have a third guy that’s going to get minimal reps during the week, but he’ll be ready to go. That’s how we plan to go.”

On the opportunity for Juwann Winfree and other receivers after Nigel Kings’ departure:

“I think it’s an opportunity for everybody. All of a sudden Amba’s [Etta-Tawo] got a little bit more. Even Taivon [Jacobs] and Juwann, all those guys. Again, we try to train these guys where you don’t necessary have to be an X or a Z because we’re trying to get the best three on the field. Sometimes Stef [Diggs] could be a Z or an X. We’re trying to find the best guys that we can. We’ll get a chance to see more of him when we get going. He’s done a good job so far, but again it’s too early to say too much about that until we see him go through the scrimmage on Sunday.”

On Jeremiah Johnson:

“I’m just happy for him to back out here playing at the level he’s been playing at because it’s been over a year. I thought he was a little rusty the first two practices just getting back used to everything because he’s been away from it for a year. He’s a guy that we know can play and play at a high level. It’s good to have him out here and hopefully he can stay out here and get better. He’s competing with Alvin and Will because you can go left or right with either of those guys. Those guys understand that they can play either side. You are going to get the best guys out there you can.”

On Cole Farrand:

“Cole’s a guy that is making all the calls on defense. Getting all the things to everybody else and making the calls and making the checks. He should be and he is playing at a faster level because of his experience and playing in the games. He’s another guy that he’s worrying about another guy or his intensity or his toughness. After last year when you take a look what he played through and did the things that he did, he has the utmost respect of the coaches and the players. It’s good to have a guy who’s played as much as he have and as a senior, it’s hard to believe he’s a senior, it’s gone by so quick, but I’m glad he’s in there. He really helps to hold things together for us.”

On NCAA autonomy ruling for power five conferences:

“How it’ll change us in terms of how we operate we won’t know until legislation is put through and what type of legislation they want to adopt and go with. I think it’s good that we have that. I think its one step closer to the five conferences splitting off. I really do. Again, I think they’re bigger issues now that you have that in terms of who’s going to take charge of what’s best for football. You have this autonomy, but what’re we going to do with that to get the colligate model to get to where it should be or back to where it was in terms of, to me, stop recruiting these kids so early and lets focus and concentrate on the kids that we have on campus. I think that’s what we got away from with recruiting these kids too early. Hopefully we can get back to that with these things and then also give the student athletes the things that they deserve. That’s my whole thing. I want to do anything we can do to enhance their experience and to help them and I think that’s probably the biggest thing from the autonomy standpoint. I think what happens is now the five conferences that have more means than the other conferences can do some things they can do. So again I think this is just going to be another step closer to leading to some separation in terms of some of the division.”

On what he thinks student athletes deserve:

“I’m all in favor of the cost of attendance that they’re talking about. I’m in favor of having the guys on scholarship for four years. I think what’s happened with the scholarship is I think people are telling to remove them from their programs and move them on if they’re not good enough. I think the same thing from a health issue, what they’ve proposed there is all good. I still think we have to sit down and take a look of what is for the betterment of the game when it comes to recruiting and some of the other things that are out there with what is going on.’

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Former University of Maryland men’s basketball head coach Gary Williams will officially be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Friday, Aug. 8, in Springfield, Mass. The enshrinement ceremony is scheduled to begin in the Springfield Symphony Hall at 6:30 p.m. and the event will be broadcasted live on NBA TV.

Also selected for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame , Williams will be the first coach in history to be selected to both institutions in the same year.

Joining Williams in the Class of 2014 is Immaculata University’s AIAW National Championship teams of the early 1970s, Alonzo Mourning, Nolan Richardson, Mitch Richmond, Bob Leonard, Nat Clifton, Sarunas Marciulionis, Guy Rodgers and David Stern.

To be elected, finalists required 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  The addition of the direct elect committees were incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.

Upon returning to the College Park campus in 1989, Gary Williams (Maryland ‘68) led his alma mater’s basketball program from a period of troubled times to an era of national prominence during his 22 seasons at the helm from 1993-2011.

With 14 NCAA Tournament berths in his final 18 seasons, Williams and his staff garnered seven Sweet Sixteen appearances, a pair of consecutive Final Four showings, and the 2002 National Championship – the first of its kind in Maryland basketball history.

After leading the Terrapins to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in 2010, Williams was voted the league’s Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. It was his second such award, as he was also honored in 2002.

With an all-time record of 461-252 (.646) as Maryland’s head coach, Williams stands as the Terrapins all-time winningest head basketball coach. He passed Charles “Lefty” Driesell, who amassed 348 victories in 18 seasons from 1969 to 1986.

The rise of the Maryland program ran parallel with Williams’ ascent among the most notable in the collegiate coaching fraternity. Williams was one of only five coaches to boast a string of 11 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament from 1994-2004. He produced at least 20 wins in a school-record eight straight seasons from 1996-97 to 2003-04.

Williams was heralded as the national and Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year during the Terps’ 2002 championship run.

In 2001, Williams became just the sixth coach since 1980 to direct his alma mater to the Final Four. A year later, he became the first coach since 1974 to guide his alma mater to a national title.

A former Terrapin point guard and 1968 graduate, Williams was a starter under coach Bud Millikan during the 1965, 1966 and 1967 seasons. He was the team captain as a senior and still lists one of his most memorable basketball moments as his experience as a spectator at the 1966 national championship game conducted at Maryland’s legendary Cole Field House, between Texas Western and Kentucky.

Williams was hired by Maryland on June 13, 1989, inheriting a team that had won only nine games the year before and finished in last place in the ACC. Displaying his coaching abilities immediately, he helped the Terps to 19 wins while advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament – and making him the first coach in school history to lead a team into the postseason in his first year.

Williams began his coaching career as a graduate student at Maryland under freshman coach Tom Davis. The 1969 freshman team finished with a 12-4 record as Williams bonded with Davis in a relationship that would serve him well as his coaching career progressed.

After earning a degree in business, he continued his coaching career as an assistant at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, N.J. After one year, he took over as the head coach and guided his first team to a perfect 27-0 record and the state title. Williams has called that season “the ultimate — there wasn’t another game to win.” Upon winning the NCAA West Region championship in 2001, he fondly recalled his championship at Camden as the “only other time I’ve ever got to cut down a net.”

Williams spent one more year at Woodrow Wilson before accepting an invitation from Davis in 1972 to become an assistant at Lafayette College. While an assistant at Lafayette, Williams also served as the head soccer coach. In 1978, Williams accompanied Davis to Boston College. After one year there, Williams became the head coach at American University.

Williams immediately began making his mark at American. His 1981 squad set the still-standing school record for victories with a 24-6 mark, won the East Coast Conference championship, and played in the NIT. Williams was named the district coach of the year.

American returned to postseason play the next season as the Williams-led Eagles went 21-9 and played in the NIT for the second consecutive year. Only once prior to Williams’ arrival had AU attended a postseason tournament, and the Eagles have not returned since. Williams’ four-year record at AU was 72-42.

In 1983, Williams succeeded Davis at Boston College. He was once again an instant success, posting a 25-7 record and leading the Eagles to the regular-season championship of the Big East in his first season. Making his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Williams directed the Eagles to the Sweet 16. He finished third in the balloting for national coach of the year, and was honored again as the Eastern Coach of the Year by his peers. He went on to duplicate that NCAA Tournament success again in 1985, leading B.C. back to the Sweet Sixteen.

In 1987, Williams accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State, becoming the 10th basketball coach in that school’s illustrious history. He succeeded Eldon Miller and once again enjoyed success. In three years, the Buckeyes made three postseason appearances. His first squad defeated then-No. 1 and unbeaten Iowa (coached by Tom Davis) in the regular season, in what would be the first of many giant-killings.

During Williams’ three-year term at Ohio State, the Buckeyes defeated a second-ranked Purdue team, perennial power Kansas and highly regarded Big Ten powers Michigan and Illinois. Each of Williams’ three Ohio State teams advanced to postseason play, and he laid the groundwork for the highly successful teams that followed when he left Columbus for College Park.

COLLEGE PARK, Md - The Maryland football team put the pads on for the first time in preseason camp Wednesday as the Terps continued to fine-tune all aspects of their game in preparation for their season opener at James Madison at the on-campus practice facility.

The offense made big plays throughout the session, with Taivon Jacobs, Stefon Diggs and Amba Etta-Tawo all catching passes down the field from quarterbacks C.J. Brown and Caleb Rowe.

Deon Long, another member of the Maryland receiving corps with big play ability, is returning to action this week after missing the final six games of the 2013 season with a leg injury. Three days into practice, Long is excited about the progress he has made to this point.

“You have to start from square one,” Long said. “All the progress you put in before your injury is sort of wiped out. It’s a clean slate. You’ve got to have the mental toughness to build your strength back up.”

Long competed hard against a defensive unit that has impressed head coach Randy Edsall in the first three days of camp.

“The thing I like about the defense is their camaraderie,” Edsall said. “I like the leadership that they’re bringing to the practice field in the first two days. It’s not just one or two guys. It’s everybody. Everybody is very enthusiastic and holding people more accountable.”

One of those leaders is defensive lineman Andre Monroe. The senior, who tallied a team-high 9.5 sacks last season, is looking to build off an impressive junior campaign.

“I have desire. I learned at any early age that this game is a lot about desire. Then I just use the knowledge and play with instincts, which I think a lot of players overlook. That can take an average player and make them a great player.”

Monroe and his defensive teammates are not the only ones who expect big things.

“The defense is capable of anything,” Long said. “The sky is the limit.”