Yesterday, Debbie Yow put forth her support of Gary Williams in the regular pre-game press conference. Maryland Athletic Director dispelled rumors of Williams being on the hot seat. The timing of the support was delayed because Yow was with her family after the loss of her sister, NC State Coach Kay Yow last week.
While delayed, this support came at an important time. The Terps face 3rd ranked North Carolina this evening. A blowout or likely loss to the Tar Heels will bring more talk of getting rid of Williams. Talk, IMHO that is not warranted. Yow's comments yesterday should put the talk down for the rest of the season.
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This is kiss of death. Gary needs to go after this season.
There are good high school coaches out there that could really improve this program.
Hire someone who is under 35 and watch him (or her) thrive!
Gary should become a fund raiser for the program and help with recruiting or just stay in College Park to run camps for kids that will grow up to be Terps. Times are changing and Maryland needs to change too.
Without catching the footage of the conference and only reading the articles about it, here are my thoughts below:
• What’s more interesting about Debbie Yow pledging her and the department’s full support towards Gary and his program is the lack of a statement from Gary expressing the full support received will ensure a thriving basketball program to continue to succeed with his leadership. Is there really full support if Gary doesn’t believe he has it or not? Actions speak louder than words.
• There wasn’t an emphatic statement declaring such gratitude for everything he’s done, is doing, and will continue to do for the university and as long as Gary wants to coach and has the athletic department’s complete support. A statement like that would have ended everything right there.
• How could everyone be on the same page? If AD Yow expressed full support for Gary than why the disconnect between parties and if AD Yow and her staff fully support Williams than why was her staff making statements indicating otherwise?
• The conference merely deferred the deluge of media frenzy over time until the end of the season.
• By keeping the media wolves at bay until season’s end, it allows the athletic department to keep all options on the table. If Gary Williams take the Terps back to the NCAA Tournament this year he’s given a year reprieve and if he doesn’t than the door could be opened for Debbie Yow to claim that waiting another year for Gary to rebuild and go back to the big dance won’t help and a change is needed despite comments made earlier in the season. It appears very unlikely given the current direction of the team to make the NCAA Tourney this season without a good run in the ACC Tournament.
• The situation itself plays like something right out of a movie. Usually after a character in a movie receives someone’s full support or backing aren’t they usually fired or betrayed by someone within the same organization?