Nov. 9, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland athletics department and head coach Gary Williams have agreed in principle to a two-year extension to his contract, director of athletics Deborah A. Yow said Thursday.

The extension will take the guaranteed contract through June of 2011. Currently, the guaranteed term of the contract runs through June, 2009. There are various competitive and academic incentives in the contract that could extend the deal past that time.

"I appreciate the opportunity to be part of the University of Maryland for a long time," said Williams. "We've been able to accomplish great things during our time here, and it means a great deal to me that the university has made it possible for us to continue to be committed to helping current and potential student-athletes come to Maryland to grow, learn and excel."

"Our men's basketball team is making progress academically, which is very much appreciated by the campus community," said Yow. "In fact, we anticipate that the majority of the seniors are on track to graduate by the end of the summer. Recruiting is going well and there is every reason to believe that our team will soon return to the NCAA Tournament."

Williams is beginning his 18th season as head coach of the Maryland men's basketball program. He directed the Terrapins to the NCAA National Championship in 2002 and an Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in 2004. Last season, he became the winningest coach in school history and is 355-191 while at Maryland. Williams is third all-time in ACC victories behind Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith.

The extension of the contract will also allow Williams the opportunity to fulfill his obligation as Scholarship Co-Chair of the university-wide Great Expectations capital campaign, which ends in 2011.

The current three years of conditional extensions will remain intact, meaning the contract could extend to May of 2014.