March 18, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams has experienced unprecedented success in College Park the last 15 years and now he is being recognized nationally for his success atop the Terrapin program.

ESPN.com has tabbed Williams the eighth-best coach among all NCAA Tournament coaches in the 64-team tourney era (since 1985). Williams has 25 NCAA Tournament wins in the era (26 career) and his 67.6% winning percentage ranks behind only Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Rick Pitino (Louisville), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Steve Fischer (San Diego State), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Jim Calhoun (UConn) and Tubby Smith (Kentucky).

Williams also ranks seventh among coaches who have overachieved compared to their NCAA seed expectations, having won nearly six more games than the standard. When compared with coaches who have appeared in at least four NCAA Tournaments from 1985-95 and in the past decade, Williams ranks second as a top overachiever with nearly four more wins than expected from the NCAA seed.

The final medium for measuring NCAA success was the percentage of how much closer a coach got to the goal of a championship than his seed position would dictate. Williams ranked seventh at 10 percent among coaches with at least five tournament appearances behind only Izzo, Fischer, Pitino, Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Calhoun.

Maryland has made 14 postseason appearances in 17 seasons under Williams, including 13 consecutive to date. From 1993-2004, the Terps qualified for 11 straight NCAA Tournaments, a feat accomplished by only six other schools at the time. Since 2001, Maryland has been in the postseason six times, including three NCAA Sweet 16 berths, two Final Fours and the 2002 National Championship. The Terps also won the 2004 ACC Championship after defeating the top three seeds.