Fridge Fever
7/20/2009 8:00:00 AM | Football
It caught on quickly and continues to spread ... Fridge Fever, that is.
Perhaps never in the history of Maryland Athletics has a coach overseen a more immediate and dramatic turnaround of his team's fortunes than Ralph Friedgen.
The consensus National Coach of the Year in 2001, Friedgen led the Terps to three straight 10-win seasons (2001-03) and ranks eighth all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference history in winning percentage ... Friedgen had taken his alma mater to six bowl games in his eight seasons, including a school record three-straight postseason wins (2003-06).
In 2001, Friedgen led the Terps to an ACC title, a BCS appearance in the FedEx Orange Bowl and a final ranking of No. 10 ... Maryland finished each of the next two seasons by winning 10 of its last 11 games, including dominating performances in postseason bowls (30-3 over Tennessee in the 2002 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and 41-7 over West Virginia in the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl).
Last season, Friedgen led Maryland to eight wins, including a victory in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, his fourth postseason victory with the Terps.
A high-powered, exciting offense ... an attacking, suffocating defensive style ... standout special teams play - all have been hallmarks of Friedgen's Terrapin Teams, as they have posted a 64-36 record in the past eight seasons.
