Williams Inducted into D.C. Sports Hall of Fame
4/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Former Maryland men's basketball head coach Gary Williams continues to add to an impressive resume, which is littered with a myriad of awards, honors and achievements. Williams, who became the first coach to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (August) and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (November) in the same calendar year (2014), added yet another distinguished honor to his mantle.
Williams was inducted into The Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame class of 2015 in a pregame ceremony Sunday prior to the Washington Nationals-Philadelphia Phillies game at Nats Park.
Many of the most well-known figures in the DMV area lined up on the baseball diamond and were recognized, applauded and revered for their accomplishments by a passionate D.C. fan base.
Among those receiving the loudest ovation was Williams, who owns 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.
Below is a list of the 13-members inducted into The Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame class of 2015:
James “Cool Papa” Bell – Former outfielder for the Homestead Grays
Thomas Boswell – Washington Post sports columnist and author
Len Ford – Four-time all-pro defensive end
Ted Leonsis – Owner & CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment
Bryan Murray – Former coach of the Washington Capitals
Richie Petitbon – Former safety, defensive coordinator and coach of the Washington Redskins
David Robinson – Former Naval Academy all-American, Olympic gold medalist and NBA all-star
Eunice Kennedy Shriver – Founder of the Special Olympics
John Thompson Jr. – Former men's basketball coach at Georgetown University
Guy Harris “Doc” White – Former Major League pitcher
Gary Williams – Former men's basketball coach for the University of Maryland and American University
Maury Wills – Former National League Most Valuable Player
Warner Wolf – Legendary sportscaster
