Impact Of A Scholarship: Keith Gatlin

Former Maryland basketball great Keith Gatlin used his platform as a student-athlete to become a highly successful coach after graduating from the university.

Gatlin accepted a scholarship to the University of Maryland and quickly became a prolific point guard for the Terps. Lefty Driesell recruited him, played under him from 1983-86 and played the 1987-88 season for Bob Wade. He went on to have a successful professional career in several different leagues in the U.S. and overseas. Still, he found his calling in coaching, where he has mentored several NBA players.

The native of Greenville, N.C., was one of the best players from the class of 1983. He attended D. H. Conley High School and received over 200 offers before committing to Maryland. Gatlin also boasted accomplishments such as being named a McDonald's All-American and the North Carolina Player of the Year in his senior season. 

Driesell landed a star with the 6-foot-4 guard. Gatlin says Maryland was the perfect match. 

"I tried to find a coach that I could connect with on and off the court, and I wanted to find a coach who played my style of basketball," Gatlin said. "Coach Driesell at Maryland fit all those boxes. He loved his big guards and loved guys from eastern North Carolina."

Gatlin idolized Maryland basketball legends Buck Williams, John Lucas II and Charles Pittman. All three players were from eastern North Carolina - where Gatlin was from.

"To watch those guys and idolize them and then have the opportunity to play at Maryland and follow those guys' footsteps, it was priceless for me," Gatlin said."

Driesell and his prolific recruiting abilities reinforced his decision to attend Maryland. Many of his former players have unique recruitment stories to Maryland, and Gatlin shared his.

"He always made jokes like, 'You want to be in the local newspaper, The News & Observer? Or do you want to come and play in front of the metropolitan area with the Baltimore Sun, The New York Times and The Washington Post? These newspapers go all over the world. I think you're a big-time player. Come play in a big-time market.'"

Gatlin had a productive career as a student-athlete at the University of Maryland. He was a 1,000-point scorer but excelled as a passer. His 649 career assists were the most in program history at the time of his graduation. Only two others have since passed him.

Gatlin was a key contributor each year for the Terps as they made the NCAA Tournament in every season he played, even making the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years in 1984 and 1985. His 1984 squad also won an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship.

He and his teammates from that team were in attendance for Maryland's game against Illinois on Feb. 17. The championship team was honored at halftime as part of an overall celebration of the life of Driesell, who passed away earlier that morning. 

Gatlin remembers the family atmosphere everyone in the Maryland family shared through all the individual successes and team triumphs.

"We had a great team, but my fondest memories were the family atmosphere," Gatlin said. "Len Bias and Adrian Branch were older guys, but we hit it off tremendously. Just to be around the guys, see the campus and how it was a family atmosphere. Coach Driesell's wife was always around, and we would go to their house. It reminded me of a big family."

It meant a lot to be a student-athlete on scholarship to Gatlin. He says it benefited him and his family not to have to worry about paying for tuition. He expressed gratitude to the many Terrapin Club donors who made it possible.

"I'm very grateful and I don't take it lightly, I'm very appreciative," Gatlin said. "I hope we made them proud. Winning an ACC Championship and going to four NCAA playoffs was a big deal to me. I hope it was for them, but I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity. It was a blessing."

Gatlin played professional basketball after being drafted in the 1988 Continental Basketball Association (CBA) draft. He played for a few teams in the CBA but also played in the World Basketball League (WBL), United States Basketball League (USBL), and the Global Basketball Association (GBA) before playing overseas. He racked up many more accomplishments to pair with his collegiate accolades throughout his professional career.

The standout athlete became the coach for Wesleyan Christian Academy High School in High Point, N.C., in 2009. He coached there for nine years and led the Trojans to the NCISAA State Championships in 2013 and 2014 and the runner-up title in 2015 and 2017.

Gatlin coached many players who went on to play high-level Division I basketball and others who made the NBA. Some of those players include Harry Giles III, Theo Pinson, Jaylen Hoard and Aaron Wiggins, who followed in his coach's footsteps and attended Maryland from 2018-21.

The former player-turned-coach accepted a job as an assistant coach at High Point University in 2018. Gatlin says his scholarship and success at Maryland opened many opportunities for him.

"It helped a lot actually because we had some really good teams and we had some great accomplishments at Maryland," Gatlin said. "I know it helped me out tremendously because a lot of other people identify me as being a player at the University of Maryland."

Gatlin has spent some time away from coaching and was able to attend a couple of Maryland basketball games in his free time. He says he's looking to get back into coaching, but he continues to show Maryland pride.

"I've been cheering for the Terps from afar. I got to go to a couple of games this year when they honored the ACC Championship team and they did something for coach Driesell," Gatlin said. "I got a chance to go back for a couple of games and it was nice to get back and cheer the Terps on."