Maryland hires Buzz Williams for Terps basketball coach

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland has hired Texas A&M's Buzz Williams as the new men's basketball team head coach. 

What we know:

Williams will replace previous coach Kevin Willard, who left Maryland for a position with the Villanova Wildcats. 

Williams served as the head coach for Texas A&M since 2019, leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament for the last three seasons. He has won at least 100 games at Marquette, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M, according to UMD. 

What they're saying:

"It is an honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the University of Maryland men's basketball team," said Williams. "I want to thank President Pines and Colleen Sorem for this opportunity to lead one of the most prestigious programs in the country. In leading this program, I promise to uphold the history of Maryland basketball and make Terp Nation proud with the men who represent this institution."

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - JANUARY 16: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Texas A&M Aggies yells to his team in the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on January 16, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt

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"We are thrilled to bring a coach of the caliber of Buzz Williams to the University of Maryland," said Sorem. "His incredible record of success at three prominent basketball programs speaks for itself, but we were equally impressed with his tireless work ethic and his dedication to building a program the right way. He embraces the high expectations here at Maryland and we are all excited to get started on this new era in Maryland basketball."

"Maryland Athletics is an important part of the University of Maryland community," said President Darryll J. Pines. "Finding the right person to lead Maryland Men's Basketball was critical to the continued success of our program, both on and off the court. With an exemplary record of competitive success and a demonstrated commitment to providing leadership and development to our student-athletes, Coach Buzz Williams is the ideal coach to lead us forward. We could not be more thrilled to welcome him to College Park."

The backstory:

Willard left Maryland after expressing concerns with the direction of Maryland's program. 

Willard indicated he was frustrated with the amount of money set aside to keep the basketball program competitive.

 In press conferences during the NCAA tournament, Willard openly questioned whether or not Maryland could be a top-tier program given the way revenue was shared at the University, while calling for "fundamental changes." 

"My biggest concerns in life right now: I don’t know who my boss is going to be," Willard said last week when asked if there was something Maryland could do to keep him. "The guy that brought me here who I really like and am appreciative of him bringing me to College Park is not here anymore, and I don’t know who we’re going to hire. And in today’s day and age, that worries me a little bit. I’m just being honest."

Pines pushed back against the notion that Maryland was unwilling to make changes to keep Willard.

"We took a very proactive and aggressive approach to retain Coach Willard, offering a significant contract extension and salary increase, new staff, and one of the highest revenue-share budgets in the B1G Conference. We had long and thoughtful conversations about the program and shared the same vision for Maryland Basketball," Pines said.