35 Facts About Gary Williams

Gary Bruce Williams was born on March 4,1945 and is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach.

Gary Williams served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, the Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University.

On March 25,2014, Williams was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gary Williams played for Maryland as the starting point guard under coach Bud Millikan.

Gary Williams was a member of the 1966 Charlotte Invitational Tournament championship team and the 1965 Sugar Bowl Tournament championship team.

Gary Williams set a Maryland record for field goal percentage, going 8-for-8 from the field in an ACC game against South Carolina in 1966.

Gary Williams won a NJSIAA state championship as head varsity coach at Wilson High.

Gary Williams was the head soccer coach at Lafayette College during his assistant coaching job.

In 1978, Gary Williams obtained his first head coaching position at American University.

Gary Williams led American to relative success, coaching them to several NIT berths.

In 1982, Gary Williams returned to Boston College, leading the Eagles to two NCAA tournament appearances, and one NIT appearance in his four-year tenure.

In 1986, Gary Williams took over at Ohio State of the Big Ten Conference.

However, with the help of Walt Gary Williams, Maryland stayed competitive through a low point of the program's history.

In 2001, Gary Williams led Maryland to the first Final Four in school history, losing to Duke in the semifinals.

Gary Williams was the first coach to win a national championship without a single McDonald's All American on the roster since its inception.

Gary Williams became the first coach to direct his alma mater to a national title since Norm Sloan accomplished the feat with North Carolina State in 1974.

On May 5,2011 Gary Williams announced his decision to retire from coaching basketball.

Gary Williams has remained with the Maryland athletic department as Assistant Athletic Director and Special Assistant to the Athletic Director.

In March 2010, Gary Williams was the 5th winningest active coach in the country and the 3rd winningest coach all-time in the ACC.

Gary Williams passed Lefty Driesell as the school's winningest coach in 2006.

Gary Williams has coached Maryland to fourteen NCAA tournament appearances, including a streak of eleven consecutive appearances, as well as four post season NIT appearances, allowing Maryland to own the longest current consecutive streak of postseason appearances in the ACC.

Additionally, Gary Williams has 71 wins over top 25 ranked opponents, 33 wins over top 10 ranked opponents, 20 wins over top 5 opponents, three ACC regular season titles, and an ACC tournament title.

Gary Williams leads active coaches with seven wins over top-ranked teams, the most recent coming against North Carolina on January 19,2008.

Gary Williams has led the Terrapins to at least 20 wins in 10 of the last 13 seasons and is tied with Rick Pitino for 6th among active coaches with 17 career 20-win seasons.

Gary Williams had a discordant relationship with his former athletic director, Debbie Yow, who is the athletic director at North Carolina State University.

Gary Williams is the third coach in conference history to accomplish this feat; only Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski have won more conference games.

Gary Williams is one of only 8 active NCAA basketball head coaches with at least 600 wins.

Two days later, Gary Williams engineered a comeback in the final seconds of the second-round game against Michigan State, only to lose to a buzzer beater shot by Korie Lucious.

On March 25,2014, Gary Williams was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gary Williams grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he attended Collingswood High School.

Gary Williams was married to Diane McMillen from 1968 to 1990.

Gary Williams has been an advocate of treatments for hyperhidrosis, from which he suffers.

Gary Williams exclusively ran the flex offense, with a strong emphasis on first getting the ball inside to the post, and once the opposing defense collapses, distributing the ball to the perimeter.

Gary Williams has gained a reputation as a recruiter who almost exclusively goes after less-heralded players and develops them into Division I talents.

The Baltimore Sun staff writers covering Maryland have challenged Gary Williams' recruiting procedures, but noted his personality reflects whom he recruits.