Mark Turgeon's tenure at Maryland is over, less than a month after the start of his 11th season at the helm.
Again, the Terrapins were struggling to reach their potential — although the abrupt change still came with a jolt, just eight games into the 2021-22 campaign.
“After a series of conversations with Coach Turgeon, we agreed that a coaching change was the best move for Coach Turgeon and for the Maryland men’s basketball program,” athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement. “He has dedicated over a decade of his life to the University of Maryland, and has coached with distinction and honor.”
Maryland announced Friday that Turgeon was stepping down, and the athletic department described the move as a mutual decision. Assistant Danny Manning was made interim coach for the rest of the season.
When he took over, Turgeon had the challenging task of replacing Gary Williams, who led the Terrapins to their only national title in men's basketball in 2002. Turgeon mostly kept Maryland relevant in both the ACC and Big Ten, but the program never reached its previous heights.
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The Terrapins won at least 23 games in five of the past seven seasons, but Maryland has reached the Sweet 16 just once under Turgeon and hasn’t gone further. The Terps began this season ranked in the Top 25, but a loss at home to Virginia Tech on Wednesday night dropped them to 5-3 on the season.
“After several in-depth conversations with Damon, I have decided that the best thing for Maryland basketball, myself and my family is to step down, effective immediately, as the head coach of Maryland basketball,” Turgeon said. “I have always preached that Maryland basketball is bigger than any one individual. My departure will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward."
Turgeon's exit comes as high-profile college programs have seemed increasingly willing to move on from their coaches before the end of the season. That's been particularly evident in football, with Southern California, LSU and Florida among the most notable examples. It remains to be seen if the trend will continue through the basketball season as well, but Turgeon's departure may be an early indicator.
Maryland does have an experienced option to turn to. Manning, who led Kansas to the 1988 NCAA title as a player, spent six years as the head coach at Wake Forest before joining the Terps as an assistant this season. Manning and Turgeon played three seasons together at Kansas.
Manning also was the head coach at Tulsa before taking over the Wake Forest program.
“I take a great deal of responsibility in being named interim head coach of the Maryland men's basketball program," Manning said in a statement Friday night. “Our staff remains focused on making sure we are there to support our players in every facet. I ask the entire Maryland community to rally around our players and all of our families and be there to support them throughout the rest of the season.”
Maryland won the Big Ten in 2020, its first conference title since joining the league in the middle of the decade. The Terps weren't able to build on that breakthrough, however. The NCAA Tournament that year was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and last season the Terrapins went through an inconsistent 17-14 campaign.
The 2021-22 Terps added a couple key transfers in forward Qudus Wahab and guard Fatts Russell, but the team hasn't played particularly well so far. Maryland lost to George Mason, barely beat Hofstra and lost to Louisville and Virginia Tech.
Turgeon went 226-116 at Maryland and is 476-275 overall as a head coach. He coached at Jacksonville State, Wichita State and Texas A&M before being hired to take over the Terrapins.
“Maryland basketball has been my passion and focus for the last 10 seasons, and I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished," Turgeon said. "It is through the combined effort and commitment from our coaches and players, both past and present, that we have sustained consistent success in a sport that is ultra-competitive. ... It has truly been an honor to be the men’s basketball coach at the University of Maryland.”
Maryland said a national search for the next coach will begin after the season. Manning's first game in charge is this weekend when the Terps open Big Ten play Sunday against Northwestern.
Villanova's Collin Gillespie heads list of notable seniors
Collin Gillespie
Gillespie was the co-Big East player of the year last season but tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a victory over Creighton that enabled Villanova to clinch the Big East regular-season championship.
The injury ended his senior season early and prevented him from participating in the NCAA Tournament. Gillespie now is back as a fifth-year senior and feeling healthy again.
Villanova coach Jay Wright spent part of the offseason away from campus while working as an assistant coach on the U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal. When Wright returned, he was impressed by Gillespie’s thorough recovery and said it’s a credit to the 6-foot-3 graduate student’s work ethic.
“I went away for 37 days,” Wright said. “He was just starting to come back when I went away. When I came back, he looked perfectly fine.”
Gillespie, an Associated Press preseason All-America selection, heads the list of notable seniors in the upcoming college basketball season.
While college basketball has become more and more of a freshman-oriented game over the last decade or so, seniors could be more of a factor than usual this season since the NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. Gillespie is one of the players who capitalized on this policy change.
Here’s a look at some other seniors who should make an impact this season.
OREGON STATE: F Warith Alatishe
Alatishe was the Pac-12 Tournament’s most outstanding player last season and then helped the Beavers along in their improbable run to an NCAA regional final. The 6-8 Alatishe averaged 9.5 points and ranked second in the Pac-12 in rebounding (8.6) and fourth in blocked shots (1.39). He’s a preseason first-team all-Pac-12 selection.
VIRGINIA TECH: F Keve Aluma
Aluma, who is 6-foot-9, averaged 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds last season in his first year with Virginia Tech. He had sat out the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules after playing two seasons with Wofford. He earned second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors from a panel of coaches and media members last season. This year, he’s a preseason first-team all-ACC pick.
SYRACUSE: G Buddy Boeheim
Boeheim, the son of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, averaged 17.8 points and went 77 of 201 from 3-point range last season. The 6-6 guard scored 30 points in an NCAA Tournament first-round victory over San Diego State and had 25 more in a second-round triumph over West Virginia. He’s a preseason first-team all-ACC selection.
FLORIDA: C Colin Castleton
In his first season with Florida since transferring from Michigan, Castleton ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with 2.25 blocks per game and also averaged 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds last year. The SEC’s coaches made him a second-team all-conference pick. This year, the 6-11 center is a preseason first-team all-SEC pick.
XAVIER: G Paul Scruggs
The 6-5 Scruggs led the Big East with 5.7 assists per game last season. He also ranked 11th in the conference in scoring (14.00) and third in steals (1.6). Scruggs was a second-team all-Big East selection last year. He’s a unanimous preseason first-team choice this year.
PURDUE: F Trevion Williams
Williams was a first-team all-Big Ten selection last year who averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds. The 6-10 Williams was one of only six players to average at least 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists. He ranked ninth in the Big Ten in scoring and second in rebounding.
