The Big Lead

Buzz Williams is exactly who Maryland needed to replace Kevin Willard

By Sam Westmoreland

March 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Buzz Williams reacts during the first half against the Yale Bulldogs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
March 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Buzz Williams reacts during the first half against the Yale Bulldogs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Maryland Terrapins didn't wait long to hire a new head coach after Kevin Willard left for Villanova.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the Terps would be hiring Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams to replace Willard, who jumped to Villanova after a very public courtship with the Wildcats during the NCAA Tournament.

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Losing Willard was a blow for Maryland, one that was felt almost immediately; two members of the Terrapins' vaunted "Crab Five," Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice have already entered the transfer portal, while star big man Derik Queen continues to debate his future.

Williams is a dynamic coach, capable of building programs who might be struggling or entering a period of difficulty. At Marquette, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M, Williams developed a reputation for making NCAA Tournaments and winning a couple of games once he gets there. On top of that, neither the Hokies nor the Aggies are exactly historic basketball powers, but Williams showed a knack for getting talent to those programs and building them into contenders.

Now, he's going to a place where there are real expectations, and a ready-made talent pool to be drawn from. Williams has ties to the DMV thanks to his time at Virginia Tech, and his aggressive style of play figures to appeal to the fan base.

The big questions around Williams and the Terps don't come from the coach; they come from the administration. Willard very publicly called out Maryland's NIL situation and the projected breakdown of House settlement payments between football and basketball, and essentially said the Terps need to up their game if they plan to keep contending in the Big Ten and college basketball at large.

Williams has a track record of building quickly in places where resources may not come to men's basketball first (or even second), but if he's going to get Maryland to where they want to go, the Terps are going to need the money to spend.

Williams has the chops to convince Queen and company to stick around, and the building skills to keep the Terps competitive even if they don't stay, but if they don't get the kind of cash they need to contend, there's going to be a ceiling on what this program can achieve.

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