Mark Turgeon joins ACC as Maryland Head Coach

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Mark Turgeon convened a meeting of the Texas A&M basketball family at 7:45pm Central / 8:45pm Eastern. Fifteen minutes later the news broke that Turgeon had accepted the vacant Maryland men’s basketball job. SFN welcomed Coach Turgeon accordingly. (Link)

Yes, BJD95 is on suicide watch.

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ACC Teams Coaching Carousel College Basketball

40 Responses to Mark Turgeon joins ACC as Maryland Head Coach

  1. Manu Ginobili 05/10/2011 at 12:32 AM #

    Gottfried > Turdgeon

  2. wufpup76 05/10/2011 at 12:48 AM #

    I’ve been impressed w/ Gottfried since our hire.

    I’m sure most in the Md camp are ok w/ the Turgeon hire, even though the national media guys kept throwing out big names as if it were a lock (Sean Miller + Brad Stevens *chuckle* … “Miller’s definitely going there!!!”).

    We’ll see what happens. I for one do not have buyer’s remorse. I wish we could own Md.

    Well – welcome to the ghetto, Mark Turgeon:

  3. travelwolf 05/10/2011 at 12:57 AM #

    My prediction… several years more PAIN for wolfies… First Garry Williams, then Vasquez, now Turgeon (just because he’s at MD). I don’t think MG is good enough to change the trend.

    I am laughing at the comments of how impressive MG and his assistants are – yet they’ve only talked, and haven’t even won a recruit yet or a basketball game. It’s the same s%$##t comments that people said after Lowe was hired. Go look.

  4. travelwolf 05/10/2011 at 1:00 AM #

    By the way, the “suicide watch” comment made my day (obviously, as long as it’s not true).

  5. albunde6 05/10/2011 at 3:14 AM #

    This was the name that I wanted to hear in April. Did not get my wish. I guess we really are a second tier job.

  6. PoppaJohn 05/10/2011 at 5:21 AM #

    I think the 8 newbies are all pretty much on the same level, so the 5/6 positions are wide open in the league. Give it a year or two and the ACC will be Roy & K tied for 1st place, Leonard and Seth for second and the other 8 tied for last.

  7. Wulfpack 05/10/2011 at 6:21 AM #

    Turgeon is an excellent basketball coach. I’m happy to have him in the ACC, though disappointed it had to be Maryland. The Terps obviously ran a good search.

  8. haze 05/10/2011 at 6:35 AM #

    Good hire for MD and good for the ACC, which no longer has the luxury of screwing up it’s premier HC positions. Whether or not Turgeon is better than Gottfried, time will tell. Neither is a slam dunk super star but both have high floors, IMO.

    Downside is that Turgeon isn’t going to be as much fun as Gary was and we won’t get the Gary-Deb stare down every year. Bummer.

  9. john of sparta 05/10/2011 at 6:37 AM #

    well…that was quick.

  10. ADVENTUROO 05/10/2011 at 7:04 AM #

    john of sparta,

    Yes, it was relatively quick…because they were not playing or preparing for a game. We have several weeks of that. Notice also how the rejections were also quick, except the little head fake that Sean Miller did to get his extension and raise.

    Otheres,

    Based on what I read, I, too, do NOT have any buyer’s remorse. Don’t know why Turgeon’s name never seemed to garner traction during our search. However, we seemed to be pursuing the “high profile” names as MD did.

    I think that Gottfried is a better hire than Turgeon. If you look at their records, Gottfried has a better pedigree in that he more quality time in the college ranks….along with helping to win a national championship, at UCLA. He also would spend a lot of time with John Wooden and was a protege of Jim Harrick (lets hope the slimy side of Jim did not rub off on him. Harrick if you listen to Jimmy V. was a good coach. Turgeon also has one National Championship in his assistant background….the Danny & the Miracles team. But he was a newbie. Turgeon studied under Larry Brown and Roy Williams.

    As a Head Coach, Gottfried has more trips to the NCAA and NIT than Turgeon. He also went higher in each. So the edge goes to Gottfried. Gottfried has also coached a Number I team.

    Overall, if Gottfried is an “A Minus”, then Turgeon is a solid “B Plus”. It will be interesting to see how Turgeon handles coaching against Roy.

    We have ALL guessed at Debbie Yow’s “Mystery Candidate”….the one who spoke in hushed and awed tones about going up against Roy and Mikey. Wonder if it was really Turgeon and that is when she had to potty and cut the interview off.

    Who knows, it will be interesting.

  11. Lunatic Fringe 05/10/2011 at 7:13 AM #

    I am not as heartbroken as some on this board/blog. It is still hard for me to say I was ever really sold on Turgeon as a home run hire based on what I saw most of last year at Texas A&M.

  12. baxter 05/10/2011 at 8:02 AM #

    Turgeon is the one that Yow said was going goo goo over K and Roy. I’m sure MD fans will love that. If there were some.

  13. kyjelly 05/10/2011 at 8:04 AM #

    I read in Washington Post that he could have come here or the Vols but thought he would be better off at A&M.
    I hope MG is our answer but I think Turgeon would have been a better hire.

  14. Texpack 05/10/2011 at 8:04 AM #

    Turgeon was able to maintain what BCG built at A&M, but I didn’t really see the program advance under his tenure. In fact, one could argue that A&M was passed by Baylor while Turgeon was there. I don’t look for UMd to crash and burn under his watch but I’m not totally sold on the notion that he can take UMd to the top 4-5 of the ACC consistently either. The key question will be how well he can recruit on the east coast. Once BCG established A&M as an acceptable option for in state talent in Texas, Turgeon was able to attract enough in state talent to keep them competitive. In the DC Metro area he’ll have to recruit against both the Big East and the ACC which will make things a bit tougher. I wouldn’t have been upset if we had ended up with Turgeon. I’ll be really curious to see how much jack he was able to get out of the turtles to leave A&M. I think it speaks volumes about how basketball in viewed at A&M that he was able to be lured away. He is the biggest school basketball coach to change addresses since Huggy Bear went back home to WVU.

  15. BladenWolf 05/10/2011 at 10:24 AM #

    Glad the ACC will add a good HC in Turgeon, but would have rather seen him somewhere besides Maryland. I just think the turtles are a bunch of hosebags. Actually the whole state of Maryland is samrtasses that can’t drive. Maybe my feelings will change with Sweatygary gone, but I doubt it. I’m old enough to have attended games with Lefty at the helm and I hated them back then too. Of course that was back when Len Bias was doing his DT impressions at Reynolds.
    I have absolutely no buyer’s remorse in having MG as our Head Coach. He and his assistants are so far beyond the previous staff that I find it hard to believe some posts that still chant “the sky is still falling and we’ll never be good again” crap. For God’s sake, let’s give this season and our staff a chance before we start the next coaching search.
    Welcome Coach Turgeon. I hope the Pack beats your twerps on a regular basis.

  16. JT 05/10/2011 at 10:41 AM #

    The ACC has made a big improvement in overall coaching talent with Gott, Laranaga and Turgeon (at least in Turgeon’s case there shouldn’t be a drop-off from Williams’ twilight years). I think the ACC finally may be digging its way out of the pit it has inhabited for too long.

    And how strong was the speculation that Turgeon was the guy who “revered” UNC’s and Duke’s programs? That was a valid red flag, though I’m not sure it was established that he was the guy for sure.

    I am very glad we got Gott instead of Turgeon. Anyway it’s going to be fun seeing what happens from here.

  17. sundropdrinker13 05/10/2011 at 10:55 AM #

    Turg is another Sendek. I am so relieved he did not come here. Slow as molasses offense, can’t make it past the 2nd round(except once, went to 16), his finishes in big 12 are: 6th, T-4th, T-2nd, and 3rd. Some people would like that, but Big 12 isn’t really THAT loaded. Almost ACC-esque this year. Hasn’t beaten anyone, got blown out by Texas 3 times this year. Sounds eerily like Herb to me. What’s the point of going to the Dance if you can’t advance?

    Coach G is a MUCH better hire to me than Coach T is. We will get the recruits next year. We have 4 great recruiters. Our team still has enough talent on it to actually possibly win 20 games this year. The Turtles’ cupboard is bare, and it will take T a few years to start getting the great recruits to go there. Plus, with Coach T wanting to go back West, do you really think he would pass on the chance to coach at his alma mater if the opportunity was presented to him? With Coach G, at least we know it is highly unlikely that his alma mater will try to hire him back.

  18. philliepacker 05/10/2011 at 10:57 AM #

    That was Marshall not Turgeon who was in love with Roy/K

  19. yukuntz 05/10/2011 at 12:34 PM #

    ^ Give me some othe sundropdrinker13 you are drinking? MG is a better hire than Turgeon because Bama would never take MG back after he was fired?
    But Turgeon is not good for the terps because Kansas eventually will want him to take over there?
    I hope MG does well but honestly we were the only school that wanted him. He tried to get the Utah job but they said no thanks.

  20. ADVENTUROO 05/10/2011 at 1:37 PM #

    phillipacker,

    I originally thought, based on all the chatter, that it WAS Marshall. Now, I am NOT so sure. Debbie Yow NEVER revealed any of the candidates, it was only the supposed INSIDERS. I personally think it was Turgeon, based on what I read then…and now. If you are NOT asked to come on down for a second interview, then you REALLY do NOT toot your horn that you were passed over.

    Therefore, I think it was Turgeon….but I don’t have a link or a valid reference.

    Do YOU have a valid link that says it WAS Marshall?

    Bottom line, I think that Gottfried is a more solid hire with more potential. We can debate this, but only time will tell…

  21. bradleyb123 05/10/2011 at 1:48 PM #

    I don’t understand why Turgeon is getting so much love here. I believe if we had hired him, most of us would be asking, “Is that the best we could get?” Maybe the same can be said for Gottfried. But I don’t see why Turgeon is to be held on some kind of pedestal. I’m not sure we went far enough down our list to even speak to that guy. Personally, I think we have the better hire, and we also got him so cheaply, we were able to spend more on some very good assistants, too.

    Turgeon was by no means a “home run hire” for Maryland. If anything, his hiring just helps illustrate that it’s tough to hire the home run guy, no matter who you are. Even UNX didn’t get Roy the first time the asked, and they’re arguably the best basketball job in the country.

  22. wolffpride 05/10/2011 at 3:46 PM #

    baxter,

    brilliant, truly brilliant

  23. jbpackfan 05/10/2011 at 3:52 PM #

    $2.8 MILLION FOR MARK TURGEON. Seriously? Good coach, but not worth $2.8 Million. It took $2.8 Million for Maryland to get their 5th choice, and journalists are not all over them? Feinstein writes a column comparing this to the Dean Smith and Coach K hires and says Turgeon may be the perfect hire. Give me a break.

  24. ADVENTUROO 05/10/2011 at 4:42 PM #

    WHOA…

    The UNXer’s had better be ready for a HIT…a BIG TIME HIT. If Turgeon is making the 2.8 Mil that jbpackfan reported, then old Two Ringer Roy will want a RAISE….and a hefty one.

    It will be interesting to see if Dickie Baddour comes across with some extra bread so that Roy’s feeling are hurt.

    ROY’s BP will probably hit the DANGER ZONE is this is confirmed.

    I totally agree….Turgeon should be worth about 90% of what we are paying Gottfried (total package)….NOT upwards of $3 Million.

    Sounds like the AD is spending the surplus that Debbie Yow left them.

    HOPE that THEY start to “fill” the empty seats….otherwise, they will be looking for an AD that can balance their checkbook.

  25. Packfan28 05/10/2011 at 4:46 PM #

    Wow, is this guy Herb junior or what?

    http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/05/too-many-differences-for-turgeon-am-to-w.html

    “They wanted more excitement. They wanted more likeability. They wanted more winning.”

    “He’s not flashy. His style is mundane. He tests the patience of his fan base. And he’s stubborn.”

    “Debate his team’s slow-paced style and his recruiting tactics, but know that there was a reason Turgeon’s name always seemed to come up in rumors for coaching vacancies.”

    That article gave me the shivers.

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