NCAAB · 1 year ago

5 Coaching Candidates for Maryland Terrapins Basketball

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Chris Mack - College of Charleston
Chris Mack is a bit of a wild-card candidate. His tenure at Louisville ended abruptly, but it was not bad for the Cardinals. Mack was a good coach at Xavier and is now at the College of Charleston. He’d certainly welcome a return to the high-major scene, and there’s no known baggage as there is with Buzz Williams. He makes a lot more sense than Simpkins or Buzz, but a hire like Skinn or Murray, guys with a higher ceiling, is probably the call for the Terrapins.

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1. Tony Skinn - George Mason
Tony Skinn is a native of Nigeria but attended high school in Maryland and considers himself a product of the DMV. He played for Blinn College and then finished his collegiate career at George Mason in 2006. Skinn played professionally in Europe until 2012 and has been an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Seton Hall, Ohio State, and Maryland. He was with the Terrapins in 2022 and 2023 and played a vital role in landing Derek Queen before he took the head coaching job at George Mason in 2023. GMU was 20-12 and 9-9 in his first season and then 27-9 and 15-3 in the Atlantic 10 this past season. He also has extensive recruiting connections in the area. Skinn certainly appears to be the most likely choice for the Terrapins. It is, perhaps, a bit uninspiring, but he’ll land talent and have a chance to do quite well.

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2. Luke Murray - Connecticut Huskies (assistant)
Luke Murray is currently an assistant coach at Connecticut and will be a head coach sooner rather than later. Maryland has reportedly shown some interest in the offensive whiz. Murray played a pivotal role in landing top-five center Eric Reibe from the Bullis Academy in Maryland, and there is a thought that Reibe would follow Murray to Maryland if he took the job. Murray has no head coaching experience, so he’d be a risk, but there is a very high ceiling as he is lauded as one of the best offensive minds in the nation.
3. Buzz Williams - Texas A&M Aggies
Journeyman coach Buzz Williams knows how to elevate programs. He has done it at Marquette, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M, and he has the Aggies in the top ten and contending in the nation’s toughest conference. Williams wears on people and bolts from jobs before things get stale. That’s not a bad strategy, but the Terrapins are looking for a long-term solution, something Williams has never offered. His offenses tend to be challenging to watch, and he’s a born and bred Texas guy who finally has a good job in that state. It doesn’t make much sense for either side, but his name is being mentioned. Williams wants out of Texas A&M, but some past baggage makes him less palatable.
4. Duane Simpkins - American University
Maryland greats like Len Elmore and Steve Blake have sounded the alarm to get a “Maryland guy” to try and bring pride back to the program after the ugly end to the Kevin Willard tenure and his exit to Villanova. A name that has been mentioned, but truthfully makes very little sense outside of the context of “he played for Maryland,” is America’s Duane Simpkins. Simpkins is the current head coach for the American Eagles and just completed his second season. He is 38-29 as a head coach and won the Patriot League this season before losing in the First Four in Dayton. Simpkins has never even been an assistant at the high-major level, so this would be a significant risk.
5. Chris Mack - College of Charleston
Chris Mack is a bit of a wild-card candidate. His tenure at Louisville ended abruptly, but it was not bad for the Cardinals. Mack was a good coach at Xavier and is now at the College of Charleston. He’d certainly welcome a return to the high-major scene, and there’s no known baggage as there is with Buzz Williams. He makes a lot more sense than Simpkins or Buzz, but a hire like Skinn or Murray, guys with a higher ceiling, is probably the call for the Terrapins.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Tony Skinn - George Mason
Tony Skinn is a native of Nigeria but attended high school in Maryland and considers himself a product of the DMV. He played for Blinn College and then finished his collegiate career at George Mason in 2006. Skinn played professionally in Europe until 2012 and has been an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Seton Hall, Ohio State, and Maryland. He was with the Terrapins in 2022 and 2023 and played a vital role in landing Derek Queen before he took the head coaching job at George Mason in 2023. GMU was 20-12 and 9-9 in his first season and then 27-9 and 15-3 in the Atlantic 10 this past season. He also has extensive recruiting connections in the area. Skinn certainly appears to be the most likely choice for the Terrapins. It is, perhaps, a bit uninspiring, but he’ll land talent and have a chance to do quite well.

Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

5 Coaching Candidates for Maryland Terrapins Basketball

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