[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 25, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H3415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING GARY WILLIAMS AND RALPH FRIEDGEN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Before I start, Mr. Speaker, let me say that I hope the 
words of my young friend, who is now leaving the floor, are adhered to 
by both of us. Too infrequently that is the case. The problems are 
serious. We must address them in a serious way.
  Mr. Speaker, however, I raise a happier point of discussion now. I am 
a proud alumnus of the University of Maryland, and recent months, 
however, have brought some bittersweet news.
  An era is coming to an end in the Terrapin athletic program as our 
successful coaches of basketball and football have left the school. I 
want to take this opportunity, therefore, to honor Coaches Gary 
Williams and Ralph Friedgen for all they have meant to the Maryland 
community, both on and off the court and field. Both of them are good 
friends of mine.
  Gary Williams was my neighbor for a number of years. Gary retired as 
Maryland's basketball coach after 22 hardworking, successful college 
years in College Park and 33 years in college coaching ranks. At his 
retirement, Gary Williams ranked as the fifth winningest college 
basketball coach in America, with 668 wins stretching over his 
remarkable career. He is also the third winningest coach in Atlantic 
Coast Conference history behind two legends, Dean Smith and Mike 
Krzyzewski.
  Gary Williams inherited a struggling program and turned it into a 
perennial national contender. Under his guidance, the Terrapins reached 
the NCAA tournament 14 times, 11 times consecutively, won three ACC 
regular season titles and an ACC tournament championship, made seven 
sweet sixteens, two elite eights, two final fours, and, in a memory 
that all Terrapins still treasure and I had the opportunity of 
attending in Atlanta, won the national championship in 2002. Coach 
Williams was honored as National Coach of the Year in 2002 and as ACC 
Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2010.
  But numbers alone do not capture his impact on the lives of his 
players or on the life of the Maryland community where he stood out as 
a leader and as a philanthropist. Maryland's Athletic Director Kevin 
Anderson correctly summed it up best when he said ``Gary Williams is a 
legend.'' That is true.

                              {time}  1020

  Terrapins will also miss our football coach, Ralph Friedgen, who 
coached his last game with the program on December 29. Fittingly, it 
was a decisive win--a 51-20 victory in the Military Bowl in Washington, 
DC.
  ``The Fridge,'' as he is affectionately known, also took over a 
struggling program and led it to notable success. He guided Maryland to 
the ACC championship in his very first year as coach. And of the 10 
years in his tenure, 7 of them ended with postseason appearances.
  In both his first year as Maryland football coach and his last, he 
was named ACC Coach of the Year. Coach Friedgen won 74 games for the 
University of Maryland, brought new energy to our football program and 
left a lasting mark in College Park. He was respected by his players 
and looked to as a role model. I was proud to call him a friend as 
well. He, too, will be missed by all who love Maryland, who love 
football, who love basketball and who live the principles that sports 
teaches.
  Both Gary Williams and Ralph Friedgen are good men and outstanding 
leaders. And while I know that the Maryland athletic program will build 
on the proud foundation they laid, their shoes will be tough to fill.
  Good luck, thank you and Godspeed to Gary Williams and Ralph 
Friedgen.

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