[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 8, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E161-E162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GARY WILLIAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROSCOE G. BARTLETT

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 8, 2012

  Mr. BARTLETT. Mr. Speaker, as the representative of the Sixth 
District of Maryland and a proud graduate of the University of 
Maryland, I commend your attention to the University of Maryland's 
recently retired mens' basketball coach, Gary Williams.
  Gary Williams started for three years and was team captain of the 
Terps during his senior year at the University of Maryland before he 
graduated in 1968. As a graduate student in 1969, he began his coaching 
career at the University of Maryland.
  After great success as a coach at other colleges, Gary Williams 
leaped at the chance to be the Terp's head coach in 1989 though the 
team was battered by setbacks. Fighting back tears at his first news 
conference, Gary explained, ``I never thought I'd have the opportunity 
to come back and coach at Maryland because . . . you very rarely get 
the opportunity to do that.''
  Only one other coach in history engineered a greater win-loss 
turnaround during his first year than Gary Williams at UMD. Gary is one 
of only seven college basketball coaches since 1980 to guide his alma 
mater to the Final Four and the first since 1974 to lead his alma mater 
to a national title--which he did in 2002. Gary Williams also led his 
teams to seven victories over top-ranked opponents--more than any other 
coach in history. Though retired as a coach, Gary Williams is 
continuing to work at the University of Maryland.
  Gary Williams, thank you. Your loyalty to our beloved University of 
Maryland, your integrity, and your example of dedication to the pursuit 
of excellence on and off the basketball court sets an example that all 
Americans can be proud of and should emulate.

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