Men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon and the University of Maryland mutually agreed to part ways, the school announced Friday. Athletic Director Damon Evans named assistant coach Danny Manning the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Since taking over the program in the 2011-2012 season, Turgeon recorded a 226-116 record, including five NCAA tournament appearances in the past seven seasons (the team won the Big Ten regular season title in 2020 before the postseason was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic). Turgeon was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2015.
This season, the team is 5-3 after suffering back-to-back losses, including a defeat against Virginia Tech at home on Wednesday.
“After several in depth conversations with Damon, I have decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down, effective immediately, as the head coach of Maryland Basketball,” Turgeon said in a news release. “I have always preached that Maryland Basketball is bigger than any one individual. My departure will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward.”
In April, Turgeon signed a contract extension through the 2025-26 season. He had two years remaining on his previous contract, and this agreement added three years.
Evans said that Turgeon coached at Maryland with distinction and honor and wished Turgeon and his family the best moving forward.
Turgeon is only the eighth coach in program history, taking over after Maryland’s all-time wins leader Gary Williams retired in 2011. Turgeon came from Texas A&M where he led the team to four straight NCAA tournaments in four seasons at the helm.
The Terrapins didn’t make the tournament in Turgeon’s first three seasons, but in 2014-2015 the program finally broke through for the first time since 2009-2010 and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. They followed it up with four more appearances over the next six seasons, but never made it past the second round.
Perhaps Maryland’s best shot at a deep run in the tournament would have come in the 2019-2020 season when the team won a share of the Big Ten Title, but the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the covid pandemic.
Turgeon has led three different programs to 10 NCAA tournament appearances over his coaching career with stops at Wichita State, Texas A&M and Maryland and has a career record of 476-275.
Since taking over the program in the 2011-2012 season, Turgeon recorded a 226-116 record, including five NCAA tournament appearances in the past seven seasons (the team won the Big Ten regular season title in 2020 before the postseason was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic). Turgeon was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2015.
This season, the team is 5-3 after suffering back-to-back losses, including a defeat against Virginia Tech at home on Wednesday.
“After several in depth conversations with Damon, I have decided that the best thing for Maryland Basketball, myself and my family is to step down, effective immediately, as the head coach of Maryland Basketball,” Turgeon said in a news release. “I have always preached that Maryland Basketball is bigger than any one individual. My departure will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward.”
In April, Turgeon signed a contract extension through the 2025-26 season. He had two years remaining on his previous contract, and this agreement added three years.
Evans said that Turgeon coached at Maryland with distinction and honor and wished Turgeon and his family the best moving forward.
Turgeon is only the eighth coach in program history, taking over after Maryland’s all-time wins leader Gary Williams retired in 2011. Turgeon came from Texas A&M where he led the team to four straight NCAA tournaments in four seasons at the helm.
The Terrapins didn’t make the tournament in Turgeon’s first three seasons, but in 2014-2015 the program finally broke through for the first time since 2009-2010 and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. They followed it up with four more appearances over the next six seasons, but never made it past the second round.
Perhaps Maryland’s best shot at a deep run in the tournament would have come in the 2019-2020 season when the team won a share of the Big Ten Title, but the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the covid pandemic.
Turgeon has led three different programs to 10 NCAA tournament appearances over his coaching career with stops at Wichita State, Texas A&M and Maryland and has a career record of 476-275.
