Turgeon out as Maryland men’s hoops coach; Manning interim

Mark Turgeon’s tenure at Maryland is over, less than a month after the start of his 11th season at the helm.

Again, the Terrapins were struggling to reach their potential — although the abrupt change still came with a jolt, just eight games into the 2021-22 campaign.

“After a series of conversations with Coach Turgeon, we agreed that a coaching change was the best move for Coach Turgeon and for the Maryland men’s basketball program,” athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement. “He has dedicated over a decade of his life to the University of Maryland, and has coached with distinction and honor.”

Maryland announced Friday that Turgeon was stepping down, and the athletic department described the move as a mutual decision. Assistant Danny Manning was made interim coach for the rest of the season.

When he took over, Turgeon had the challenging task of replacing Gary Williams, who led the Terrapins to their only national title in men’s basketball in 2002. Turgeon mostly kept Maryland relevant in both the ACC and Big Ten, but the program never reached its previous heights.

The Terrapins won at least 23games in five of the past seven seasons, but Maryland has reached the Sweet 16just once under Turgeon and hasn’t gone further. The Terps began this season ranked in the Top 25, but a loss at home to Virginia Tech on Wednesday night dropped them to 5-3on the season.

“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. “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.”