Shortly after the news broke Thursday that Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams was retiring, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" discussed his legacy.
Both hosts covered Williams for years when they worked for The Washington Post and said that they consider him a friend, so they obviously had high praise for the outgoing coach.
"I thought it might come in another year or two, but when your best player, who, by the way, has no business trying to go to the NBA," Wilbon said, referencing Jordan Williams, who just announced that he is entering the NBA draft. "When these kids leave and there have been issues and all the Maryland people -- including my neighbors -- who started criticizing Gary Williams recently for what he didn't do in recruiting, maybe they'll be happy now.
"But Gary Williams saved Maryland basketball 23 years ago after the death of Len Bias. Saved it. Got it to its only Final Four, its only championship. Gary Williams."
Then Kornheiser chimed in.
"They ought to put him in the Hall of Fame immediately," he said. "They ought to name the court after him. Look, he had a lot of troubles with Debbie Yow when she was the AD at Maryland. When she left for N.C. State, it seemed that Gary was tremendously enjoying being a coach and then one year later, he leaves. I have no idea what he's going to do.
"I challenge Maryland to get a coach half as good as him."