Sports
Jim Williams » Knight: Leave Williams alone
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
November 23, 2008
A funny thing happened when I asked Bob Knight about the future of Maryland coach Gary Williams.
He said, “I will answer your questions if you will answer my question first.”
I responded by agreeing to the deal.
“OK,” said Knight, “here is your question.”
“Do you think that anyone who wants Gary to retire knows as much about college basketball as he does?”
I had to say that I did not feel that they did. Knight then said, “fine, now I will answer your questions.”
I followed up a question about Williams’ lack of getting a lot of the area’s top-talent to come to College Park.
“Gary is coaching in a part of the country that has a wonderful talent base,” Knight said. “But fans have to understand that with teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten and other conferences within reasonable driving distance of the University of Maryland, there might not be a more competitive region of the country than the mid-Atlantic and each year Gary seems to be able to get some good kids and fields a fine team.”
Then I asked Knight about the calls for Williams to step down and if it wasn’t time for him to move on.
“Gary has won a National Title and has taken his team to a post season tournament almost every year since he took over the program. He has earned the right to walk away when he wants.”
ESPN will have Knight doing both studio and game analysis this season. So he will handle a full season of college basketball since he left Texas Tech. But Knight has not become a member of the media. “My main job now is fishing and working on the games and doing the studio work is just fun and a hobby but I am not a member of the media.”
One other ESPN analyst wanted to talk about Williams’s future. Jay Bilas was vocal about keeping how things will play out.
“Gary is happy coaching at Maryland and he is comfortable about his team and his future,” Bilas said. “I think that they will have a better future than many might think. But as for Gary and the future I think he will retire like Dean Smith did when he feels like he just does not want to do it any more, but I think that will do a long time in the future.”
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on dcexaminer.com.
He said, “I will answer your questions if you will answer my question first.”
I responded by agreeing to the deal.
“OK,” said Knight, “here is your question.”
“Do you think that anyone who wants Gary to retire knows as much about college basketball as he does?”
I had to say that I did not feel that they did. Knight then said, “fine, now I will answer your questions.”
I followed up a question about Williams’ lack of getting a lot of the area’s top-talent to come to College Park.
“Gary is coaching in a part of the country that has a wonderful talent base,” Knight said. “But fans have to understand that with teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten and other conferences within reasonable driving distance of the University of Maryland, there might not be a more competitive region of the country than the mid-Atlantic and each year Gary seems to be able to get some good kids and fields a fine team.”
Then I asked Knight about the calls for Williams to step down and if it wasn’t time for him to move on.
“Gary has won a National Title and has taken his team to a post season tournament almost every year since he took over the program. He has earned the right to walk away when he wants.”
ESPN will have Knight doing both studio and game analysis this season. So he will handle a full season of college basketball since he left Texas Tech. But Knight has not become a member of the media. “My main job now is fishing and working on the games and doing the studio work is just fun and a hobby but I am not a member of the media.”
One other ESPN analyst wanted to talk about Williams’s future. Jay Bilas was vocal about keeping how things will play out.
“Gary is happy coaching at Maryland and he is comfortable about his team and his future,” Bilas said. “I think that they will have a better future than many might think. But as for Gary and the future I think he will retire like Dean Smith did when he feels like he just does not want to do it any more, but I think that will do a long time in the future.”
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on dcexaminer.com.
More from Jim Williams
- Jim Williams: Former Skins star Riggins goes viral on Snyder on 'Inside the NFL'
- Jim Williams: Former Lions exec Millen is happy to be back in the booth
- Jim Williams: World Series puts up big numbers for FOX; NBC and Comcast are near a deal
- Redskins owner: "We have let everyone down"
- Redskins fans complain, but they keep watching
