Len Elmore pens letter on Maryland athletics, men's basketball: "University of Maryland people must lead the University of Maryland"

Ahmed Ghafir
Mar 31
3 min read

After two weeks of the program being embarrassed on the national stage ahead of the postseason only for the ongoing situation to end with the third coaching vacancy since Gary Williams retired, former Maryland star and NBA vet Len Elmore penned his letter for, “Maryland people must lead the University of Maryland athletics program and lead our basketball program.”

Full statement via X/@LenElmore

“There will be more to come, but I have been contacted by so many members of the Terp basketball player family who are beside themselves seeing what has happened to our beloved program, that is necessary to speak for us all.

The quest by fans, media types and donor influencers to merely win the press conference by taking a “big swing” and hiring an outsider who leaves one program to coach the Terps only to leave after a few years is maddening.

When these hires leave their former program for us, they are telling you who they are, and we need to believe them. Since our full blooded Terp in Coach Gary Williams retired, it’s been inconsistency after inconsistency after inconsistency. The common thread: outsiders.

Programs like Duke and North Carolina, to name a few, hire their own and promote their own and are models of consistency. Their Athletic Department leaders are from within the “family”, if not outright alumni.

The Administration and the Athletic Department of the University of Maryland College Park, along with their booster and influencers must ignore the media recommended quick fixes and seek program consistency by hiring from within the Terp family understanding that the resulting loyalty and commitment will yield winning and respect, even in today’s unprecedented program building through the current distasteful reality of the “pay for play” environment.

I am not some casual observer. I was an integral part of a group that laid the foundation for future Terp basketball greatness that resulted in a National Championship several decades later under a coach who bled Terrapin red. No more room for mercenary coaches to play us like fiddles.

On behalf of those who gave their blood, sweat and bodies to Maryland, we ask that the University leaders ignore the shallow media exhortations and the impatient fan cries and build from within the Terp family. Since Gary’s retirement, we’ve tried the “big swing” and whiffed.

It’s time to return to fundamentals.

University of Maryland people must lead the University of Maryland athletics program and lead our basketball program.”

That might be tougher in the basketball coaching search with a small pool of experienced candidates meeting Elmore’s criteria, but the news does come one day after former Maryland and Lakers guard Steve Blake made his plea to be considered. One Terp who does fit the criteria, though? Duane Simpkins, the current American head coach who spent four years at Maryland under Gary Williams beginning in 1992.

Simpkins, 50, wrapped up his second season with the Patriots where he guided the program to a First Four game and 22-13 (13-5) finish, one season after finishing .500 overall and two games above .500 in conference play.

“I think Duane is a great example of someone who paid his dues,” former Maryland head coach Gary Williams said of Simpkins. “He was an assistant coach, couldn't get a look as a head coach for a long time and finally got a chance and he's taken AU and in just two years took them to the NCAA Tournament. To win the Patriot League was a great thing for Duane this year.”

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