COLLEGE PARK, MD – Maryland men's basketball head coach
Buzz Williams has officially announced the addition of four members to his staff. The new additions have served with Williams for a multitude of years including during his tenure at Texas A&M.
The staff members announced today include Associate Head Coach
Devin Johnson, Assistant Coach
Lyle Wolf, Assistant Coach
Steve Roccaforte, and Assistant Coach
Wabissa Bede.
Johnson has served with Williams in a variety of roles since working at Marquette together. Most recently, he spent three years as associate head coach at Texas A&M as part of the pair's six years in College Station. Johnson is known as a strong recruiter and team defensive strategies helping the Aggies reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons.
"Coach Johnson has been with me at every stop since my first head coaching job at the University of New Orleans. I have an immense amount of trust and appreciation for the type of person and coach he is. His path from manager to associate head coach is truly remarkable," said Williams. "His ability to build genuine relationships with players is a rare gift, and paired with his basketball acumen, especially on the defensive side of the ball, makes him one of the most impactful coaches in the country. As he starts his 15th year on staff, I am extremely grateful he is with us."
Wolf has worked with Williams for 13 seasons overall and was at Texas A&M for six years prior to joining him at Maryland. He has worked with Williams at Marquette, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Marquette before being elevated to Director of Basketball Operations at Virginia Tech. At Texas A&M, he served as an assistant coach known as an offensive strategist and strong recruiter.
"Few people would score higher than Coach Wolf on a Mensa test, but it's his relentless work ethic and unwavering character that make him truly invaluable to our staff. Lyle started as a GA for us 13 years ago and has ascended through every role possible on his way to his current position," said Williams. "He is an elite thinker on the court, especially on the offensive side of the ball. His ability to filter information quickly and land on the right answer gives him a real edge — both in game situations and in practice."
Roccaforte began working with Williams at Virginia Tech and has more than 36 years of experience as a collegiate basketball coach. He spent four seasons with Williams at Texas A&M and will enter his ninth year as part of his staff overall. Roccaforte has been key in five NCAA Tournament appearances including two at Virginia Tech where he was an assistant coach for three seasons and served as associate head coach for another. He has helped assemble top 20 recruiting classes at seven institutions and worked under national coaches of the year in John Calipari, Perry Clark, and Billy Tubbs.
"I met Coach Rock when I was 18 years old. He was the first Division I coach I ever met. Our relationship has stood the test of time because it is built on truth and trust. In a world where real honesty is becoming rare, he remains one of the clearest voices in my life," said Williams. "His skill set is uncommon and growing more valuable by the day. He doesn't just solve problems — he sees them before they even arrive. His experience as a head coach, and his value as a recruiter, are obvious, but he will touch every part of our organization and take care of our players with a level of consistency and care that never wavers."
Bede will be in his first season as an assistant coach after spending four seasons with Williams at Texas A&M as the program aide. In that role, the North Andover, MA, native assisted with all aspects of the program, recruiting organization, student-athlete development, advanced analytics, and camps. As a player at Virginia Tech, including two seasons under Williams during his coaching tenure there, the former point guard helped the Hokies make three NCAA Tournament appearances. He led the Hokies in assists as a junior and senior finishing his career with 351 overall which ranks among the program's top 10 all-time.
"Coach Bede played for us at Virginia Tech, and once his playing career was over, he started his coaching career in a support role for us at Texas A&M. I am grateful he's joining us at Maryland in a coaching role. His experience as a player in our program provides wisdom to connect with players from the start," said Williams. "That connection shows up every day within our player development program and workouts. He has a gift for knowing how to push players the right way. His growth rate year after year has been remarkable, and I have no doubt he'll keep a similar trajectory here at Maryland."
Additional members of Williams' first staff at Maryland will be announced in the near future.
Maryland is coming off a 27-9 campaign in 2024-25 which saw the Terps reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2016.
For fans interested in 2025-26 season tickets, interest forms are now available on
umterps.com/MBBInterest, and an Athletics Representative will reach out to provide more information for the upcoming season at XFINITY Center.
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