Maryland AD Damon Evans on Kevin Willard's Road surge, mystery $10 million donation and coach salaries
"The annual Gold Rush game, which is really, really big for us. We expect a big crowd here tonight for this game, and we really need their support when you're playing the number 17th-ranked team. And we're just on the outside looking into the rankings, and this is one of those games that could push us over the hump..."
It is an exciting time for Maryland athletics, but no team is creating more buzz right now than the men's basketball squad.
Head coach Kevin Willard and the Terps (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) welcome No. 17 Wisconsin (16-4, 6-3) to the XFINITY Center on Wednesday night.
. Maryland is coming off a 2-0 road trip, snapping out of its road funk to destroy then-No. 17 Illinois and walk out of Indiana with a one-point win. Julian Reese earned national honors, Derik Queen earned Big Ten honors, Rodney Rice hit a game-winner against the Hoosiers, Ja'Kobi Gillespie continued his sensational point guard play and Selton Miguel hit some big shots in Bloomington. The starting five has been one of the best nationally.
The men's basketball program also received an anonymous $10 million donation, keeping the positive vibes rolling.
Spring sports are getting started very soon, with the Maryland men's lacrosse team opening their season against Richmond on Saturday.
Maryland athletic director Damon Evans joined "Vinny & Haynie" on 105.7 The Fan on Wednesday to discuss it all.
Evans spoke about the generosity of the donor, how the basketball team is building its confidence, the importance of the fans and much more.
ON THE $10 MILLION DONATION TO MARYLAND BASKETBALL, IF IT’S UNEXPECTED OR THEY KNOW IT’S COMING
"It can go both ways in these types of situations. You can have something that comes in that was unexpected, or you can have something that comes in that was expected. This was a gift we had been working on, and we knew there was a strong possibility of closing this gift out and we were able to do so. And the donor asked to remain anonymous throughout this, so we want to respect that. but we're grateful. When you have commitments of this magnitude coming into your program, that's the type of support that we need in order to be able to compete at a high level. So, the generosity of this individual is just terrific, and I can't thank them enough for what they've done for us, and we'll continue to build from this. But it's great for our basketball program and it's great for our athletics program overall."ON THE GOLD RUSH, RETURNING HOME
"Yeah, we're excited to be home. I know Kevin's excited to be home, and our team is excited to be home. The annual Gold Rush game, which is really, really big for us. We expect a big crowd here tonight for this game, and we really need their support when you're playing the number 17th-ranked team. And we're just on the outside looking into the rankings, and this is one of those games that could push us over the hump, and it's a big game from an NCAA perspective. So, I just want to remind the fans that we appreciate everything that they do, and their role is very, very significant in our overall success. So, we thank them for that, and I want to thank them for figuring out how to get out here and support us again in tonight's game."ON THE SALARIES OF DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
"Well, it's interesting. The market is the market with regard to college football coaches and coaches across the board, in general. Those individuals have positioned themselves quite well to command those types of salaries, and so deservedly so. I don't look at those things and go, 'What the heck is going on?' I look at those and say, 'OK, this is the market, and this is what a really, really good coordinator costs.' And so, we're going to do everything that we can to make sure that we compete in that marketplace.CONT.
"You want to pay people who are worth those salaries, and we will do the same if we're able to attract those types of individuals to the University of Maryland. So, we've got to make sure that we go out, we do our due diligence and try to find those people. But we'll continue to work at it, work hard and deal with whatever the market brings to bear."ON IF HE’S FEELING BETTER ABOUT THE TEAM NOW COMPARED TO LAST WEEK BEFORE THE ROAD TRIP
"Well, you know what, I've always thought we've had a good team. You could see it throughout the year. We've played extremely well at home. We've had, up until recently, some struggles on the road. But this team has always shown the ability or capability of getting it done. And when they went on the road against Illinois, which was a huge win, was very, very significant, especially getting the first one of a two-game road swing. And then to go there and beat Indiana at Indiana, which is a difficult place to play, and the manner in which we did it, it just shows the hard work that Kevin has put in and the student athletes have put in. And to make that shot by Rice, to win a one-possession game, those are the types of things that continue to build your confidence as a team. So, this is a team that has shown that they can win on the road, and now we're back at home. There's no easy game. There are no nights off, and here comes No. 17 Wisconsin coming in here. And we need to be ready, and I'm sure we will be."ON THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME VS. NO. 1 UCLA, THE BRUINS BEING VERY TALENTED
"They really were. We had a tough stretch for our women's team. And when you have to play, start off with, I think it was USC, then you go Texas, and then UCLA, I mean, Ohio State. You know, that's a tough stretch. And then we had some injuries. No excuses here, but it shows you how competitive women's basketball is, how tough this league is, and I think we'll be fine.CONT. ON WBB
"UCLA, there's a reason they're number one. There's a reason they're the only undefeated team remaining in men's or women's college basketball. They're deep at every position. They're good at every position. They can shoot it. They got inside-outside game, and so it was good to have them here. We learned a lot about our team, and I expect us to bounce back tonight against Penn State."ON LACROSSE SEASON STARTING THIS WEEKEND, WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN COLLEGE PARK
"Well, yeah, the No. 5 men's lacrosse team. We're going to open that season this Saturday at noon versus Richmond. Always excited when lacrosse gets underway. Tillman has done a terrific job. We're celebrating the 100th season of men's lacrosse here at the University of Maryland. So, I just can't wait to get out there and see those young men do their things. Wrestling is ranked No. 25 and we're 3-1 and we host No. 2 Iowa this Sunday at 2pm. That is going to be a significant match. They are very, very, very talented.CONT.
"Gymnastics is at Rutgers this weekend, and our tennis team was out at Texas and beat BYU. And track had a strong showing in New York. So, women's lacrosse, baseball and softball are also nearing the start of their season. So, it really gets busy at this time of the year. A lot of exciting things to look forward to and just appreciate what our coaches and our student-athletes do."On his song choice for Woman Crush Wednesday: "We're going to listen to a little bit of Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin, and that song that we all know, 'Respect.'"
