Former Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Willams stopped by class to provide a perspective reporters need to acknowledge: what it's like to be covered by the mass media. He shared not only how he prepared both himself and his players to interact with reporters, but also how to work with people who, at times, may not see eye-to-eye on the same subject because they look at it from different vantage points.
There are a lot of ways to engage this topic. Please post your replies on what you took away from speaking with and listening to Williams by noon on Monday, Oct. 24. Thanks.
Alan
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Some interviewees are pretty good sources of information.
ReplyDeleteSome interviewees give memorable, outstanding quotes.
But, some interviewees understand journalists so well, that they could almost be one.
Gary Williams, although all three, goes above and beyond when it comes to the media. He goes to great lengths to understand and almost become the media.
He tries to help his players do the same, he said. Williams made sure his basketball players were dressed properly, were poised and confident, didn’t post anything damaging on Facebook, and said the right things – something he himself mastered years ago.
It was interesting to hear from someone who is so heavily covered by the media. I expected him to be bitter about the journalism process, but he was actually very understanding. He gets that part of his job was to help us do ours, and he cooperated as long as we did.
“Just make sure you stick to the facts,” Williams advised. “Don’t be intimidated if you’re writing the truth.”
Williams talked about what he thinks journalists could improve on, too.
“I understand criticism, but they’re still college athletes,” he said, adding that he doesn’t like when journalists print things that “hurt” his players.
Williams has been coaching college athletics since the 1970s, but retired from his post with the Terrapins Men’s Basketball team earlier this year. The biggest changes over the 40 years he’s been coaching, he said, are the internet and talk shows.
The internet and talk shows make news a 24-hour cycle, he said, and could complicate the ways college athletes are contacted. Williams didn’t seem too happy about this.
“Just don’t camp out at their dorms or whatever, only talk to [the athletes] when they make themselves available,” he advised.
He had words of wisdom and he had suggestions for useful tactics, but above all, Gary Williams had something most people in the eyes of the media do not: understanding. It was nice to see that Williams has respect for journalists, and I can only hope the people I cover in the future will be something like him.
Gary Williams is one of those people who know how to roll with the punches that come with being covered regularly by the media.
ReplyDeleteIn his discussion about what it’s like to be covered, Williams, expressed less of the frustration that one might expect and more understanding of the job of sports reporters.
“It can be a tough relationship at times,” said Williams of working with a beat reporter but according to him accuracy is the most important part of that relationship.
“[If] I put my foot in my mouth, as long as I said it then that’s the way it goes,” said Williams. He said that when reporters “chop” a quote to give it another meaning he feels misquoted.
“You shouldn’t be intimidated if you write the truth and you write something negative about a coach or a player,” said Williams. He said writers, especially those at the college level, shouldn’t allow administrators or coaches to lean on them to frame their stories a certain way.
Williams, who has been coaching college basketball since the 1970s, said that the biggest changes came with the Internet. According to Williams, blogs and social networking sites make it easier not just for reporters to criticize, but also for players to slip-up. In order to control this, Williams told players not to post anything about practice or games on their profiles.
The Internet is also a reason a lot of coaches have become more guarded. Because anything they say can be held against them on Twitter and Facebook as well as on the news they are more likely to be less open with the media.
Listening to Gary Williams talk about what it is like to be covered has given me some perspective. It has made me realize that although I have to cover stories in an unbiased manner I should also remember that what I say could affect someone personally.
First, William Nack strolls through our classroom door. Then, the legendary Gary Williams makes an appearance for our class. Whose next, the Dalai Lama?
ReplyDeleteI’m kidding of course (sort of).
It was surreal watching a man I had only ever seen pacing the sidelines of Comcast Center or arguing with referees on TV now sitting in front of me. To be honest, this was the one lecture I was looking forward to the most, not because Williams was our guest speaker. That was just an added bonus.
I have always wondered what it is like for those we interview, especially those in the sports industry. How hard it must be for a coach to deal with questions after a heartbreaking loss or an athlete to have to answer the same question over and over. It’s always important to get the perspective of the “other side” and while Gary Williams couldn’t answer all the questions from the other side, he certainly provided useful insight.
Overall the biggest piece of information, while painfully obvious but often forgotten, was that if you are going to criticize a player, coach, or team, as long as you have solid facts, you have nothing to worry about. And he’s right. No matter what people say, if you present only facts, no bias or opinion, you have nothing to fear. That is something that will always be in the back of my mind.
The other interesting point was that Gary was able to acknowledge that the changing journalism landscape not only affects us but also those we cover. With the growing number of blogs and venues for news, it creates pressure not just on journalist, but on coaches as well. This need for speed and content causes those we cover to be more guarded, which is understandable.
At first, Williams intimidated me. I had heard stories about him, his temper and what not. Yet, he was refreshing, open, personable, and most of all, funny.
The “pinch me” moment of the lecture was hearing Gary talk to us not as journalism students, but as friends, giving us details about the recruitment of certain players and hinting at the recruitment practices of some fellow coaching colleagues. I love getting to see on the inside of teams and programs and Gary was providing all that.
Finally, I never realized how much the media could actually help shape someone. He described how the media, with limited exposure, can actually help develop an athlete, especially their ability to talk with others. His example of the transformation of a shy freshman, Juan Dixon, to a confident senior, was eye opening. Just goes to show you that we (the future media) actually have more influence than just informing.
On the desk in my room at my parent’s house sits a Maryland basketball with the signature of Gary Williams and the words “2002 Champions” written under it. I won it at a silent auction two years ago after I swooped in at the last minute and outbid a family of five. I won’t write down the winning bid, in hopes of preserving my dignity, but for awhile I believed that would be the most valuable connection to the Maryland basketball coach I would have.
But after that lecture, Gary Williams gave me lessons, insight and a couple of good laughs that will always outweigh that ball that sits on my desk, no matter how much it is worth. However, there was only one disappointing thing I could say about the entire class.
He didn’t do the “fist.”
A legend in college basketball circles, it was incredible to get a taste of Gary Williams outside the confines of a press conference and when he wasn't sweating through his suit as he shouted at a walk-on who wasn't going to see any action all season.
ReplyDeleteBased on the testimony of some reporters, including Heather Dinich a few weeks ago in class, I expected that Gary would be a bit more hostile and negative concerning his relationship with the media.
Having been a head coach since 1978, most of that in the Washington market, Williams seems to have an unparalleled understanding of the media.
I've always gotten the feeling that Gary is a man who places a heavy emphasis on respect, and his comments Wednesday reinforced that, making it clear that he respected that the press has a job to do.
So long as you report the truth, you shouldn't be intimidated, Williams said. That's sound advice for young sports journalists, particularly at this university where I have first-hand seen the athletic department successfully do so to student-reporters.
While I respect a reporter who goes above and beyond to get the story, I agree with Williams that it's wrong to circumvent the system when it comes to covering college athletes, as flawed and frustrating as that system may be.
He could have become cynical and paranoid after three decades of dealing with the press as a coach, Williams took all that experience and is a wiser man for it.
Being a longtime fan of Maryland basketball, I was extremely excited to hear that Gary Williams was coming to speak to our class. When he came to speak, he really proved that he has a knowledge of, among other things, the way that the media works in addition to his knowledge of how to coach a top NCAA basketball team.
ReplyDeleteGary Williams brought up a lot of similar points that we’ve heard from some of the other writers and reporters that these sports seasons and the job of being a coach are year round. They don’t just stop when the season stops, and some of the behind the scenes work and recruiting and work out of season are some of the biggest parts of what people see once the actual season begins.
Though many people are familiar with Gary Williams getting angry at the media or being difficult, I felt that he really explained himself well and put things into perspective for us as student journalists as far as what it’s like to be on his side of being covered. Sometimes it clearly is the reporters’ fault for hounding the players and coaches. I thought that Williams explained very well that it’s really about how a reporter approaches a story that makes it either favorable or offensive to him. Obviously, the media is eager for access to the players, and Williams seemed most concerned about this and wanting to make sure that his players were protected.
After so many years of coaching, Williams definitely understood that a reporter’s job is to get the story. However, I liked the way that he brought up the many things that could be going on behind the scenes the influence the way a reporter tells his or her story such as personal feelings toward a coach or access issues for public and private universities. He really pointed out some major points that may have otherwise been missed by people who just choose to take newspaper, television and online sources at face value.
I thought it was especially interesting when Williams started to get into the facts about players earning degrees versus going on to play professional basketball. He really brought into perspective different deciding factors for both decisions and all the things that he had to do as a coach to try to help his players make the appropriate decision for themselves and their skill levels. I think that a lot of people just see the basketball players as only focusing on the sport, but Williams showed that academics are important for many of them who come back to get degrees after they leave the university, and other things are important as well, like the life experiences that he talked about with players speaking to groups in the community.
I really thought that Gary Williams had a lot of interesting things to say, and as he was finishing up, I was interested to hear about what he missed the most about coaching so far. Though he’s still probably a big presence around the University of Maryland and no one will forget what he did as the basketball coach, it must be really hard, especially in the first year, to see your team in the hands of someone else.
Gary Williams is as much of a treat to speak to as he is to watch from the sidelines.
ReplyDeleteWith passive swipes at Debbie Yow and direct hits at Jim Calhoun and John Calipari, Williams can at times be an intimidating figure to talk to. I don't think there was a person in the room not simultaneously nervous and impressed with every word he said to our class on Wednesday. He commanded attention with his tone and his stories, making it easy to see why he is so respected.
While irritation would bubble up in his voice at the mention at some of his old favorite targets, Gary could speak with the same fervor in a positive way. His compassion for his players was evident when he spoke about the benefits he believed they should receive. Recounting advice he handed out, he mentioned looking out for the players' long-term interests, recommending many that they come back and finish their bachelor's degrees.
Williams also talked about some troubles he had had with journalists in the past, including some that he believed were out to smear his name. He made it clear that each person should have a reason for each question they want to ask, and not to waste his or anyone else's time. At the same time, he said that he was friends with many of the reporters that had covered him, acknowledging that as in any relationship, respect was key.
Despite being retired for several months, Gary seems be the same character he always was. From personal stories to hinting at some of his stronger feelings toward people, he lived up to expectations and more. I could have listened to him for hours more.
I’ll admit it: I was a Gary Williams hater.
ReplyDeleteI was probably one of the few students at this university that was actually happy when Maryland’s legendary men’s basketball coach retired in May after 22 years patrolling the Terps’ sideline.
As someone who’s not from this state and wasn’t around for that historic 2002 National Championship run, I didn’t really understand why he was so lauded.
“I mean, sure, he won us a national title, but he hasn’t really done much besides that,” I always thought.
Whenever anyone would gush over Williams or complain about his recent retirement, I was the first person to chime in with the go-to critique about the coach: “Yeah, but he can’t recruit.”
He missed out on three local talents that have developed into some of the NBA’s top young players: Michael Beasley, Rudy Gay and Kevin Durant. To me, that was unforgiveable.
But after having the opportunity to speak with Williams on Wednesday, my opinion is beginning to change.
Williams addressed a wide-range of topics. He spoke candidly about his relationship with the media, his feelings about certain coaches and even his own critics.
And with each changing subject, he began to win me over. He seemed so genuine and sincere. He wasn’t trying to hide anything. Unlike Terrapins football coach Randy Edsall, he didn’t filter his words. He said what he felt, and made no apologies for it.
Two specific moments during Williams’ talk particularly struck me.
The first came about halfway through his visit, when he referred to a Washington Post poll asking fans whether Williams should continue going by the book or if he should bend the rules. The results were 50-50—a reality that deeply bothered the two-time ACC Coach of the Year.
“That was one of things that probably contributed to my retirement,” he said.
In that instance, I realized that Williams is truly a rare breed. In a landscape dominated by the John Caliparis and the Steve Lavins of the world, he demanded something more important than wins: he demanded integrity. That demands respect.
Another pivotal moment came during our final moments with Williams.
“When we won that National Championship in 2002,” he said, “the number of applicants Maryland received the following year increased by 25 percent.”
That number resonated with me. By bringing a title to College Park, Williams did more than just put us on the national stage. He helped make us better academically. To me, the fact that sports can have that kind of impact on an institution is incredible.
So by the time Williams said his “goodbyes” on Wednesday, I found myself reflecting on how I’ve judged him in the past. Perhaps I’ve been too harsh.
Whether or not I realized it, Williams deserves every piece of praise he receives.
He made this university a better place. And perhaps more importantly, he did it with integrity.
To me he was the legend who strutted through the tunnel at the Comcast Center, throwing his fist up in exhalation upon meeting the crowd. He was the stern-faced disciplinarian, always the ally to his players, and oftentimes the adversary to the refs. He was the catalyst leading Maryland from 1979-2011 to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, 5 Sweet Sixteens, 1 Final Four, and a National Championship in 2002. To me, Gary Williams was THE COACH.
ReplyDeleteToo often not people forget that coaches, athletes, and other prominent members of the sports community are indeed human. But, as he rocked back in his chair in front of no more than two dozen entranced students, he peeled off the coaching X’s and O’s layer and revealed his true colors.
Gary Williams gave me an inside look of what it’s like to be on the other side of the notepad, recorder, or camera. Having a sense of this is invaluable for a journalist. To understand the other side, you can perfect not just how you interact with your subjects, but how you build relationships with them. And journalism is all about relationships.
“It was kind of a strange relationship. You never had to say this is off the record. They would know. They would have that feel about them; or if I said something controversial, they would say…’is it alright to use this.’ And I appreciate that. But, we became friends, just because, just like you have friends, they were good guys.”
What especially captivated me was his explanation of the importance of integrity in sports, for both journalists and sports representatives. I knew that journalists must hold accuracy, fairness, and accountability, but the fact that Gary has encountered failures of these proves that journalists continue to disregard these fundamental principals of journalism.
He related this to the fraudulence with college recruiting. While he never flat-out said which coaches succumbed to this, which I especially respected, he did affirm its significance as a poison in college basketball today.
Gary Williams was straightforward. Comfortable. Real. All qualities that make a great journalist. And if George’s prediction of Gary taking on this role actually transpires, which I expect it will, it is clear that he will not disappoint. Cheers to another Terp journalist.
I’ve been watching Gary Williams coach since I can remember. I’ve only seen him when I used to cheer in the stands at the Comcast Center or on the TV screen. Finally seeing him up close and personal felt like an honor.
ReplyDeleteThe media has a bad reputation. We are known for clawing for materials and then portraying an article in a way that someone doesn’t want it to be viewed. All journalist aren’t like that, it is just a perspective that many people have. It is a stereotype to say the least.
Williams discussed how he views the media, after, of course, asking us who we were. He seemed skeptical for sure. Williams enlightened me. I never was on the other side of the tape recorder. A reporter has never chopped off my sentence in efforts to misquote me.
He also spoke on how it is important for his players to learn how to work the media. The example he gave was Juan Dixon. Everyone thinks Dixon is a “good kid,” and that’s because how he portrayed himself to the media.
Williams said that Twitter and new technology has made reporters more aggressive, and I can’t agree more. We can now break a story by using only 140 characters. This can easily be tied to the fact that Williams didn’t allow his players to post anything involving the team. A reporter would easily see a negative comment about the team posted by a player and the reporter would most likely tweet it. I know I would.
Williams has been more open with speaking to journalist, but he explained why many are not. Some coaches have gotten in trouble because what their school’s newspaper have published and at times they feel bombarded.
Williams seems to have the media down pack. I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a reporter.
Being a journalist is a powerful position. You control how the nation views things. You put the information out there and people read it. It is important to be a honest writer and that is what I plan to be.
Gary Williams provided a great look into the other side of reporting that helped show what reporters can do to stay on their subjects’ good side.
ReplyDeleteIn his decades of experience in dealing with the media, Williams developed a great sense of how to handle the media. From his presentation Wednesday, one of his main expectations from a reporter is that he or she is honest and accurate.
He mentioned instances in which reporters jumped to conclusions to explain various game situations. I feel like this is something that reporters who cover the team should not have to do, because they have access to the coaches and players and can ask them why a certain player wasn’t in at the end of the game or why a player had trouble shooting free throws. I think this problem is probably more common among columnists or media personalities that cover the team from afar, who might not be there day in and day out to see what’s going on.
A major part of understanding the media, as Williams mentioned, is knowing that it can cause disruptions for a basketball team, especially at the college level. Williams seems to have identified this possibility and taken all possible steps to prevent distractions that could hinder the team’s performance.
For example, he talked about limiting Facebook and Twitter activity for his players and said that he has basically told players that they need to watch what they say. On the other hand, he also said that it is important for players to deal with reporters, and that there is such a thing as protecting players too much. So it seems like there is a line dividing positive and negative media interaction.
While I understand Williams’ frustration with reporters trying to get in touch with players without going through media relations, or by camping out outside a player’s dorm as he put it, I think that these methods are sometimes necessary for a reporter to get what he or she needs for a story. It often takes going beyond official channels to find necessary information.
He even understands this aspect of reporting, as he mentioned an instance in which reporters came to him asking about salaries and information that was public because of the school’s status as a public university. When he asked why the journalists were not looking into Georgetown, they replied that the information was private, to which he responded that that doesn’t mean that they should just give up. I think like any good coach, however, he is looking to protect his players and control as much of the media attention and scrutiny that might come their way, which makes the two examples a little different.
However, there is no doubt that Williams has a tremendous understanding of the media and the job it is supposed to do. His answer to the question about Steve Spurrier asking that a certain reporter not be present at press conferences reveals his understanding of how to avoid controversy. While Spurrier’s tactic became a story in itself, Williams said that he would not call on a certain reporter, which diffuses any chance of media troubles becoming public.
Just as by knowing how a subject feels and what he wants might make a reporter better, Williams is a prime example of a coach being a more effective leader by knowing what the media is going to do and what it wants.
With 22 seasons coaching at his alma mater under his belt, Coach Gary Williams has gotten to know the media all too well.
ReplyDeleteHis retirement in 2011 came as a shock to many and it truly was the end of an era that will never be forgotten at the University of Maryland.
I remember his 2002 national championship title very clearly because Maryland basketball has almost become a tradition for my family. My sister was a freshman Terp at the time and I was only 12 years old. As I was growing up, watching Gary Williams coach from the sidelines, and even as he inched his way onto the court, was indeed a tradition. My sister showered me with national championship apparel that year, which sure made Christmas and birthday shopping simple for her.
His legacy will live on in the hearts of Maryland fans, and even more so in the mass media. If there is any special on Williams on television, I know my dad and I will sit down to watch it together, or record every second of it if we happen to miss it.
When I told my dad that Williams was coming to my class to speak, he was so excited for me but at the same time he was sad he couldn’t be there to listen too.
Williams has been covered by all platforms of journalism that you can think of, broadcast, print, online, and that never stopped him from being an exceptional coach. He learned so much from his interaction with the media that he could very well become the next famous sports journalist.
He stressed the importance of accuracy as a reporter. He was not a fan of being misquoted or when some reporters only tried to out his players. He had to build a strong coach-reporter relationship in order to help keep the facts straight.
“You wind up as a coach doing a lot more individual calls and reporting, in which you get a call at home at 8 o’clock at night and somebody said, ‘I heard that,’ ‘I read it on a blog,’ ‘I heard it on 980,’ you know all this,” said Williams. “You have to be able to answer those questions for reporters because, you know, you understand they have a job too, just like my job is to coach the team, their job is to get the story.”
As long as his players and fellow coaches were not hurt by the media’s messages, then he gladly cooperated with them and helped clear up any confusion.
Facts. Facts. Facts. Williams does not like it when reporters make things up, trying to pass them as facts.
“Jordan Williams missed a shot that could’ve won a game for us. That’s facts. That’s not a problem,” said Coach Williams. “It’s Jordan Williams was out of shape so he was tired at the end of the game, and then he had a chance to score. He couldn’t jump because he was so tired; his legs were tired. That’s when you get upset, you know, ‘cause how does that reporter know that?”
Although Gary Williams has never been a journalist, he definitely knows the fundamentals of journalism. All he wants, and all reporters should want, are the facts. Get it straight, and everyone will be happy. Respect must go full-circle.
As a Gary Williams and Maryland basketball fan boy, this class was starred on my syllabus the first day of class.
ReplyDeleteBefore class, I couldn't help but to continuously look over my shoulder to see if Williams strolled in. My excitement was at an all-time high and when he sat down to talk with our class, I was very much star struck at first.
What followed was an insightful interview, but because of the camera I felt like some subjects were only glossed over and some of his true feelings were suppressed.
I can’t say that I was disappointed but I would’ve liked him to dive deeper into some of the subjects that he talked about.
One of the those subjects was talking about reporters being intimidated by the school’s administration into writing what the higher-ups wanted to read. It seemed obvious this was a slight at the university’s former president and athletic director but I wish he would’ve gone into more detail or given specific examples of such a story being written. Aiming to please the administration with a story seems silly to me, but obviously Gary had experienced it before so I was curious to what he was actually referring to.
Gary also talked about missing out on three, now NBA players: Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley and Rudy Gay. He gave brief explanations of the crookedness behind each player’s decision to not attend Maryland, but again, I was pining for more detail. We know that Beasley never visited Manhattan before attending Kansas State. We know UConn and Jim Calhoun have had issues with the NCAA. With Gary being on the inside of it all, I hoped he would have given us more specifics as to what went wrong with each one and how these teams broke the rules.
My particular interest on those subjects aside, Gary did leave us with some interesting information.
I was fascinated with the fact that during the basketball season he would not go on the Internet and read what people were saying. I don’t believe that is entirely true, but I thought it was kind of funny that he would have his minions scouring the Internet for him and pull up articles that might help the team prepare for an opponent.
I also found his take on the NCAA’s ridiculous rules interesting. Gary thinks that coaches should be allowed more time with their players instead of living inside of the strict time limits the NCAA mandates. His analogy as to why coaches should be allowed that time made sense. Professors are lauded and get credit for the more time they spend with their students, not just helping them with their studies, but also to help them navigate through life before graduation. Coaches are not afforded that opportunity, and with the culture shock that some athletes experience by coming to college, it makes sense.
Overall, I was pleased with his visit and certainly will not forget being up close with a coaching legend. If we would’ve just gotten rid of that dang camera, I think we would’ve really gotten into some juicy details.
Just five days after appearing at his former team’s Maryland Madness, which officially kicked off a new Terps era without him, Gary Williams was back on campus Wednesday, nostalgic, a man without a team for the first time in decades.
ReplyDelete“I miss this time of year. Practice starts Oct. 15, and you have about four, five weeks until your first game. That’s where you really build your team, that’s where you get to know your players.”
Williams addressed, on the record, a group of aspiring journalists in George Solomon’s sports reporting class. Williams spoke for just over an hour, surprising because he has scarcely made himself available to the media since he retired in May.
Solomon, a treasured former sports editor at The Washington Post, routinely brings in guest speakers to bring unique perspectives to his students.
Williams gave students a glimpse into what it’s like to be covered. He talked about the dangers to the team dynamic that social networking poses. He also spoke with pride about alums Steve Blake and Juan Dixon, two players from the 2002 national championship team.
When asked what he misses least about this time of year, Williams said, “the media, no I’m just kidding,” cracking a smile and drawing laughter from a class full of potential sports journalists.
“Probably the disappointment of working hard in recruiting a kid,” Williams said, “And then not getting him and you know somebody did something to get that kid that might have come in [for] two days, after you spent six months recruiting him … that was the toughest thing about the job.”
Williams’ future role as assistant athletic director and special assistant to Athletic Director Kevin Anderson remains unclear. However, he did talk about a possible foray into the media as an analyst.
“I’d use my experience as a coach, in other words, I’ll look at the game a certain way, based on what I think I would do, but I would never throw a coach under the bus.”
Coaches are routinely and passionately second-guessed, especially in this area, he said. “Coming in I was listening [on the radio] to Beck starting Sunday for the Redskins, I thought we were being invaded, like there was emergency stuff coming over the radio.”
Solomon asked how Williams would cover college coaches he recruited against who have upset him with their recruiting methods. “Yeah they cheated,” Williams interrupted bluntly.
If you’re going to cover their game how are you going to deal with that, like John Calipari for instance? Solomon asked.
“What are you saying George, just because he had to vacate two Final Fours you think there’s something there?” Williams said.
Are you going to mention that he’s had difficulty with the NCAA? Solomon asked.
“Yeah, I think that’s fair because it’s not my opinion that’s the decision made by the NCAA, they took two Final Fours away from him,” Williams said.
For now Williams has no plans to enter the media.