Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self reacts to Mark Turgeon's departure from Maryland

ELMONT, NY — In recent days, college sports fans have seen head coaching changes at major institutions.

Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma football to take over at USC. Brian Kelly left Notre Dame football to take over at LSU, prompting Marcus Freeman to assume the head coaching position for the Fighting Irish. And in men’s basketball, it was announced that Maryland coach Mark Turgeon would no longer be leading the Terrapins and would be replaced on an interim basis by Danny Manning.

Riley’s departure has some relevance for Kansas fans, as he leaves a Big 12 Conference program for on in the Pac-12 Conference. Kelly’s, in an immediate manor, doesn’t hold the same significance. But both Turgeon and Manning are former Jayhawks athletes, for a program that Kansas head men’s basketball coach Bill Self has led for nearly two decades.

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“I think the coaches that complained about players being able to transfer and be eligible immediately, that’s never going to come up again. I mean, that rule is to stay. I mean, especially now from an appearance standpoint … Coaches complain about it, and then things like this happen. So, that’s not coming back,” Self, appearing to reference the Riley and Kelly news at first, said Friday after his Jayhawks topped St. John’s. “I mean, I feel bad for (Turgeon), but maybe I should be feeling happy for him, too, if that’s best for he and his family. So, I texted with (Manning) earlier in the day and he wasn’t happy about it. But he’s also got a job to do now as they move him up into that position. But I haven’t talked to (Turgeon) probably in months and when I do that hasn’t been something that’s come up. So, I’m not an expert, know enough, to even comment on that.”

A Maryland release officially referred to its situation as Turgeon “stepping down,” mid-season, after what was described as multiple conversations between the school’s athletic director and Turgeon. In that release, Turgeon is quoted as saying the move “will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward.” Manning, who’s been an assistant at Kansas in the past like Turgeon, should be in place at least for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign.

Manning’s tenure as the Terrapins’ head coach began with a loss Sunday at home again Northwestern. In the release a couple days earlier that announced the news, Damon Evans, Maryland’s athletic director, said in part that, “Manning has been a head coach at the highest level and we have the utmost confidence in his abilities to lead this program.” Manning became the head coach at Tulsa and later Wake Forest after leaving an assistant position with the Jayhawks.

“I have always preached that Maryland Basketball is bigger than any one individual,” Turgeon said in the school’s release. “… Maryland Basketball has been my passion and focus for the last 10 seasons, and I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished. It is through the combined effort and commitment from our coaches and players, both past and present, that we have sustained consistent success in a sport that is ultra-competitive. I am extremely grateful to have worked with each and every one of you. It has truly been an honor to be the men's basketball coach at the University of Maryland.”

Evans added in the release: “We are fortunate that Coach Turgeon has surrounded himself with an outstanding group of coaches.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self reacts to major coaching changes