In a shocking piece of news, Gary Williams will retire as the coach of the University of Maryland after 22 years, according to a report by Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports. An announcement is expected as soon as Friday.

It remains unclear what exactly is pushing Williams into retirement. He is as much a part of the University of Maryland as any athletic figure in history, with only Lefty Driessel rivaling him. Williams won 461 games in 22 seasons on the job, winning the program's only NCAA Tournament championship in 2002 and reaching the Final Four the year before that. He had reached the NCAA Tournament in 14 of the last 18 years, making seven Sweet 16 appearances.

Maryland finished 19-14 in 2010/11, missing postseason play for the first time in 17 years. Star center Jordan Williams recently announced his intention to declare for the 2011 NBA Draft.

For more on Gary Williams' retirement, head over to Testudo Times.