My biggest fear about the day when Gary would retire (or, God forbid, be forced out) was losing the powerful, rich group known as the FOG: Friends of Gary. These guys, led by Ravens owner and Maryland super-fan Steve Bisciotti, gave money to Maryland (and a lot) almost solely because of Gary.
Gary leaving of his own volition had me hoping that at least some of these guys would stay around. But now, via Jeff Barker, we have our first indication that that money stream might be drying up:
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti on Gary Williams: "My loyalty is to him, not to the (Maryland) program."
That's not exactly a strong statement of continuing support. For what Bisciotti - a self-described Maryland lifer - brings to the table, check out this Baltimore Sun article from a few years ago. He's given upwards of a million dollars to the University despite attending Salisbury State, and has been one of Maryland's most visible fans. I guess all that's ending now that Gary's gone.
When Under Armour got big, Kevin Plank undoubtedly became Maryland's most important donor. But he's not yet Phil Knight-level - he can't fund everything by himself. Keeping Bisciotti around - or at least some of the FOG - would've made finding the money for the next guy a little easier.