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In a shocking turn of events, Gary Williams, the head basketball coach of the University of Maryland, has decided to retire effective immediately. Williams, who lead the team to the national championship in 2002, will officially step down tomorrow afternoon after coaching the Terrapins for 22 seasons.

Assistant coach Rob Ehsan has been named the interim coach until a successor is chosen. Williams will remain with the university as an assistant Athletic Director.

“It’s the right time,” Williams said in a statement released this afternoon. “My entire career has been an unbelievable blessing. I am fiercely proud of the program we have built here. I couldn’t have asked any more from my players, my assistant coaches, the great Maryland fans and this great university. Together, we did something very special here.”

A press conference has been scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the Comcast Center and will be open to the public. Williams is the third head coach in the D.C. region to leave his post in recent weeks; Jim Larranaga left George Mason to take a job at Miami (FL), while Karl Hobbs was fired by George Washington.