Mark Turgeon said he was first contacted about the Maryland job last Thursday, but he went on a mountain camping trip over the weekend with family and didn't have cell service.

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Otherwise, he may have been here several days earlier. Turgeon was officially introduced this afternoon at Comcast Center and he seemed very comfortable in his new home.

Athletic Director Kevin Anderson, who headed the search, described the former Texas A&M coach as a "man who is not intimidated by anybody in college basketball."

Turgeon said that his former boss, Roy Williams, urged him to take the Terps job and Gary Williams convinced him to accept it. The 46-year-old Turgeon is only the eighth men's basketball coach in Maryland history.

Turgeon, the two-time defending Big 12 Coach of the Year, was hired Monday after spending four seasons at Texas A&M. He took the Aggies to four consecutive NCAA tournaments.

The hire comes after the abrupt retirement of Williams last week after 22 years at the helm of the Terrapins. His 2002 team brought home the program's only national championship.

In the 48 hours following Williams' press conference last Friday, Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson flew to Las Vegas to court Arizona head coach Sean Miller. Miller instead signed a long-term extension to stay in Tucson.

Butler's Brad Stevens and Notre Dame's Mike Brey also shot down speculation that they might be taking over at Maryland shortly thereafter.

Turgeon has posted a 250-159 record in 13 seasons as a college head coach, taking Wichita State and Texas A&M to the postseason a combined eight times. He also won the 2005-06 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year award.