Ralph Friedgen Ralph Harry Friedgen ( born April 4 , 1947 ) is an American football coach . He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2000 to 2010 . Affectionately known as " The Fridge " , Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland , Georgia Tech , and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers . After the 2010 regular season , it was announced that Friedgen would not be returning for the 2011 season , ending his ten year run as head coach . Early life and education . Friedgen was born on April 4 , 1947 in Harrison , New York . His father , " Big Ralph " Friedgen , attended Fordham University , where he played from 1938 to 1939 , and coached high school football for 30 years . The younger Friedgen worked under his father as a water boy and manager , and the two often attended New York Giants and Jets games together . He attended Harrison High School where he played quarterback on his father ' s team . John Nugent , the head coach of Harrison ' s rival Rye High School , recommended that his brother , Maryland head coach Tom Nugent , recruit Friedgen . His recruitment was handled by Lee Corso , then an assistant coach at the school . After his first season at Maryland , Nugent was fired as head coach , and his successor Lou Saban moved Friedgen to fullback to fill in for an injured teammate . The following year , Maryland had a new coach , and Bob Ward again changed Friedgen ' s position , this time to offensive guard , although he had never block ed before . Upset about the constant turnover at head coach and position changes , Friedgen received a favorable recommendation to transfer from coach Ward , but his father said , " You can transfer , but when you get home , the key you have is not going to fit the door because we ' re changing the lock . Quitters don ' t live here . " He remained at Maryland as a guard and later said the experience taught him a lesson in perseverance . As an undergraduate , he was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity . After completion of his bachelor ' s degree in physical education in 1970 , Friedgen served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater , before later accepting positions on the staffs of The Citadel , William and Mary , and Murray State . Joining him on many of these coaching stops was Frank Beamer , who is the current coach at Virginia Tech . Assistant coaching career . Friedgen returned to the University of Maryland in 1982 to serve as offensive coordinator under head coach Bobby Ross , who was his mentor during his tenure at The Citadel . During this time period , he had a hand in the development of quarterback s Stan Gelbaugh and Frank Reich , and most notably Boomer Esiason . It was also during this time that the University of Maryland football program was a perennial top - 20 team , winning three consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championships from 1983 to 1985 and appearing in prominent bowl games . Following a sub - par 1986 season , and amidst an athletic department quagmire due in large part to the Len Bias incident , Friedgen followed Ross to Georgia Tech , a period lasting four years . In 1990 , Georgia Tech went from being unranked in the preseason to achieving an 11 - 0 - 1 record and a share of the national championship with Colorado . In 1992 , Friedgen followed Ross once again , this time to the NFL ' s San Diego Chargers , where he orchestrated an offense that led the franchise to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX . In 1997 , Friedgen returned to Georgia Tech , where , as offensive coordinator , he developed the balanced offensive attack ( 200 yards on the ground , 200 yards through the air ) that would become his trademark . During his second year , the Yellow Jackets were co - champions of the ACC , defeated Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl , and ended the season ranked among the nation ' s top 10 teams . In 1999 , he was the winner and awarded the Frank Broyles Award , given to the nation ' s top assistant coach . Friedgen brought 32 years of assistant coaching experience ( including 21 years as an offensive coordinator either in college or the NFL ) with him upon his return to College Park . Head coaching career . In November 2000 , Ralph Friedgen was named the Head Coach of the University of Maryland football team . He was charged with rebuilding a struggling program that had only one winning season and no bowl game appearances since 1990 . 2001 season . Friedgen ' s tenure opened against North Carolina , and early in the first quarter , running back Willie Parker ran 77 yards for a touchdown . Maryland came back to win , 23 – 7 , which made Friedgen the first Terrapins coach to win his opener since Tom Nugent in 1959 . During the season , Friedgen led Maryland to a surprising 10 – 2 record , a top 10 national ranking , the first outright Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) title by a team other than Florida State since the Seminoles entered the league in 1992 and the school ' s first conference title since 1985 , and an appearance in the 2002 Orange Bowl — the Terrapins ' first major bowl bid in more than two decades . Friedgen received numerous " Coach of the Year " plaudits including the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award , the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year , The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award , and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year . Throughout the year , Friedgen had challenged his players with the phrase " Are you in or are you out ? " After the dramatic first - year turnaround , he was a high - profile candidate for an NFL position , and his players repeated his question . He remained at Maryland and said , " Last year the kids made a commitment to me and I realized it was my turn . We ' ve got plenty left to do . This program has not yet arrived . " 2002 season . Friedgen ' s second year began with a 1 – 2 record , and he implored his team to consider it the start of a " new season " . Maryland then won nine of its remaining ten regular season games , including a come - from - behind homecoming victory against the Philip Rivers - led 15th - ranked NC State team . " Sports Illustrated " credited a " stifling defense " , dynamic special teams play , and an offense that thrived under quarterback Scott McBrien and a simplified playbook despite the loss of leading rusher Bruce Perry to injury . Maryland ended the season with a 30 - 3 victory over Tennessee in the 2002 Peach Bowl , the school ' s first bowl victory since the Cherry Bowl in 1985 . The team achieved a final record of 11 – 3 , matching the school record for wins in a season first set by the 1976 team . 2003 season . In 2003 , the Terrapins finished with a 10 - 3 record , including a 41 – 7 victory over rival West Virginia in the 2004 Gator Bowl . The University of Maryland football team became one of five programs nationally to reach the ten - win plateau from 2001 to 2003 , and Friedgen became the first coach in ACC history to win ten or more games in his first three seasons as a head coach . 2004 season . The 2004 season was the first disappointment of Friedgen ' s tenure , and the team failed to qualify for a bowl game . Highlights included , on October 30 , an upset of fifth - ranked Florida State to take away the first - ever Maryland win in that series , as well as the first defeat of a top - five team since 1982 . On November 27 , a 13 – 7 win over Wake Forest gave Friedgen his 36th win as head coach , which made him the winningest fourth - year coach in conference history . 2005 season . The 2005 season again saw Maryland fail to qualify for a bowl game . Friedgen ' s team started out with a 4 – 2 start , but a lack of offensive efficiency and a propensity for unforced turnovers — both of which may be attributed in part to an injury sustained by quarterback Sam Hollenbach — caused the team to win only one of its last five games to finish with a 5 – 6 record for a second consecutive season . The 2005 season did see the first Crab Bowl Classic game since 1965 . 2006 season . After two losing seasons , Friedgen led a Maryland resurgence in 2006 and ended speculation on his job security . " The Baltimore Sun " surmised that Friedgen would have repeated as ACC Coach of the Year had it not been for Wake Forest ' s impressive season under Jim Grobe . Maryland qualified for a bowl game for the first time since 2003 . Despite being outgained by every one of its eleven Division I FBS opponents , the Terrapins started the season 8 – 2 , highlighted by a 28 – 26 victory over Virginia in which the team stormed back from a 20 – 0 halftime deficit to defeat the Cavaliers . Maryland also became the first team since 1985 to defeat both Florida State and Miami in the same year . The Terrapins defeated Purdue 24 – 7 in the Champs Sports Bowl to give Friedgen his 50th win as Maryland ' s head coach . Friedgen ' s 50 wins in six seasons ties him with former North Carolina head coach Dick Crum for the second most wins by a sixth - year coach in the ACC ( former Clemson head coach Danny Ford holds the record with 52 wins in his first six seasons . ) 2007 season . The 2007 season saw Maryland defeat tenth - ranked Rutgers on the road , as well as eighth - ranked Boston College in the regular - season home finale . This marked the first time in history that the school had beaten two top - 10 teams in the same season . Maryland joined Kentucky , LSU , and Illinois as the only teams to accomplish this feat in 2007 . A 37 – 0 shutout of NC State allowed the Terrapins to qualify for postseason play for the fifth time in Friedgen ' s seven seasons . On December 28 , Maryland played Oregon State in the Emerald Bowl and scored on the first drive . The Terrapins eventually lost , 21 – 14 . 2008 season . Maryland entered the 2008 season with 30 senior players , the largest class since Friedgen took over as head coach in 2001 . Despite the experienced team , expectations were low and the ACC ' s preseason poll projected Maryland to finish fifth among the six teams in the Atlantic Division . At the end of summer training , and amidst some controversy , senior Jordan Steffy was named the starting quarterback over junior Chris Turner who had finished the 2007 campaign atop the depth chart . In the season - opener , Maryland used all three of its quarterbacks to edge Division I FCS Delaware , 14 – 7 . The following week , the Terrapins were beaten decisively by Middle Tennessee State , 14 – 24 , and some pundits predicted Friedgen was on the coaching " hot seat " and that his job was in peril . Maryland rebounded to record wins against four Top - 25 ranked opponents . In week twelve , the Terrapins possessed a 7 – 3 record and were ranked first in the Atlantic Division with two regular season games remaining . Maryland lost both , however , and the team ' s standing fell . The Humanitarian Bowl in Boise , Idaho selected the Terrapins to play the Western Athletic Conference ' s number - two team , Nevada . In an offensive shoot - out against the nation ' s number - five offensive team , Maryland triumphed with a final result of 42 – 35 . The Terrapins posted an 8 – 5 ( 4 – 4 ACC ) record and Friedgen extended his postseason tally to 4 – 2 , with twice as many bowl wins as any other coach in school history . 2009 season . The Terrapins finished the season 2 – 10 , with narrow victories against the James Madison Dukes and Clemson Tigers . Turnovers , a lack of talent , injuries , inexperience , and poor offensive line play were cited as causes for the poor season . Friedgen ' s job security was questioned , but with a $ 1 . 75 million salary , there was some question as to whether the University of Maryland can afford to buy out his remaining contract . According to contracts , Friedgen was to retire after the 2011 season and James Franklin would have become the new head coach . " The Baltimore Sun " chronicled fans frustrations with Friedgen , his staff , and the arrangement with Franklin . In November 2009 , " The Washington Post " quoted anonymous sources that a buyout of Friedgen ' s contract of over $ 4 million was possible . Friedgen ' s attorney , Jack Reale , said that neither he nor Friedgen had been approached about a buyout . The article also said that Friedgen " privately resented " the athletic department naming Franklin his successor , due to how it affects other members of the coaching staff . It was also reported that Friedgen has support from the leaders of the Terrapin Club and the Maryland Gridiron Network booster groups . Two former Terp basketball players and prominent members of the State University system , Len Elmore and Tom McMillen , expressed doubt that public funds would be used to buy out Friedgen ' s contract , and boosters of the program said they knew of no effort to raise private funds for that purpose . On December 1 , 2009 , it was announced Friedgen would return to coach Maryland in 2010 . 2010 season . Maryland went 8 – 4 during the regular season . For the turnaround , the Atlantic Coast Conference named Friedgen the ACC Coach of the Year . After Maryland won seven of its first ten games , questions about Friedgen ' s job security diminished . On November 19 , 2010 , Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson announced that Friedgen would be returning for the 2011 season , the final year of his contract . Despite this announcement , after offensive coordinator James Franklin accepted a job at Vanderbilt and offered positions to four other members of the staff , Anderson did not answer questions about Friedgen ' s future on December 17 . On December 18 , 2010 , it was reported in The Washington Post that the school was terminating him as head coach and had offered him a buyout of his remaining contract valued at $ 2 , 000 , 000 . On December 20 , 2010 , athletic director Kevin Anderson made an official announcement that Friedgen would not be returning for the 2011 season . In an interview with WNST in Baltimore , Friedgen said he was so angry over the firing that he burned his Maryland diploma and now roots mainly for Georgia Tech , though later revoked that statement . Coaching tree . While at Maryland , Friedgen had many assistants continue their coaching careers elsewhere . Three of these individuals have received head coaching positions themselves and are denoted below in boldface . Personal life . Friedgen has been married to his wife Gloria ( née Spina ) since 1973 . They have three daughters .