IRVING, Texas – University of Maryland football coaching legend Ralph Friedgen has been named to the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced June 6.
Friedgen, who restored the Maryland football program to national relevance during his decade tenure as the head coach of the Terrapins from 2001-10, is one of just nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision to be selected on the ballot.
Friedgen, who ranks third all-time at Maryland with 75 wins, led the Terps to seven bowl games, including a pair of New Year’s Day appearances during his tenure. Under Friedgen’s guidance, the Terps won a school-record five bowl games.
A Maryland lifer who suited up as an offensive guard for the Terrapins from 1966-69, Friedgen came back to his alma mater as an assistant coach under Bobby Ross from 1982-86. He took over as the Terps head man in 2001, fostering an immediate turnaround.
The consensus national coach of the year in 2001, Friedgen led Maryland to its first ACC title in 16 years in his first year as head coach. Maryland won its first seven games and earned the league’s automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series’ FedEx Orange Bowl. By winning the ACC title that season, Friedgen became the first coach in league history to win the championship in his first year as a head coach.
Following that historic 2001 season, Friedgen led Maryland to six more bowl appearances, 12 wins over top-25 teams and the Terps spent 18 weeks in the AP Top-25 during his tenure. Friedgen ranks fifth all-time in ACC history in bowl victories (five), 15th all-time in wins (75), tied for 14th in ACC victories (43) and stands 12th in games coached (125).
Friedgen recruited and coached some of the largest names etched in Maryland lure, including E.J. Henderson, D’Qwell Jackson, Shawne Merriman, Vernon Davis and Torrey Smith. Eighty players earned All-ACC honors under Friedgen’s direction, 37 were named All-Americans and seven were named ACC Players of the Year.
Twenty-seven of Friedgen’s players at Maryland were drafted in the NFL with many, such as Henderson, Jackson, Merriman, Davis, Smith, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Nick Novak, Adam Podlesh and Josh Wilson having sustained professional careers.
Friedgen has deep ties to current Maryland head coach Michael Locksley, who was on his staff in his first two years, 2001-02 as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator.
The ballot has been sent to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
The announcement of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2023, with specific details to be announced in the future.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2023 season.
Photo Credit: Mitch Stringer/PressBox
— Maryland Athletics press release