Ralph Friedgen leaves Maryland as he lived it: As the Heavyweight Champion of the World

Or of the greater D.C. area, at least.

Ralph Friedgen (as you may have heard) was the ACC's Coach of the Year, which didn't do him much good when first-year athletic director Kevin Anderson decided it was time for a fresh house-cleaning earlier this month. As honors go, here's guessing the Fridge will be somewhat fonder in retirement of the "championship" belt bestowed on him by senior linebackers Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten after today's 51-20 trouncing of East Carolina in the Military Bowl, the actual inscription of which reads "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion: Special Teams."

With today's rout, it could also read "Champions of North Carolina": The Terps finished the season 4-0 against the Tar Heel State, better than the Tar Heels themselves, and the Wolfpack, and … well, the less said about Duke and Wake Forest this year, the better. But after six eight-win seasons, three top-20 finishes, an ACC championship and 75 wins over the course of the last decade, at a program that maxed out at six wins with zero bowl appearances over the previous decade, anything that says "Winner" will be appropriate.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Nadine Velazquez Pink Mila Kunis Samaire Armstrong Selita Ebanks