Buzz Williams to A&M

[LAOrange]

Yes the heyday of most conferences like the old Big East was dependent on the quality and uniqueness of their coaches. (Even the old Pac 10 and Big 10 to a lesser degree) It is also the way rivalries were created.

I've always thought this as well. To this day I can name most of the coaches from the old Big East. In college sports, coaches are the reason for a program's success.

 

[djorange1989]

allegedly UCLA is close to hiring Jamie Dixon. would be a really good hire for them.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I have less than zero idea whether Bennett would go to UCLA. There is one strong argument against it though, their treatment of Ben Howland. He did just about everything right for them except win a championship and then they fired him. I would have to think that would enter into his decision process. It's also not too far fetched to think that the UCLA fanbase would have a different reaction to our NCAAT results than we did. But that's that's a part of the Ben Howland stuff, too.

Bennett turned down Indiana and LSU to stay at Washington St until the WSU admins cut the athletic budget dropping the use of charter flights for recruiting and cancelled his staff’s trip to the Final 4 that year to save money. Luckily for UVA the timing of their offer came at that time.I would think he’s happy at UVA , the administration and he are in synch. Reading his background I don’t think money is his overwhelming motivating factor regarding his coaching choices.

 

[Cheriehoop]

allegedly UCLA is close to hiring Jamie Dixon. would be a really good hire for them.

Pretty ironic - Howland and his protégée Dixon following his path again.

 

[Dinkyspond]

This is great news for us, thought his teams always played us tough and he seemed to have our number. Didn’t like him at Marquette, didn’t like him at VT love him at A&M unless we have to play them in the tournament

it may seem like he had our number but I think we have .500 or better record against him, somebody looked it up once and posted if I recall correctly

 

[007]

While Buzz nationally IMO is overrated he does know to prepare for our zone so this a good move for us.
VPI has 1 sweet 16 in 5 years but Buzz did turn the program around.
A&M overpaid to just become a consistent round of 32 to sweet 16 team.
Hopefully VPI goes back down.

FWIW - not trying to change your opinion, just offering a different perspective - In watching Buzz's teams from a coaching perspective, it is crystal clear in my mind why he is coveted. His teams always play very hard on both ends, but it's more than that. His teams run their stuff exceptionally well from both a fundamentals and team concept perspective. Call up any VT game on YouTube and watch the off ball concepts and player movements. I think people would kill to have that type or execution here. He always seems to be able to take away something the opposing offense wants to run, and then forces you to defend multiple options on the other end, even with lesser talent. We see it in the way he attacks our zone; he does that to M2M teams as well. And his kids seem to love playing for him.

He turned around Marquette, he turned around VT and I would be shocked if we does not have TAM back on track in no time.

 

[Cusefan0307]

it may seem like he had our number but I think we have .500 or better record against him, somebody looked it up once and posted if I recall correctly

Correct. JB is 8-5 against him.

 

[Dinkyspond]

Correct. JB is 8-5 against him.

thanks!

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

How'd you like the Dixie Chicken?

He preferred the Tennessee lamb.

 

[OttoMets]

Yes the heyday of most conferences like the old Big East was dependent on the quality and uniqueness of their coaches. (Even the old Pac 10 and Big 10 to a lesser degree) It is also the way rivalries were created. The top coaches in top conferences normally didn’t leave for other conferences hoping to upgrade. The ACC soon will be in transition with JB, Coach K, Roy Williams, Hamilton and Larranaga all over 68 years of age. Losing new bright successful young coaches isn’t a good look for the conference.

Kind of reminds me of Rick Barnes leaving Providence for Clemson. Seemed at the time that we lost one of our good ones to...them?!

 

[007]

He preferred the Tennessee lamb.

And the bright lights of Memphis and the Commodore Hotel

 

[Cheriehoop]

Kind of reminds me of Rick Barnes leaving Providence for Clemson. Seemed at the time that we lost one of our good ones to...them?!

Well it seemed that the bottom programs like Providence lost coaches (Pitino, Barnes, Gilles), BC (Tom Davis, Gary Williams, Jim O’Brien) , Seton Hall(Orr, Amaker, Carlisimo) having issues holding onto any coach who had relative success making them continuous stepping stone jobs or coaching graveyards. Losing coaches is what kept those programs at the bottom. Lack of administration support? Fan support? Location? Maybe the same issue with Wake Forest, Va Tech , BC in the ACC which also hurts the conferences.

 

[Newhouser]

How much more is A&M paying than VaTech? Buzz is very good will be interesting to see him compete with the filth in the SEC

 

[Alsacs]

How much more is A&M paying than VaTech? Buzz is very good will be interesting to see him compete with the filth in the SEC

Buzz is now the 7th highest paid coach in college hoops at 3.5 million per year.
1. Coach K Duke
2. Calipari Kentucky
3. Holtmann- Ohio State
4. Self- Kansas
5. Izzo- Michigan State
6. Miller- Arizona

Now Buzz. He is the second highest paid SEC coach now.

 

[Col. Bleep]

And the bright lights of Memphis and the Commodore Hotel

I saw this post and began to hum a song.

 

[rrlbees]

Buzz is now the 7th highest paid coach in college hoops at 3.5 million per year.
1. Coach K Duke
2. Calipari Kentucky
3. Holtmann- Ohio State
4. Self- Kansas
5. Izzo- Michigan State
6. Miller- Arizona

Now Buzz. He is the second highest paid SEC coach now.

What the hell is wrong with Ohio St?

 

[Col. Bleep]

I hope he doesn’t go to UCLA and I wish buzz had stayed at VT. Part of the allure of the big east was the coachs. JB, Rollie, Louie, Thompson.

Buzz certainly added to that in ACC.
For that reason sorry to see him go.

He totally outcoached K in regional semi.
And got two wide open looks at the end of the game.
They just didn't go in.

 

[Cheriehoop]

How much more is A&M paying than VaTech? Buzz is very good will be interesting to see him compete with the filth in the SEC

I find it really interesting how much the SEC is now investing in basketball, a sport that historically they cared little about other than Kentucky and the occasional competitive Tennessee, LSU, Florida etc run. Wonder what is driving it - issues with Kentucky’s continued dominance and national spotlight, dreams of more revenue, a conference directive to be more of a national brand during March madness etc?

 

[Alsacs]

I find it really interesting how much the SEC is now investing in basketball, a sport that historically they cared little about other than Kentucky and the occasional competitive Tennessee, LSU, Florida etc run. Wonder what is driving it - issues with Kentucky’s continued dominance and national spotlight, dreams of more revenue, a conference directive to be more of a national brand during March madness etc?

SEC Network is my guess.

 

[Alsacs]

What the hell is wrong with Ohio St?

They hired Holtmann so late in the summer he had all leverage and to get him to leave Butler they had to way overpay him.
He isn’t worth 5.5 million a year when Jay Wright was beating his brains in that conference.

 

[Alsacs]

Search Firm: Predicting Virginia Tech’s Next Head Basketball Coach - Stadium


Goodman saying Wojo, Willard, Shaka Smart, and Wofford coach are VPI’s top targets.

If Shaka got the job it would set Beard up to take the Texas job.

 

[shantydaze]

. . . . He turned around Marquette, he turned around VT and I would be shocked if we does not have TAM back on track in no time.

While he had more tournament success that Crean in his last few years at Marquette, saying Buzz turned it around is a little of a stretch. In the last six years Crean was at Marquette, he went to one Final Four, won 19 games twice, and won 20 or more games four times. In his six years at Marquette, Buzz never made it to the Final Four, but only has one season with less than 20 wins (17). Crean missed the tourney once, but went to the NIT. The one year Buzz missed the tourney, Marquette stayed home. However, other than the Wade Final Four Team, Tan Tommy never made it to the second weekend of the tournament. Buzz had two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight.

 

[longtimefan]

They could replace him with Shemp!

Underrated.

 

[ROCcuse]

I saw this post and began to hum a song.

SEC money flowing like wine at all the hotspots

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Bennett turned down Indiana and LSU to stay at Washington St until the WSU admins cut the athletic budget dropping the use of charter flights for recruiting and cancelled his staff’s trip to the Final 4 that year to save money. Luckily for UVA the timing of their offer came at that time.I would think he’s happy at UVA , the administration and he are in synch. Reading his background I don’t think money is his overwhelming motivating factor regarding his coaching choices.

Good post. Also has to be noted that Bennett didn’t walk into UVA and start winning even though he inherited future NBAer Mike Scott it took him a few years and until it was really ‘his’ team going to UCLA could be similar. But once he gets it rolling UCLA would win the PAC every year for a decade. His current players probably have to all leave with their draft stock high if he wants to live in LA taking that job makes sense.