Buzz Williams to Va. Tech per ESPN

[RF2044]

I do agree with this. Buzz Williams will be a college basketball college at a legit program forever.

But I think what you want is to coach a championship level team. Vpi is not that team. So the question is whether changing jobs brings him closer or further to that job. And I think history strongly suggests that the answer is "further".

He had some recent issues with the administration at Marquette. So I assume this was him thumbing his nose at them and heading off for greener pastures.

He'll recruit reasonably well and have them playing hard. I don't think he'll come anywhere close to winning a NC at VPI, but he wouldn't have won one at Marquette either.

 

[Waltdods]

He had some recent issues with the administration at Marquette. So I assume this was him thumbing his nose at them and heading off for greener pastures.

He'll recruit reasonably well and have them playing hard. I don't think he'll come anywhere close to winning a NC at VPI, but he wouldn't have won one at Marquette either.

Totally agree Marquette is also not a championship program.

I wasn't aware of administration issues and if they're real that explains it. If he's just leaving out of spite I think he is going to regret it.

The Marquette job sets him up well to stay a hot prospect until he can get a premiere job, as his predecessor did. I'm skeptical the Vpi job does the same.

 

[RF2044]

Totally agree Marquette is also not a championship program.

I wasn't aware of administration issues and if they're real that explains it. If he's just leaving out of spite I think he is going to regret it.

The Marquette job sets him up well to stay a hot prospect until he can get a premiere job, as his predecessor did. I'm skeptical the Vpi job does the same.

This is from memory, so I might have a few details wrong. But the quick summary is that there was some dust up with the AD this year, where the AD actually fired some of Buzz's assistant coaches for some minor recruiting infractions. So Buzz went to some higher ups [don't know exactly who] and pitched a fit, resulting in the AD getting canned. And then he turned around and left a few weeks later.

 

[Todd Gack]

There's talk on Marquette's board that the basketball program is being investigated -- the OP said it was uncertain whether it was by the school or the NCAA.

 

[orangehomer]

I might be naïve but I don't understand this move, I see Marquette as a better job than vtech and it doesn't seem close. vtech is terrible and they don't care about basketball. at absolute best could they be 7th or 8th in the acc? whereas you would think Marquette could challenge in the big east every year, and they have a huge budget because bball is their only sport. does he think the BS recruit juco strategy is going to work in the acc?

 

[Jasoncuse]

Has it ever been the case than an up-and-coming coach has succeeded by going to a middle-of-the-pack team in a power conference? It always seems like a kiss of death.

I was thinking about that earlier and couldn't really come up with much. You don't usually see middle of the pack, or worse, power conference teams all of a sudden become top programs in their leagues these days. I thought maybe Scott Drew, but he had to build that Baylor program from the ground up. I guess maybe Billy Donovan, but that was nearly 20 years ago now. John Beilein at Michigan and WVU? Maybe Ben Howland at Pitt would work. It seems like the middle of the pack programs constantly shuffle through the up and coming coaches. The Alabamas, Georgias, Georgia Techs, etc.

Maybe Larranaga can get it done at the U if he can get that major success back soon.

 

[Flacusian]

Should just rename the Conference the "Big ACC" and get it over with.

 

[Stern]

I might be naïve but I don't understand this move, I see Marquette as a better job than vtech and it doesn't seem close. vtech is terrible and they don't care about basketball. at absolute best could they be 7th or 8th in the acc? whereas you would think Marquette could challenge in the big east every year, and they have a huge budget because bball is their only sport. does he think the BS recruit juco strategy is going to work in the acc?

One school is in a major conference the other is in a garbage conference. More money to be made at VT as well. Very easy to understand

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I was thinking about that earlier and couldn't really come up with much. You don't usually see middle of the pack, or worse, power conference teams all of a sudden become top programs in their leagues these days. I thought maybe Scott Drew, but he had to build that Baylor program from the ground up. I guess maybe Billy Donovan, but that was nearly 20 years ago now. John Beilein at Michigan and WVU? Maybe Ben Howland at Pitt would work. It seems like the middle of the pack programs constantly shuffle through the up and coming coaches. The Alabamas, Georgias, Georgia Techs, etc.

Maybe Larranaga can get it done at the U if he can get that major success back soon.

Tony Bennett did a decent job of it at UVA this year. Remains to be seen if he can sustain it.

 

[ThePoint]

I was thinking about that earlier and couldn't really come up with much. You don't usually see middle of the pack, or worse, power conference teams all of a sudden become top programs in their leagues these days. I thought maybe Scott Drew, but he had to build that Baylor program from the ground up. I guess maybe Billy Donovan, but that was nearly 20 years ago now. John Beilein at Michigan and WVU? Maybe Ben Howland at Pitt would work. It seems like the middle of the pack programs constantly shuffle through the up and coming coaches. The Alabamas, Georgias, Georgia Techs, etc.

Maybe Larranaga can get it done at the U if he can get that major success back soon.

Further back in time - Coach K and Valvano

 

[ThePoint]

Further back in time - Coach K and Valvano

And Coach Wooden. Indiana State to UCLA.

 

[CiceroCuse]

Also...

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 1m
Names to keep an eye on for Marquette: Ben Howland, Mike Hopkins, Brian Wardle.

Not sure i see that one.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I'm still surprised that buzz didn't take the Oregon job last year, seems strange he would now take the VT job. Oregon is a much better program, brand new facilities and arena. Something has def changed

 

[CiceroCuse]

Bye bye Marquette into insignificance. No conference and now no coach. Gonna near impossible to recruit. Buzz drives me nuts but he is a pretty damn good coach.

 

[CousCuse]

Hopkins needs a head coaching job , Jim is not leaving for some time. Marquette has a great tradition and he could continue it while getting his footing as the head coach. Perfect place for him to sojourn at while Beohiem finishes his opus.

 

[kuethstheman]

This has been a little overused lately but

 

[Full_Rebar]

If the P5 conferences were to break away, what would be the point of not coaching in one of them- even if it's at a "bottom" program? Something to think about...

 

[CuseLegacy]

One VT player already transferring because of the Buzz hire.

Freshman forward Trevor Thompson announced that he was transferring.
He started 10 games, averaging five points and 4.7 rebounds.
Supposedly the decision was based on past hard feelings between the player and coach. Williams supposedly referred to Thompson as "soft" during his recruitment, and the new coach scolded Thompson when his cell phone went off during a team meeting.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Buzz at his press conference today at VT..


David Teel ‏@DavidTeelatDP 1h

1. Buzz says he wants to be "smart but ruthless." #hokies
2. Expand Collapse

1. David Teel ‏@DavidTeelatDP 1h
2. Buzz: "We need to sign some guys." #hokies

 

[Briancuse]

Where's Mick Cronin going?

Kindergarten