A Hoo of all people told me that Texas A&M was hot after Buzz. After what they spent to lure Jimbo there, this is worriesome.. A&M has absolutely no basketball tradition but money talks. Tech needs to get off their wallet and make sure that Buzz stays in the Burg.
Buzz to Texas A&M??
- Thread starter hokieinc-ville
- Start date
Buzz makes approximately 2.6 million per year. Texas A&M can pay 6 to 6.5 million. If Tech comes up to 4 million, A and M's 6 or 6.5 mil is a lot more. A&M is loaded with oil money and they can fork out the green. Buzz possibly leaving for A&M has been talked about for 6-9 months. He's from Texas. The only thing that could keep him from what I hear are his wife who absolutely loves Blacksburg. Also, he has a one kid that entered High School already. He's a freshman. I hope he stays, but it will be tough. There's talk about Tech going after Woffords coach who is from Radford, VA. Also, the Iowa State coach, Shaka Smart at Texas of which the Horn alums are unhappy with, and even going back to Marquette to get Wojo who played for Coach K and may want to enter the ACC to coach.
All pure speculation at this time. I hope Buzz stays and gets a big raise. ACC basketball is the best basketball conference in my opinion over the long run. SEC is best football conference. Other Power 5 are good (and in some years better than the ACC and SEC). But I would take the ACC over any other conference for basketball. I see that Oats from Buffalo is going to Alabama. I thought he would be a good fit at VT should Buzz leave (ain't happening now).
Frankly, I'd be just fine if Buzz left. It is very painful for me to watch our games which is: pass, pass, pass, attempt a 3-pointer. That is his offense, There is no inside game to speak of. When we are hot, we beat Duke, when not, we lose to USC-Upstate. I want a coach whose team plays proper basketball which includes balanced inside-outside game, not an offense you run with 4 guards and a small forward. If Buzz wants to leave, let him go, there are plenty of good young coaches out there who would want to be in ACC, Fairlawncat listed a few of those that I'd be just fine with.
PaHokie and Hokiepoke, Hokiepoke, Buzz has greatly increased recruiting in basketball and that can't be discounted. We now actually have some impressive talent. I don't feel strong about it either way whether he stays or goes, but we do need a guy that can recruit and Buzz has enthusiasm and motivation and it does help in recruiting. As for his on the floor coaching ability, I think he's above average to good, but not great or elite.
PaHokie, power 5 in football is not related to power 5 in basketball. There really is no power 5 in college hoops because the Big East year in and year out has been the second or 3rd best, and at least 4th best by any argument. This year, the Big East was the worst it's ever been since the conference formed and it was far from in the top 5, but it was also the youngest. Additionally, the AAC (American Athletic) in basketball is one of the top 5 best conferences in Hoops year in and year out. So, if talking about a power 5 in basketball, I think year and year out, it's the ACC for sure, the Big 10, and the Big East, and the final best two conferences comes down on any given year to the Big 12, SEC, AAC, and Pac 12. I agree with you that the SEC is not on the level of the ACC in Hoops and the ACC is not on the level of the SEC in football, but both of these are changing a little bit. The SEC is rapidly getting better in Hoops and the ACC is getting better in football. Both are related to recruiting gains for both conferences.
PaHokie, power 5 in football is not related to power 5 in basketball. There really is no power 5 in college hoops because the Big East year in and year out has been the second or 3rd best, and at least 4th best by any argument. This year, the Big East was the worst it's ever been since the conference formed and it was far from in the top 5, but it was also the youngest. Additionally, the AAC (American Athletic) in basketball is one of the top 5 best conferences in Hoops year in and year out. So, if talking about a power 5 in basketball, I think year and year out, it's the ACC for sure, the Big 10, and the Big East, and the final best two conferences comes down on any given year to the Big 12, SEC, AAC, and Pac 12. I agree with you that the SEC is not on the level of the ACC in Hoops and the ACC is not on the level of the SEC in football, but both of these are changing a little bit. The SEC is rapidly getting better in Hoops and the ACC is getting better in football. Both are related to recruiting gains for both conferences.
I don't disagree with you on recruiting, but don't forget, being in ACC alone is enough in most cases to recruit top 300 athletes, which we couldn't do consistently being part of A10.
Texas A&M is a football school . Granted VT is also, but at A&M he will always play second string to Jimbo Fisher and Aggie football. Buzz should stay at VT.
Buzz did well but could not recruit any big men but Blackshear. Next year he would have had to start over at the bottom of the ACC and start building again.
Pretty quiet regarding the next coach. I have heard rumors regarding the Marquette coach, Cincinnati coach and the Texas coach. We need to be proactive about this since we are getting a late start. Love to see Coach Smart at VT (not very likely given Texas just won the NIT).
I'd like to see Smart create the same climate he did at VCU with the D and the crazy band. HAVOC...
Word at Wofford is that their coach Mike Young has accepted the VT head coach job. Evidently he met with his team/staff this afternoon and informed them of his decision.
I'm happy with the decision. Young took Wofford to the dance 5 times. Wofford has ZERO business doing that and the talent or (playing field) money wise and recruiting wise is equal in that conference. It tells me if all things are equal, he is better. At VT, he can make things "unequal" to many in the ACC. Forget about the age thing.
Two options for VT.
1. Get a guy with Virginia ties who will likely win and stay for ten years and probably do well.
2. Get a guy who can flat out coach who is Very Likely to winw in, is young, but has no ties to VT, like Buzz Williams was when he arrived, but is automatically gone in 5 years when he wins. This is why we didn't sign Wojo. He would likely do well, but 100% gone in 5 years.
VT chose option 1 and I'm happy with it. Many would say, "Young isn't got but 10 years at most due to his age." That may be true, but a guy like Wojo doesn't have but 5 because he will either leave if he wins. As for Marshall, he loves Wichita, Kansas. He is paid 3.5ish million and Wichita is actually a pretty cool town and nice place to live. Especially now that BTK is in prison. Marshall never was leaving Witchita St., as he has turned down many offers over the years.
Two options for VT.
1. Get a guy with Virginia ties who will likely win and stay for ten years and probably do well.
2. Get a guy who can flat out coach who is Very Likely to winw in, is young, but has no ties to VT, like Buzz Williams was when he arrived, but is automatically gone in 5 years when he wins. This is why we didn't sign Wojo. He would likely do well, but 100% gone in 5 years.
VT chose option 1 and I'm happy with it. Many would say, "Young isn't got but 10 years at most due to his age." That may be true, but a guy like Wojo doesn't have but 5 because he will either leave if he wins. As for Marshall, he loves Wichita, Kansas. He is paid 3.5ish million and Wichita is actually a pretty cool town and nice place to live. Especially now that BTK is in prison. Marshall never was leaving Witchita St., as he has turned down many offers over the years.
I still would have preferred Wojo over Young. Sure, Wojo would have left when Coach K retires, but I believe Duke is the only school he would have left VT for. I don't believe Young will be able to recruit at the level Williams did. This is purely based on what his teams at Wofford have looked like, lots of smart kids who play the style of basketball that their coach teaches, but not the athletes that are needed to win consistently at higher level. I hope this was simply due to the fact that Wofford is a very small school. If he is able to hold on to most of the recruits Williams signed or got commitments from, then that would be a sign that he can recruit. If not, then I am afraid that that will be a sign that he will be another one of those coaches who can coach but cannot recruit at the highest level and eventually fail. In which case we'd be looking for another coach in 3 years.
To be a successful coach you need to do the following at a high level:
1. Recruit - must have better than average players and players that match his/her system
2. Teach - must be able to make all of the recruits better players and better students/people
3. Game play - must be able to develop a game plan for each opponent
4. In game adjustments - must be able to adjust to the other team, officials/fouls, crowd time and pace of game
5. Inspire - must be able to inspire your team every night to be their best and give a honest effort.
If Young can do these five things he will be successful!
1. Recruit - must have better than average players and players that match his/her system
2. Teach - must be able to make all of the recruits better players and better students/people
3. Game play - must be able to develop a game plan for each opponent
4. In game adjustments - must be able to adjust to the other team, officials/fouls, crowd time and pace of game
5. Inspire - must be able to inspire your team every night to be their best and give a honest effort.
If Young can do these five things he will be successful!
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HokiePokie, I agree with you on Young in recruiting. His on the floor coaching, leadership, ability to run a program is as good as there is, but.....recruiting is different. I worry about this as well, but with that written, let's keep in mind that it is Wofford. There is a ceiling at Wofford regarding who you can get regardless of how good of a recruiter a coach may be. I think Young is unproven as a recruiter. He may tear it up in recruiting at VT. The jury is out on that. I feel the same about Wojo in that he would have been fine with me as a first choice.
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In hindsight, it did seem that Buzz was just passing through town. You didn't see his commitment to Va Tech that say, Tony Bennett shows towards the Hoo's. Blacksburg is a special place but its not for everyone. This is Young's dream job and I'm sure he'll have more passion to make it succeed than say, Wojo, who has his eye on the school down the road in Durham. The next two years will be a test but by year three, we'll know if he is going to make it work.
As of this evening, we have lost 3 out of the 4 who had signed with us in the 2019 class. This is exactly what I was concerned about. Young has a lot of work to do to somehow salvage this class, and even then, he might have to fill the roster this year with a couple a football players. 
I hope those who decommitted are never heard from again. (except maybe sitting on end of bench at whatever inferior school they end up at)
I know what you mean HR6, but at least 2 of these are really really good players and so they won't be sitting on anybody's bench. In fact, they likely will be in NBA in not too distant future.
