In his press conference earlier this week, Whit said it might take a week, or until the Final Four to hire a new coach. He also cautioned against believing media reports. However, Pat Forde is a reliable reporter.
Y! Sources: Buzz Williams poised to become next coach at Virginia Tech— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) March 21, 2014
Dan Wetzel is one of the best in the game too.
Buzz Williams will leave Marquette to become the next coach at Virginia Tech, Y!Sports source.— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) March 21, 2014
ESPN's Jeff Goodman is reporting the news too.
Buzz Williams deal with Virginia Tech is for 7 years, sources told ESPN.— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 21, 2014
Buzz guided Marquette to five-straight NCAA tournament appearances in his first five season at the school. Although the Golden Eagles missed the dance this season, his sixth at the helm.
There'll probably be more information to come, so hang tight. For now enjoy Buzz dancing right over West Virginia's logo.
Comments
ESPN: Hokies Hire Buzz
DRUNK ABED GIF FTW
God I can't stop smiling
I just realized the irony of these two Abed gifs. Danny Pudi is the actor who plays Abed on NBC's Community, he is a Marquette alum and a hardcore Marquette basketball fan. He recently made a 30 for 30 short on Marquette basketball (it's really good). He is definitely not celebrating this news. This is probably more accurate
WHOA
Playing the 'Neers will be lots of fun.
Anyone who trolls WVU is alright with me.
Oh my gosh!! I love this man already!!!! :)
wow what an upgrade!
Guess Whit found the AD checkbook.
I love it. Also- I'm a giant fan of the bald headed coach consistency.
sorry, Tony.
One quick glance to TheSabre fully expecting them to be trashing the hire
Its actually the opposite. They're worried. Bigtime worried. The immediate reaction to the news was pretty much a unanimous "Oh shit"
That just made me even happier. And considering I just closed on my first house today, I was already in a pretty good mood to begin with. Now? Shit.... BEST. DAY. EVER. (but don't tell my wife that)
The news was actually broke to me by my wahoo buddy who said via text "Good coaching hire for you guys". I asked if it was Williams and he confirmed. I then promptly ended the conversation with "Go Chanticleers!" and headed over to TKP.
Congrats on the house by the way. Paying rent to the bank feels so much better!
Don't know why you'd check the sabre, I'd check a sports site.
Dear the rest of the NCAA,
Look out, because we are coming.
Well well....guess we can all move back t o talking about football now. Hope for good things. Buzz should keep the recruiting class in tact I would expect. Wonder if any of his recruits will try to follow.
Or we can talk about the potential of the next seven years under Buzz!
Next 7 years? I keep checking my bracket to see if we've somehow appeared in this year's tournament. I'm really excited about this hire.
I'm giddy. I ruled out Buzz as a possibility. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine this hire and my dreams are pretty wild
Seven years? Woah. It'll be interesting to see the financial details.
This was my second thought. Love #Whitnesses. Needs to become a fan section along with #teamstinger
Per E$PN: $18 Million over 7 years or roughly $2.5 mil a season
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10648381/buzz-will...
Seriously? I called that exact salary figure for our next coach in joe's thread from Monday...
http://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/125634#comment-125634
Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would actually be where we would go, but I'll gladly take all credit for predicting it!
I am in disbelief. This is significantly better than any hire I would have imagined a realistic possibility. Witt is crushing it.
Buzz Williams' Marquette cell phone now has message that directs people to reach him at a 540 area code. It's a #Hokies office line.
Do you have said cell phone number? Would you be willing to share said cell phone number?
may i ask how you know this?
that was fast
I cannot stop watching this and all I can think is, "ATI Physical Therapy" sure got their money's worth out of that ad.
Buzz just spotted at PK's (bar stop #15, - he's already doing his very first (official) "Blacksburg Crawl")
GO Buzz!!!
Mark Gianatto (@HokiesJournal) tweeted it
The best hire Whit could have realistically made.
Im literally in awe of Babcock, if this is true
Not bad for a first move as AD, huh?
Seriously, everything you know about VT athletics just got turned on its head with this hire. We're now a school that won't let price eliminate us from contention of the top coaches. Up is down, red is green, Finkle is Einhorn
Our Babcock has huge balls...I love it
I just got the chills! What a freaking hire!! Good lord did this move fast and I couldn't be happier, we are all #Whitnesses .
Clark Kellogg, Kenny the Jet Smith, and Sir Charles all super impressed with the hire. Sounded stunned.
THIS LITERALLY JUST MADE MY DAY. LOVE BUZZ WILLIAMS. YES I KNOW I'M TYPING IN ALL CAPS. NO I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK.
Told you guys on Monday!
absolutely true, great call!
I'm already planning on buying season tickets next year for my senior year for the first time since freshman year, well done Whit well done
Buzz is dancing, ESPN is in chaos.
Epic news. Way to go Whit!
the name Buzz makes me think of this...
Woah! I can't believe it! What a difference in ADs!
Nothing against JJ and Seth, but Buzz is an upgrade. I like this hire. To create a louder Buzz, the hokies need a good recruiting class. Even Buzz will need time !
this is beyond awesome. Whit managed to poach a winning coach with postseason success away from Marquette, a school many would argue is above mid-major status
So much Hokies talk on 106.7 right now. Finally. Thank you Whit!
Holden and Bodie said we might have one of the best football/basketball coaching combos in the country. Said we are setting ourselves up for that 5th-6th spot in the ACC. Gotta say... Feinstein nailed it this AM
Let's have his introductory press conference at TOTS and celebrate!
Superb timing too! with the world focusing on College Basketball...
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/244...
me:
whit babcock:
I'm very happy. Can't believe it.
On a side note, I've always pulled for Marquette because they have my favorite unis in all of college bball.
I joked about this in a different thread, but I will repeat it here. I want to see our bball team hit the court wearing a Hokie Stone/Maroon/Orange version of their unis.
...I no longer fear coaching departures on the football side. I am officially down with the #WHITNESS
As you can see from his twitter, they wasted no time changing the Team Williams logo to Orange and Maroon. Love that he is on board and full steam ahead. The Team Williams logo looks like a VTV, we likely need to come up with something along those lines. Virginia Tech Vacuum defense, Virginia Tech Vision, or something else.
https://twitter.com/TeamCoachBuzz
Tweets by @TeamCoachBuzz
Yeah, happy 77th birthday coach distant relative!
AWW YEAH. I have a gloriously big smile on my face right now.
because once didn't do it justice: AWW YEAH
welp, i already love this guy. fuck "u"wv.
I'd be shocked if any recruits or players transfer or decommit now!
http://mweb.cbssports.com/general/writer/gregg-doyel/24433916/picture-th...
Read it and weep...literally apparently as well as being a great bball coach he is a saint as well.
Signal boost for this. Literally everyone should read this.
This man is a true Hokie, even before he was hired.
Deal is worth almost 18 million.
Where did all this money come from? Does VT have a secret coffer we don't know about?
The wahoos have to fill the commonwealth cup with 10 mil in cash every time we win!
Because of abysmal season tix sales and attendance, we are leaving about $2m on the table every year if we are just competitive. Not to mention the indirect funds-suck on the Hokie Club.
Buzz's deal is likely graduated as well. Starting at 2 and ending higher than 3. That gets out from under Seth, JJ and Weaver buyouts.
Damn! I really to get into coaching...
Question: Any chance of James Johnson being retained as an assistant?
That would have to be Buzz's call but I cant really see it happening, I doubt that anyone from the current Men's staff will be retained but either way we are in much better hands.
If he wants too I guess. I just hope that he goes to wherever he will succeed because he definitely deserves it.
Uh, no.
The week before spring football and Whit has certainly created a buzz around the basketball program. I love that guy. I also loved finding out via text from a Hoo b-ball diehard who was thoroughly disappointed by the news.
Hoo sadness : icing on the cake.
hopefully the Chanticleers will keep that thought going tonight!
Go Chants!!!!
Whit has certainly created a buzz
From the official Tech Twitter Account
And it's official: http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20140321aaa.html
What jumps out at me:
That is Whit Babcock going right for the Hokie Club jugular. He wants the fanbase in from the start on this.
Sorry no media allowed. (JK)
THIS IS HOW YOU ENERGIZE A FANBASE
Oh my dear sweet Jeebus. Whit is making me fall in love, and he's only been with us a very short time.
What is the current Marquette class looking like and are there any we would love to have join our current class?
I believe they have 3 4* recruits
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/269
Two 4*
Three 3*
As for "stealing" them, they would have to request release from their National Letters of Intent, Marquette would have to grant it and not block signing with VT, then it would depend on how many scholarships are available for Tech. Not sure how the Rankin situation is working but that might be one, not sure how many more could be cleared. Also depends on whether all the current recruits stay, any that leave would open another spot, although I cant see them leaving with this coaching decision.
So... as a Seth G. apologist, I'll have to admit that I think this is a great hire. In the limited time I've had to research Coach Buzz, he seems like the right guy. The record is there, the off-court humanitarianism is there, the recruiting is there, the tourney appearances are there. And now he's here. #teambuzzbitches
I'm actually feeling not so terrible when the time comes for CFB to hang 'em up. #whithasaswingingdick
everyone ready for all the 'Buzz' cliches brewing in Blacksburg?!
all of which which I'm sure he has heard before:
Someone better with photoshop should change Buzz' outfit to be all Orange and Maroon. You have to imagine at least one student is going to create that same outfit in real life all Hokied out.
I'm a general and i will do it for next season
Mr. General, I want to apply for the Guard next year
closer to basketball season we will announce when applications/tryouts will be. If you follow the cassell guard general twitter account you wont miss the info
Thanks man, the Cassell Guard's about to become a national name
Not sure if I'll ever stop regretting not joining the Guard... Would've been nice to have another excuse to wear my Hokie kilt.
Homerun hire.
+1 for the Orioles!
I Bohlieve that I hate the Yankees.
Me doing this down the street when I saw on twitter about the hire while walking the dog.
Let the Good times Roll!:
haha i was doin the robot in my living room
great pull- Chapelle Show ... circa 2005. GO HOKIES!
I'll also add the observation that VT ponied up some actual cash for Buzz. Reports are "~18m for 7 years" which is about $2.5m/yr. According to this:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/salaries/ncaab/coach/
That puts him in the top 10. Again, #whithasaswingingdick
Wow, Whit doesn't play around.
Whit's the Sh#t!
Another Question: Is Buzz the first HOKIE coach ever to have made it to the Sweet 16? (Seth didn't). A huge step forward in that regard (and putting up a top-10 salary helps) GO HOKIES!
nevermind
OK
Commitment.
Guy sounds like someone you never forget...
http://www.cbssports.com/general/writer/gregg-doyel/24434439/heres-anoth...
Wow.... what a hire.... Whit! Whit! Whit! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Hell yes!
How did we celebrate things before GIFs?
Buzz apparently has more NCAA wins than the history of Virginia Tech.
I just made my first ever donation to the Hokie Club!! I encourage everyone else to do so if you haven't already.
Lots of good things can be done Whit donation moneys
(I also donated some to TKP since I'm in a giving mood :D )
This is what I Thought of when I saw the pop-up ESPN alert: