Last Wednesday, Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Coach Buzz Williams was a guest on ESPN 950 AM's radio program "Hardly Workin'" hosted by Greg Burton. I recommend listening to the entire 15 minute segment, but I transcribed some quotes from Buzz that stood out to me.
The number one thing he's learned about being part of the Hokie Nation:
"That people really, really care. I'd say that's the No. 1 thing that I've learned. Obviously it's evident in football, but I think when you say 'Hokie Nation', I think all of them care whether it's football, or basketball, or volleyball. And I think that's a great quality to have as it relates to an institution, particularly to an athletic department."
On prioritizing and reshaping the roster in a short amount of time:
"We got such a huge amount of work to do. You have to be careful, and I don't try to sound too much like a coach here, but you have to be careful because you don't want to do things for publicity, you don't want to do things just for notoriety, and when you start talking about kids, and you start talking about coaches, and putting together a staff, and putting together a roster, you're talking about people's lives. You're talking about people's sons, brothers. You're talking about wives, and children, so you have to be really careful, and really thoughtful, and methodical about how you go about that.
"I still think honestly, we still have another transaction or two. I don't know whether or not that you can say they'll be necessarily good or bad, but I think there's still a couple of more transactions that we've got to make as it relates to our roster and our staff over the next 60-80 days before school starts."
Discussing his drive to compete against the top tier programs and hall of fame coaches in the ACC:
"There is a demented side to my drive. That is easy to see if you shadow me for 48 hours, and a portion of that demented drive is, 'Can you do it against the best?', and then when you add, 'Can you do it against the best, where you're currently at?', I just think that the chapter of that particular book, if you can do that, is an incredible chapter that resonates over time, over lives.
Is it what drives me? I think it's bigger than winning and losing, I know that sounds cliche, but if it's not bigger than winning and losing, then it's very shallow. I think there has to be depth to the process, and not to sound like Nick Saban, but if it's just about winning, then I don't know that's enough. It is what drives me, but it's bigger and deeper than just winning. But that's also why I have sleep apnea, and when you call me in February and you look at me and you go, 'Hey man you look like you're swollen about 19 pounds', I'll be like, 'Yeah that's probably because I haven't slept since I talked to you in June.'"
It's obvious he gets what Hokie Nation is about. After 5 minutes of listening to him talk, it's easy to understand why he's able to recruit well. He's a likeable guy, motivated, and sells himself well. His background as a coach who grinded his way up the ladder of success probably relates extremely well to kids/prospects who are, and have been, working towards lofty goals of their own.
It seems like he came to Virginia Tech to make a legacy for himself. If he can build the program into one that competes with the likes of Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Syracuse, etc... that's something fans, pundits, journalists, but more importantly, historians of the sport will take note of.
Comments
The guy in that gif looks like an elf or troll, or something not entirely human.
He looks like a lovechild between Willem Dafoe and Linda Hamilton
WOW Spot on. Really creepy. This will haunt my dreams.
It's Rumpelstiltskin! And the woman behind him is clearly not amused.
Long time reader, first time poster, and didnt anticipate this to be it, but if you looking at the lady in the back over his right shoulder/left side of the picture, she is proudly showing proper form surrounding the "O" face.
You're doing this right
This.... This x1,000.
On one hand, this concerns me. We get really good and I can't be the "following but emotionally disassociated so I don't spiral into depression" basketball fan that I normally am anymore. I'm not sure my blood pressure can handle being football-level riled up through March.
On the other hand, I get more excited about Buzz every time I read something about him and it may not happen this year, but I think we're gonna be real good real soon.
I'm pretty sure the 2008(?) season (when we lost between 1/4 and 1/3 of our games to buzzer beaters) took about 7 years off my life. When I die early of a heart attack, Seth, Malcom and AD are all getting some of the blame.
2009, my freshman year. It was the worst of times.
Add to that the Sean Dockery buzzer beater of 05/06 at Duke. That was a horrible pain
That was bad, but Hansbrough's shot and dance down the court was the worst. ACC tourney game that would have put us in the dance. And then him dancing down the court like a buffoon. God if I could get a free punch on anyone in the world it would be Tyler Hansbrough's mouth-breathing face. Thank you Gerald Henderson.
Hansbrough was a douche, and he showed it loud and proud during that game. Players like him is why I am enjoying the academic blowup going on at UNC right now. Ol' Roy isn't going to be able to talk his way out of this one.
Except so far the NCAA has done nothing. There were quoted once saying they weren't going to do anything because the AFAM classes weren't restricted to athletes.
I honestly don't expect anything from the NCAA. UNC basketball is too much of a sacred cow for them to touch.
BUT.....the University is not escaping scot free.
Their academic reputation is smudged in the right circles.....just not in the world of the NCAA/ESPN.
And if the athletes' law suit gains momentum, then UNC will be 'exhibit A' as proof of the participating institutions' failure to provide the promised education in trade for playing sports without 'pay.'
Edit: And, cart WAY before horse, if some settlement is reached between lawyers/athletes/institutions if will obviously involve significant reparations/monies. My fear is that this would be levied against the NCAA-ie all institutions instead of just the UNC's of the world.
Great interview, its amazing how my perception of our bball program has changed so drastically over such a short period of time. Maybe I am crazy, but I think the ceiling might be higher for what our bball program can achieve over the next 5 years than football.
Comparing success in football and basketball is tough. Winning the ACC Coastal in football is almost like finishing in the top 4 in basketball. I'd bet VT is more likely to win the Coastal then finish top 4 in basketball over the next 5 years. But man I love Buzz!
IMHO, I would have to say that winning the ACC Championship is the same as being in the Final 4 in basketball. I think to be a really good comparison we need a bit loftier football goals than just getting into the ACC Championship game.
There's the problem with trying to cut & paste basketball achievements into a football format, and vica versa - it's nearly always completely incorrect. Winning the ACC football championship is not equivalent to making the Final Four in basketball. it is much less. Winning the SEC championship would be equivalent, but certainly not the ACC championship.It's not even close. Bottom line, the comparisons are almost never possible.
Great post, and I specifically totally agree with the last paragraph. Virginia Tech has very little in the history of it's basketball program, and it offers a rare challenge. Imagine the next person who coaches Kentucky/Duke/UNC/Kansas.... you're just another coach within a "great program" .
Virginia Tech offers the rare ability to compete in the best conference in basketball, and become a fan favorite for years to come.
He could have basically taken any job in the country over the next few years as they open up, but making a few tournament runs with VT would immediately make him one of the best Bball coaches in VT history. Shit, they may even build him a statue outside the stadium if we ever make a sweet 16. He wants the satisfaction of "building it from scratch", which I highly respect
You listen to that interview and you can't help but think, hes the perfect man for Blacksburg. Time will tell if he is successful, but I'm going to really enjoy supporting Buzz teams.
Now I can look forward to March Madness and be confident the Hokies will soon be there.
Am I interpolating this correctly, one more of our returning team will be announced to be leaving by August?
kinda the vibe that i got
Yeah wouldn't surprise me one bit.
or even 2. i don't think Buzz is going to kiss anyone's butt to keep them on the team. he has confidence in his coaching ability and his recruiting ability.
Can we let him talk to our football recruits as well? :-)
I wouldn't be surprised if the football and basketball staffs exchange notes/pointers when it comes to recruiting, motivating, etc. If they haven't already, they probably will at some point.
The more I learn about Buzz and his vision for VT BB the more excited I get. And while he has yet to coach a game I have convinced myself that this will be a .500 team, at worse. Sometimes you wonder how FB would be if Beams were more like this.
Beams already beats .500
BOOM!!!
Yes, he is barely over the past couple years though. Buzz is coming in much like Beamer did at VT. FB was in pretty bad shape and he turned it around, but not overnight. For BB to get to .500 this year will be an accomplishment, IMO. Next year I think we really see improvement. Heck, I may be surprised this year.
Somehow I think it'll take Buzz less time than Beams (what with the sanctions and whathaveyou).
I'll guarantee you it'll take less time. Basketball only has 5 starters and a roster of 15 or so. Football has a roster size upwards of 90 and 22 starters. It takes MUCH longer to build football up than it does basketball. It won't, nor should it take as long for Buzz to build up the team as it did Beamer
And it helps that they're not under sanctions violations.
Very true... but even then, it would still be quicker for basketball, just because there are so fewer pieces you'd need to replace in order to be a good team. Its why you see so many one year wonder teams that are great one year and immediately flame out the next.
Beamer's 224-109 record deserves a little more respect than some give, most who are old enough respects what he has brought to the football program.
Well, I've been a VT fan since the early 70's and do appreciate what Beamer has done. I don't know if anyone else could have accomplished what He has at VT. Beamer is, IMO, a good ole Country Gentleman. He is what he is and I respect him for it. I was just thinking out loud if Beamer had a little more fire on the recruiting trail.
What about Bowden Sr or Spurrier?
For the first time I feel the basketball program can really get somewhere in the next few years though I dont expect an immediate surge to dominance I feel in 3-4 years we will really be seeing massive improvements from last season and cannot wait to see the future!!
I have not felt this good about our basketball program since 1980, when we lost to Indiana St and Larry bird in the 2nd round of the tourney. I got a feeling this program is on the verge of turning around which will have a trickle effect through all Hokie Sports. The future is so bright, I MIGHT JUST HAVE TO WEAR SHADES.
As long as they're maroon and orange lenses, I think you'll be good.