I know there's still a few games left, but it's hard to doubt what he's done in Blacksburg over the past year. I also know they don't give out awards to too many middle of the road teams. Still, his name has to be thrown around for consideration. Any thoughts on how we have to finish for him to win Coach of the Year? No #sauces just my own speculation.
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We'd probably need to win our final 2 regular season games and make a run to the tournament finals. But Tony Bennett is going to win ACC COY and possibly National COY too.
Yeah I don't think anyone is going to beat him out in the ACC
Why is Bennett such a shoo-in? His team is pretty much doing what was expected of them. They were ranked #4 in the preseason polls and sit at #6 right now. It seems to me that those COY awards usually go to someone who exceeded expectations. I think in the ACC, Larranaga (sp?) and Buzz seem to be the guys to beat by that criteria.
Then Larranaga (sp) will get it. Miami is battling for ACC regular season title. They've been darn good (I hate to admit that, but truth is truth).
Bennett? You must be drinking Hoo kool-aid. Larranaga should win it hands down.
Coach of the year has to go to greg gard up here at madison. The turnaround this team has had since bo retired has been beyond astonishing.
This team has gone on a run were they've won 11 of 12 and are in the top 4 in the Big. They're also one of 2 teams to beat 4 top ten teams this year.
There's a reason they're not pursuing Bennett anymore
OK, That is Big10 & then National COY. That's a good observation, but thought we were talking ACC COY...
Someone mentioned Bennett for national COY above meant to comment to that. Definitely think lareunega (yes I ruined the spelling there) deserves the acc spot with buzz and Bennett in second
Don't you know that we're never happy with "just the ACC [insert award/title here]?" :)
Up here? Do you currently live in Madison? My wife and I just moved here, from Blacksburg, in May.
P.S. I agree with you about Gard getting national COY.
Yeah I work in that really really big tower with all of the satellite dishes on top. Let me guess you work for epic?
Nice! No, I'm actually in the minority around here. I don't work for epic or UW.
you are a minority! well shoot i now know of three hokies in the madison area!
I have seen a lot of projections with Clemson Coach Brad Brownell as ACC coach of the year. My thought are that it has to be a two horse race between him and Buzz. I would think that whichever team performs better in the last games of the regular season and the ACC tournament, their coach will win.
If he doesn't get it then whatever but at this moment, having 8 ACC wins (8 total for previous 3 combined), a first round bye in ACC tournament this year, and having over a .500 record (16-15 at the worst) from where we are coming from, I think that would be more than deserving of ACC COY IMHO
VT is definitely the surprise of the year, so far, and if we can take one of our next two, well, with a win or two in the ACC tourney, I would think that at the least, Buzz will be considered for COY. Beating Miami next Sat would be huge in that respect, but a tough row to hoe, as will be Pitt. It is wonderful, however, that we can even be discussing this topic this year. How cool is that?
Buzz has made a lot of progress, but he needs to finish the job before the ACC COY comes his way.
The ACC is really tough, though, and he's come a long way already. Still, it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
It's Larranaga's award to lose this year. I'd be quite surprised if Buzz doesn't win it next year though.
I'd vote Buzz for ACC COY. Last in the league 4 straight years and he's gotten us to a .500 conference record? Superb.
Buzz's team improved more than Brad Brownell's Clemson team, beat Brad's team head to head, exceeded expectations by a greater margin, and has essentially the same record/conference record as Brad's team.
Bennett's UVA team is talented. I don't want to hear about how Bennett's taking scrapheap players and turning them into gold. That team has some real players on it. UVA is currently performing how they should be. Ditto with Jim Larranaga. Miami is full of experienced players and had all the pieces come together. People knew Miami had a really good team (maybe not this good, but still very good). I have a ton of respect for both Bennett and Larranaga, but Buzz's job has been more impressive in my mind.
The only coach in my mind who has a claim at ACC COY other than Buzz is Rick Pitino. UL was picked to finish 7th in the league and they're ranked #11 in the nation right now. He has taken 5th year transfers and added them to a team that wasn't supposed to do that much. His big man Mangok Mathiang went down and he's still kept them afloat. They still somehow have a legitimate chance at winning the ACC and probably have the best defense in the country.
That would be a disgrace to give Pitino any award.
It would feel slimy...I'm surprised he hasn't been canned yet with the extortion scandal + escort scandal
Your surprised at what winning can do?
Once they stop winning, or if they receive a harsher NCAA infractions that extend beyond a single seasons worth of no post-season play... maybe that will be the downfall of Slick Rick
He has made slime a part of the profession. Even my grandfather gripes about him during his early days at Providence College, before he ruined the Celtics.
EDIT for the interested, here is the most famous interview of Rick Pitino in New England sports history:
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/10/03/toucher-rich-hang-up-on-rick-pitin...
A quick transcription of the call:
Fred: We are joined by Rick Pitino, former coach of the Celtics, current coach of the Louisville Cardinals who won the national championship. Rick Pitino, hello!
Pitino: Morning, guys.
Fred: You stink. You ruined the Celtics.
END
How can a coach under a self-imposed post season ban get it?
He's not going to get it and he probably shouldn't get it. I'm just talking about which coach did the best coaching job. I think Pitino's been great from a pure X and O's perspective. The way Louisville was defending Duke in the 2nd half of their last matchup was unbelievable.
Part of coaching is recruiting. He recruited those guys to UVA, so he gets credit for that too. I agree that Buzz has done a lot, but probably not COY worthy. Larranaga or Bennett will likely get it.
It pains me to say it, but I'm not sure Buzz deserves ACC COY. I kind of view Buzz deserving of an award similar to "comeback of the year". COY is more of an MVP type of award, which I think he's well on his way of winning, but just not there yet.
Seth Greenberg won ACC COY twice. An 8-8 conf record and again with a 9-7 conf record. We had some big upsets both of those years. I don't see it happening unless we win out and impress in the conf tourney.
But I don't think Tony Bennett deserves it for a third year in a row. They've had some bad losses, and what they did the last two seasons was more impressive.
Greenberg got it, and deserves it.
VT has improved a lot, but they need more signature wins.
This is why I think Buzz is the favorite to win it next year. Set himself up this year with surprising people with a remarkably improved team from last season, and now if we improve by a few games next year and are in the tourney discussion he is probably a lock to win it.
I agree. A couple more signature wins, an NIT bid, or a successful ACC tourney will put him there.
He's going to get there. No rush.
UNC beat Syracuse tonight. When UVA beats Clemson tomorrow night and the Hokies beat Pittsburgh on Wednesday, we will have a four way tie for 7th place at 9-8 going into the final games on Saturday. Picked to finish 14th and Hokies win both games, Buzz deserves COY.
Yes, we get Pitt at home coming off of Duke and Miami at home coming off of Notre Dame. Anything could happen.
Just remember... VT plays teams ridiculously well at home (since ACC play started). We only lost by 5 to UNC at home, and a smallish margin loss to Louisville as well. The improvement of the home crowd definitely can't be left out of VT's improvement at home this ACC season.
Remember that AlGroh made a career by having losing seasons followed by 7 wins and COTY. I agree that Buzz won't win, but he is more than deserving.
His intensity is Bud Foster-scary. Probably nice guys, but intimidating.
If not this year, it will be the next. Jumping from a .111 winning percentage in Y1, to ~.500 in Y2, to ACC Contenders in Y3.
It would be a shame for Buzz to not pick up an ACC COY in the process.
I don't see how there are any more qualified candidates this year. UVA was supposed to be good, same with the U. Larranaga's come up was when he first won ACC COY. Brad Brownell's team is fading of late, plus they were not quite the dumpster fire that was the 2014-2015 Hokies.
Buzz took a train wreck, picked to finish near last place for yet another season and has them shaping up to be a real ACC contender in the 2016-2017 season. Our collective hype train will actually gather some national attention heading into next season. That is an insane turnaround.