BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock confirmed on Wednesday that men’s basketball head coach Buzz Williams has accepted the same position at Texas A&M.
“Coach Williams made a very positive impact on the culture of our basketball program at Virginia Tech,” Babcock said. “We appreciate all that Buzz and his staff did for our students and our program. We wish Buzz, Corey and their family the very best as they return to their home state of Texas.
“Thanks to our talented student-athletes, Coach Williams and his staff, Virginia Tech is now one of the most attractive jobs in the nation’s top basketball conference, the ACC,” Babcock continued. “I’m extremely confident that we’ll be able to identify and hire a new head coach who can further build on the success our men’s basketball program has achieved in recent years. Until we have our new head coach in place, we will have no further comment on our search process.”
#Hokies, THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/WmJOUIdCwX
— Buzz Williams (@TeamCoachBuzz) April 3, 2019
After inheriting a program that went 9-22 overall and 2-16 in ACC play before his arrival in 2013-14, Williams led Tech to four consecutive 20-win seasons, four postseason tournament berths and three straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 berth in 2018-19.
The Hokies won a school-record 26 games in 2018-19, finishing the season with a 26-9 overall record and a 12-6 mark in ACC play. In total, he compiled a 100-69 overall record at Tech, including a 66-22 mark at Cassell Coliseum.
In 12 seasons as an NCAA head coach, Williams owns a 253-155 record that included a 139-69 ledger and five NCAA Tournament berths in six seasons at Marquette, as well as a 14-17 mark in one season at the University of New Orleans.
In addition to their contributions to the Hokies’ men’s basketball program Williams family has also left a lasting legacy in Blacksburg with two Virginia Tech scholarship endowments.
The Buzz’s Bunch Scholarship Endowment will continue to be awarded annually to an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech in any field of study who is registered with Services for Students with Disabilities.
Buzz’s Bunch is a nonprofit organization that the Williams family created at Marquette and continued at Virginia Tech as a way to bring children with disabilities and special needs together and allow them to fall in love with the game of basketball. This endowed scholarship further strengthens the longstanding pledge the Williams family has made to help those with disabilities and special needs reach their full potential.
The Buzz and Corey Williams Family Student-Athlete Scholarship – In Memory of T. Marshall Hahn will continue to be awarded annually to an undergraduate student-athlete participating on any women’s intercollegiate teams at Virginia Tech. First preference shall be given to students who are the first generation of their family to pursue a post-secondary (college) education. Preference shall also be given to students who are members of an underrepresented population at Virginia Tech. This scholarship recognizes Coach Williams’ deep appreciation for his friendship with the late Dr. Hahn and the many initiatives he championed during his tenure at Tech to develop a culture of diversity and inclusion for all Hokies.
"As we began our search, it quickly reaffirmed to us what we all know—the A&M brand is powerful, as the depth and breadth of the candidate pool was incredible," said Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward. "We kept our focus on finding an elite basketball coach, a developer of talent, a tremendous recruiter, a tireless worker and someone who fits Texas A&M. Buzz Williams is all that and more. I have no doubt that Buzz will take our basketball program further than ever before and will make Aggies everywhere proud. It is an exciting day as we welcome Buzz and his family back to Aggieland."