ge1974
03-22-2014, 07:17 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/buzz-williams-hired-by-virginia-tech-to-coach-mens-basketball-team/2014/03/21/ef96eff6-b142-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html
A few interesting quotes:
One person who spoke with a Virginia Tech official Thursday about Williams’s impending move said Williams plans to bring some of his staff from Marquette to Blacksburg, Va., but that he had already begun looking into hiring an assistant with recruiting ties to the Washington-Baltimore corridor. Williams’s decision to come to Southwest Virginia was surprising to some, particularly because he left a tradition-rich program in the Big East for a program that has qualified for the NCAA tournament just twice in the past 28 seasons.
Former Georgetown Coach John Thompson Jr., who watched Williams up close in the Big East, said the news “shocks the hell out of me.” But Thompson added he had little doubt Williams would be successful with the Hokies.
“Buzz is the kind of guy who you thought would be at Marquette forever,” Thompson said. “I think he’ll do well because of his personality. He’s so enthusiastic, and tactfully he’s very good.”
It’s unclear exactly why Williams chose to leave Marquette, but there had long been rumors that he and the school’s administration did not see eye-to-eye. His name had frequently been brought up during various coaching searches the past few offseasons.
ESPN reported that Williams signed a seven-year contract worth approximately $18 million, although no Virginia Tech official would confirm those figures.
If true, Williams took a pay cut after he earned approximately $2.8 million last year at Marquette, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It also means he would become Virginia Tech’s highest-paid employee, surpassing Hokies football Coach Frank Beamer, who earns a yearly $2.3 million salary.
A few interesting quotes:
One person who spoke with a Virginia Tech official Thursday about Williams’s impending move said Williams plans to bring some of his staff from Marquette to Blacksburg, Va., but that he had already begun looking into hiring an assistant with recruiting ties to the Washington-Baltimore corridor. Williams’s decision to come to Southwest Virginia was surprising to some, particularly because he left a tradition-rich program in the Big East for a program that has qualified for the NCAA tournament just twice in the past 28 seasons.
Former Georgetown Coach John Thompson Jr., who watched Williams up close in the Big East, said the news “shocks the hell out of me.” But Thompson added he had little doubt Williams would be successful with the Hokies.
“Buzz is the kind of guy who you thought would be at Marquette forever,” Thompson said. “I think he’ll do well because of his personality. He’s so enthusiastic, and tactfully he’s very good.”
It’s unclear exactly why Williams chose to leave Marquette, but there had long been rumors that he and the school’s administration did not see eye-to-eye. His name had frequently been brought up during various coaching searches the past few offseasons.
ESPN reported that Williams signed a seven-year contract worth approximately $18 million, although no Virginia Tech official would confirm those figures.
If true, Williams took a pay cut after he earned approximately $2.8 million last year at Marquette, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It also means he would become Virginia Tech’s highest-paid employee, surpassing Hokies football Coach Frank Beamer, who earns a yearly $2.3 million salary.