(02-26-2017 10:06 PM)cuseroc Wrote: I was thinking that if VT, who doesnt have anywhere near the bb pedigree that NC State has, can land a great coach like Buzz Williams, certainly, NC State can land a coach of similar caliber. VT lured Williams away from what should be considered a P5 school in Marquette. No one saw that coming.
Buzz to VT was a shocker even to Hokie fans. There's a few things that have come out since the move that make a little more sense though.
When Buzz left Marquette, they were going through a transition in the athletic department and there was some sort of internal power struggle that supposedly rubbed Buzz the wrong way. In addition, Buzz saw the writing on the wall with the way TV money was going to be flowing in to P5 schools and he has gone on the record that being a basketball coach in one of those conferences was important for long-term stability and success in the sport.
Most importantly, in order to lure Buzz to VT Whit Babcock had to do whatever it took. It the case of Buzz, it wasn't really money, since he actually took a pay cut to come to Virginia Tech. Buzz more or less has carte blanche, near total control of the program, and an administration that will stay out of his way. By all accounts, that wasn't something he received at Marquette.
To put things in perspective, Buzz wrote his own contract at VT. It's obviously extremely favorable from his side, but that's what it took to get him to Blacksburg. His buyout after his 4th season is only $500,000, which is ridiculously low for a successful P5 coach.
I'm under no pretense that Buzz will be at VT for a long time. I wouldn't be shocked if he only stays a couple more years. But people thinking that Buzz going to VT means NC State should be able to pull off something similar don't seem to understand the details of Buzz's move. I think it's more of an outlier than something to be replicated elsewhere. Buzz is also just a strange dude, bottom line.
You also have to think about the difference in expectations between the VT men's basketball job and the NC State men's basketball job. I think most Virginia Tech fans just wanted to be relevant again and be an annual participant in the NCAA Tournament. I don't think most Hokie fans are under any pretense of national titles, though that is obviously the dream. NC State fans have a very different baseline for success.
Coaches think about lots of things besides money. Just because NC State can offer lots of it to someone doesn't automatically mean it's a great job. Remember that.
