Random fact: no VT basketball coach has won 60% or more career games since
Charlie Moir (1978 - 1987) did it, posting a .642 career win percentage. Before Coach Moir, coaches Don Devoe (.662) and Chuck Noe (.681) won better than 60 percent of the games they coached at Tech.
Since 1987, we've essentially been mired in mediocrity, or slightly above average. Coaches Frankie Allen, Bobby Hussey, Ricky Stokes, and James Johnson all finished with career losing records at VT. Buzz Williams posted the best winning percentage (.592) in recent years. Mike Young is right behind him at .582.
Link:
VT basketball seasons
79 Replies
T
TDVick
2y
winning percentage? I think that it is an amazing testament to MY's coaching ability. Both he and Buzz inherited gutted teams their first year. In any sport, football or basketball, it seems that some coaches are either good at recruiting OR coaching and have a shortcoming on one of those dimensions and you have to pick a poison. In my opinion, Buzz has the cache to walk into living rooms and land recruits quite a bit better then MY can. He seems very tight with Jimmy Butler. Whether MY is a better coach than Buzz is up for debate, but when you figure in the lack of drama and other factors, MY is about as good a hire as we are ever going to find.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
Buzz is the better coach when you consider overall career winning percentage. He’s currently 350-217 (.617) overall in his 17 seasons as a head coach in college basketball. Mike Young is now 391-310 (.558) overall in 22 seasons.
They’re good coaches and probably about as good as Tech can ever hope to have. But they’re nowhere near the top rung of coaches in terms of lifetime winning percentage. Like these guys, for comparison’s sake:
Mark Few (.883) who amazingly has the best winning percentage of any college basketball coach with at least 600 wins.
Adolph Rupp (.822)
John Wooden (.804)
Jerry Tarkanian (.784)
Dean Smith (.777)
Roy Williams (.774)
Bill Self (.768)
Mike Krzyzewski (.766)
John Calipari (.757)
(In response to this post by TDVick)
T
TDVick
2y
We certainly knew that Buzz wasn't going to be around long. Even if he was tad better coach than MY, when you combine those metrics, it is "No contest." Most anyone else that we could get that would be as good as MY would be looking to jump or would be getting pirated away.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
also Charlie Moir, who posted a 62-48 mark in Metro Conference games. Since Moir left in 1987, every single VT basketball coach has had a losing overall record in conference. That includes Mike Young, though he’s not far under .500, currently sitting at 45-48 in ACC games.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
Then they have the exact same record
And didn't even have to take an SAT test for someone
(In response to this post by VT One)
T
TDVick
2y
that VT can outbid VCU for some talent (Lawal), pick off some overlooked Dukies and land a rangy FSU bench player that would probably be more athletic than anyone on last year's team. If the fans and the administration help him get a decent level of roster talent, he can do a lot with it.
** Edited by TDVick at 6/8/2024, 4:17:28 PM
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
2y
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
S
SHPHOKIE
2y
facts you have resorted to name calling. Very classy.
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
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2hhoop3
2y
smart enough to figure that out? It might be worth your time to consider.
(In response to this post by Blueboy)
You cannot be discounting the sweet 16, can you? Oh yeah, don't
know what I was thinking
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
2y
(In response to this post by King of Hokies)
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hokieZ71
2y
There would be Buzz fans saying MY lucked into a Sweet 16.
** Edited by hokieZ71 at 6/2/2024, 7:05:39 PM
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
2y
….ACC Championships.
Those are the two best accomplishments in Hokie Basketball history and people like to find faults in them. I don’t understand that mindset.
(In response to this post by hokieZ71)
Yeah, because all wins are the same
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
2y
The whole thread is about overall record...
You don't get double points for beating Liberty and Saint Louis
** Edited by GCHokie34 at 6/2/2024, 7:48:38 PM
(In response to this post by King of Hokies)
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VT One
2y
people that in Mike Young’s first season he inherited a roster of four. Through some late high school reclassifications and hard staff work Young put a team on the court that went 16-16. That was phenomenal given the circumstances. Maybe the chemistry of this year’s team will come together in a similar fashion with, in my opinion, a more talented roster.
** Edited by VT One at 5/30/2024, 9:24:04 PM
(In response to this post by GCHokie34)
2y
But Buzz inherited the post JJ mess so his rebuild wasn't a picnic either.
Of course, MY's mess was left by Buzz......
(In response to this post by VT One)
2y
a sweet 16 or two. His teams were fun to watch but players weren’t graduating and it ended badly with the entire Russell Pierre situation. From an X and O perspective Shannon and Devoe were a level above the Moir Williams and Greenbergs. and several levels above others. Bill Foster was a good coach too I thought.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
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Vippie1
2y
but Moir was not a great bench coach - his players often played very poorly in end of game situations. Of course that may be on the players too. Williams, Greenberg, Foster were all excellent with the Xs and Os- I assume Devoe was also , but was a bit before my time.
Truthfully all the coaches today are better and should be- they have enormous resources in staff facilities and technology , and more athletic players for the most part. And get paid like kings. Not to mention every new coach gets to borrow from thousands of former old coaches.
** Edited by Vippie1 at 5/30/2024, 3:57:43 PM
(In response to this post by millmtnhokie)
2y
he had weaknesses.
(In response to this post by Vippie1)
2y
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
I think they were mad because he publicly went after the OSU job.
But that's before my time, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
(In response to this post by UTPr0sim)
2y
the crux of the situation.
(In response to this post by Chris Coleman)
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eokhokie
2y
(In response to this post by Chris Coleman)
2y
VT offered him a contract continuation but he didn't sign it because he wanted the Ohio State job.
I think he was an OSU Alum.
(In response to this post by Chris Coleman)
2y
I think he wouldn't commit to stay so the AD cut him loose.
(In response to this post by Chris Coleman)
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RJHokie
2y
But I believe Devoe played for OhioState and interviewed anyway. So Moseley fired him and Devoe didn’t get the job anyway. Believe Devoe wound up at Wyoming then later at Navy. Devoe has attended some of the VT basketball reunions.
(In response to this post by TomTurkey)
He played on the 1962 team with John Havlicek, John Lucas and Bobby Knight.
(In response to this post by RJHokie)
Wyoming, then Tennessee, and later Navy.
Had a lot of success at Tennessee in the first half of his tenure. Five straight NCAA Tournaments (which was really hard to do back then) plus a Sweet 16. Also took Navy to three NCAA Tournaments.
(In response to this post by RJHokie)
At Tennessee where he got ***** slapped in the locker room by Kevin Nash.
Lucky it wasn’t a powerbomb.
(In response to this post by Chris Coleman)
K
KCHokie2
2y
Or maybe I'm getting my stories confused.
** Edited by KCHokie2 at 5/30/2024, 10:44:52 PM
(In response to this post by vatechcowpatty)
Lol, forgot about that.
(In response to this post by vatechcowpatty)
2y
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/virginia-tec...
These 2 are close to Mike Young and Buzz Williams.
C. Foster .564
S. Greenberg .580
Frankie Allen, Bobby Hussey, Ricky Stokes, and James Johnson had some tough seasons. I remember Frankie was 19-9 his first season. I won't comment on those prior to the 70s. Above 50% surely had decent success as coaches.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
who went 17-2 (.895) in his one season at VPI from 1916-1917.
But for coaches who stayed longer than one season, it's Branch Bocock, who went a solid 57-13 (.814), coaching two seasons from 1909 to 1911 and then three seasons from 1913 to 1916. Even more amazing: he was also VT's head football coach at that time (compiling a record of 34-14-2), AND was the head baseball coach for three seasons, leading VPI to a record of 38-18-2 on the diamond. Let's get that guy back!
(In response to this post by ZBeliever)
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RJHokie
2y
still alive and kicking who is a good coach that might be available 😁.
Not withstanding that, finding his grave site and having a seance at the site might prove productive 😏.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
Those were good coaches and teams. We had good recruiting. The Hokies actually were playing in the NCAA tournament elite 8 back in 1967, 9 years ahead of UVa playing in it’s first tournament. I believe that was Howie Shannon’s team.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
. . . in 1972 after 'retiring'. He was a much better coach than instructor.
(In response to this post by NC Hoke)
2y
I also knew his daughter Maggie. I was a cheerleader and she was trying out for the squad and I had to teach her the stunts.
(In response to this post by MidloHokie)
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vtox1
2y
was he at retirement? Did he have health issues that caused him to step down?
(In response to this post by MidloHokie)
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RJHokie
2y
Don’t know if that had anything to do with it.
(In response to this post by vtox1)
2y
(In response to this post by RJHokie)
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RJHokie
2y
Back then coaches pay was not nearly as inflated as it is now. Howie probably got tired of the grind and found something else a lot less stressful.
I remember Sonny Randle’s pay as the Hoowah football coach was $17,500, and his wife also worked (and not for U Va).
(In response to this post by MidloHokie)
2y
….. Jimmy Sharpe. Had a hard time with Early Times. He was a nice guy though and a good coach.
(In response to this post by RJHokie)
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RJHokie
2y
“socializing” with booster wives……
(In response to this post by MidloHokie)
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2hhoop3
2y
I think was director of the physical education department at VT where one of his duties included supervising War Memorial. I do not think he left VT and came back to that position. The 69-70 season was tough(his only losing one I think) and it wore him down some, that and dealing with some athletic administrators. I think when Devoe came to VT he was a hotshot 29 year old on the rise and the management style of those athletic administrators hadn't changed much from Shannon's days.
(In response to this post by RJHokie)
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RJHokie
2y
of intramural sports position while I was there (65-69). I worked for him my sophomore year as an intramural official for football and volleyball. He was a really good manager.
I also believe he came from Bridgewater College and his daughter was the Hokie Bird mascot for at least one year. He may have taken another position at VT or another school after I graduated.
** Edited by RJHokie at 6/1/2024, 5:46:49 PM
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
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2hhoop3
2y
or moved on and when Howie first joined PE it may have been as just a faculty member as the description in my previous post used what he eventually became. My mistake.
(In response to this post by RJHokie)
2y
. . . intramural basketball. He recruited some his favorites, including me, to call HS games in the then New River District. We all had JV games. Former VT QB coached the Giles County team and I once T's him up. Fun times.
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
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VT One
2y
schedule. And having to play an out of conference schedule commensurate with getting a look from the NCAA selection committee.
** Edited by VT One at 5/28/2024, 3:56:55 PM
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
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2hhoop3
2y
coaching records in the ACC there are a lot of mediocre or slightly above average coaches not named Smith, Coach K, and a few others but, they were still very good coaches. The ACC for a very long time has been a league absent a few blue blood programs and special seasons that come out of no where built on protecting homecourt and stealing a few on the road(i.e., .500 or slightly above) and it is doubtful VT coaches now or going forward will substantially exceed that mark.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
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RCush13
2y
Right after K and Williams. He took an awful uva program and has a .700 career winning percentage in conference. That’s an insane mark especially with how good the league was from 2010-2020.
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
2
2hhoop3
2y
and others so Bennett fits. I did not specifically list him but, he has done a great job. However, I am not sure I would call it an insane mark because the league was good from 2010-2020. It was solid but, no where near as good as former times.
(In response to this post by RCush13)
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Vippie1
2y
of any coach since entering the ACC. So yeah but.
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
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Hokie`79
2y
Uva, wva, Marquette (the year they won the natty, they beat us in Cassell), Wake Forest, to name a few that I saw play while an undergrad
(In response to this post by Vippie1)
2y
The Metro had some really good teams back then. IIRC, South Carolina and FSU were also in that league for a while. We played some tough games. Probably not as rough as today's ACC schedule, but it was nothing to sneeze at.
(In response to this post by Hokie`79)
2y
if he had been given the chance. He recruited good talent. But yes, the win percentage would probably have dropped down some.
(In response to this post by Vippie1)
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2hhoop3
2y
but, competitive in the ACC is still in the .500-.600 range. They would have been competitive but, the ACC was ultra competitive top to bottom for most of that period. Also, your are correct it was Howie Shannon and Glen Combs and others. Noe, Shannon and Devoe had VT in a good trajectory and Charlie kept it going fresh off his Roanoke College success.
(In response to this post by NC Hoke)