Virginia Tech is reportedly close to finding its replacement for Buzz Williams.
After Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard opted to stay with the Pirates on Saturday by turning down the Hokies, Virginia Tech made a quick move as Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reports that Wofford’s Mike Young is close to finalizing a deal to join the ACC.
Fresh off a memorable 30-win season with the Terriers, Young has reached five NCAA tournaments in the past 10 years -- seven postseason appearances total during that span -- as he’s been one of the nation’s best mid-major coaches. With the Wofford program as an assistant coach since 1989, Young took over as head coach in 2002 as he has a 299-244 record during his tenure. With a top-ten offense in 2018-19, Young and the Terriers had a prolific attack led by Fletcher Magee, the NCAA’s all-time career three-point leader.
Virginia Tech hasn’t had much success in basketball until Williams took the job five seasons ago. Making the NCAA tournament the past three seasons, Williams has made the Hokies a relevant program again as Virginia Tech has only made 11 NCAA tournament appearances in program history. The 2018-19 season saw the Hokies reach the Sweet 16 for only the second time in program history as Williams recently took the vacant head job at Texas A&M.
Young has delivered recent results against quality ACC competition as Wofford stunned North Carolina with a road win at the Dean Dome just last season. While Virginia Tech has been a tough job to consistently win at in the past, Young has a positive regional track record as he’ll have a chance to be successful if he can ramp up his recruiting efforts.