Coach Buzz Williams 'grateful and blessed' as he takes over at Texas A&M

After leading Virginia Tech to is finest men’s basketball season ever, head coach Buzz Williams is off to Texas A&M. Williams is from Texas, coached at A&M as an assistant from 2004-06, and accepted the Aggies’ head coaching offer on Wednesday.

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“I am so humbled and honored to return home to Texas A&M, and proud to lead the Aggies,” Williams said in a statement, adding, “This is our home, and we are ready to join with the 12th Man to win championships, graduate our players and represent this world-class university with integrity.”

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.”

Virginia Tech won a school-record 26 games in 2018-19, and its two wins in the NCAA Tournament matched the program’s previous best. After falling to Duke in the Sweet 16, Williams led a heartfelt prayer over his team’s seniors in the locker room. Before Williams took over in 2014, the Hokies had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2006-07. Their three consecutive appearances is the longest streak in school history.

Texas A&M fired coach Billy Kennedy after the Aggies finished 14-18 and 11th in the SEC this season. Texas A&M made it to the NCAA Tournament only twice in the past eight seasons.

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