Buzz Williams landed at Texas A&M in 2019 full of fire, fresh off turning Virginia Tech around. He built a gritty squad known for lockdown defense and late surges, snagging SEC Coach of the Year twice in four years.
Regular seasons hummed along nicely, with peaks like 15-3 in conference during 2022-23, but NCAA stumbles killed the buzz.
Over six seasons, the Aggies racked up a 120-73 mark, hitting the tournament three straight years from 2023 to 2025.
Yet they crashed out fast each time: first round in 2023, round of 32 in 2024 against Penn State, and again in 2025 versus Michigan as a No. 4 seed. Yahoo Sports pointed to those early exits as a big letdown, especially after NIT runner-up glory in 2022.
Fans grew restless watching rivals like Alabama and Tennessee surge deeper. Williams posted decent wins, 23-11 in his last year, fifth in the brutal SEC, but no Sweet 16 magic like his Marquette or Hokies days. Wikipedia logs it clearly: his pattern of building quickly, then bouncing left A&M short of breakthroughs.
Behind-the-Scenes Chill and Pattern Play
Whispers of trouble surfaced late in his run. ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg claimed Williams and AD Trev Alberts barely talked for a year, signaling frosty vibes. Post-tournament silence stretched two weeks after the Michigan loss, per Texas reporter Brian Davis, hinting at no smooth farewell.
Buzz Williams (Credit: CBS)
Williams never overstays; six years at Marquette, five at Virginia Tech, and now six at A&M. Distractify noted he eyed Maryland before their coach even bolted, chasing fresh turf amid NIL cash floods and roster flips. Texas A&M brass let his buyout drop to $1 million, easing the switch.
Aggie fans lit up socials with mixed fury and shrugs. SI.com captured his goodbye post, thanking supporters while his eyes turned to College Park. Alberts issued a curt wish-you-well, fueling talk of mutual relief after good-not-great years.
Terps Bet Big, Aggies Hunt Next Savior
Maryland swooped in with a $30.3 million, six-year pact, with perks like car and phone allowances tossed in. They needed a builder post-Kevin Willard’s gripes over funding and his jump to Villanova. Williams knows the DMV recruiting goldmine from Hokie days and is primed to tap it.
Early at Maryland in 2025-26, results lag at 8-11 and 1-7 in the Big Ten, but expectations simmer for his track record to kick in. ESPN hailed him as a program fixer, jumping from the SEC to the Big Ten. Meanwhile, A&M eyes splash hires like Chris Beard or Brad Underwood to battle the loaded conference.
Williams’ hop spotlights coaching carousel chaos: power shifts, NIL wars, deep runs, or bust. Aggieland faithful ponder if his grind built enough base or if he was just passing the time. As he reloads in College Park, College Station braces for the next voice to roar.
Rick Pitino had it all in Lexington. He took over a Wildcats program reeling from probation under Eddie Sutton, turned it into a juggernaut, and capped it with the 1996 NCAA championship.
The next year, his squad pushed Arizona to overtime in the finals, posting a 35-5 record that had fans chanting his name. Attendance soared, Rupp Arena pulsed with energy, and Pitino called Kentucky “Camelot,” a nod to its magical revival.
Then came the Boston Celtics. Fresh off a league-worst 15-67 disaster, they dangled a reported $70 million over 10 years, making Pitino the richest coach in sports history at the time. He signed on as head coach and basketball president in May 1997, just weeks after insisting no sum could pry him away from Kentucky.
The pull? The Celtics’ storied legacy, from Red Auerbach to Larry Bird, and a shot at NBA immortality. Pitino eyed the 1997 draft lottery, where Boston held prime odds for Wake Forest phenom Tim Duncan thanks to their tanked record and a traded pick.
With a 36% chance at the top spot, landing Duncan seemed like destiny for his high-octane, press-heavy style.
Kentucky fans reeled. Pitino had restored glory to a program hit by scandals, winning 219 games at an .814 clip. Leaving felt like betrayal, especially with Tubby Smith stepping in and promptly grabbing the 1998 title. Pitino later admitted the move hinged on that lottery bounce.
Duncan Snub Shattered the Plan
Fate flipped the script in the lottery. The Spurs snagged the No. 1 pick at 21.4% odds, scooping Duncan, who even admitted shock at not landing in Boston.
Pitino got Chauncey Billups at No. 3 and Ron Mercer at No. 6, solid talents but no franchise savior. Duncan built San Antonio into a dynasty with five rings; Boston stayed mired in mediocrity.
Pitino’s Celtics went 36-46 in his first year, then 19-31 the next before the lockout-shortening. No playoffs in four seasons, a dismal 102-146 mark. Frustration boiled over in an infamous 2000 rant: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish weren’t walking through the door.
Rick Pitino (Credit: CNN)
Fans and media soured fast on the full-court press that dazzled in college but faltered against NBA vets. Injuries, ego clashes, and salary cap woes piled on. Dino Radja, a key big man, bolted, partly blaming Pitino’s overhaul.
By 2001, Pitino resigned, earning millions in a buyout. He reflected years later: taking a 15-win squad and betting on Duncan proved the wrong call. Without the star, rebuilding dragged.
The NBA grind exposed the limits of his college blueprint, honed on freshman turnover machines like Kentucky’s “Pitino’s Bombinos,” who bombed threes relentlessly.
Kentucky Ghosts Haunt a Hall of Fame Path
Pitino bounced back at Louisville in 2001, a rival across the state line. He led the Cardinals to three Final Fours, a 2013 title later vacated amid scandals like a sex-for-pay scheme and Adidas bribes. Fired in 2017, he later coached Iona, Panathinaikos, and now St. John’s, hitting 700-plus wins.
Yet Kentucky lingers. In interviews, he owns the regret, saying he’d stay put if replaying it all. Big Blue Nation mixes awe with bitterness; his Louisville stint fueled the fiercest in-state feud.
What if he stayed? Pitino mused he’d chase 1,000 wins, outpacing all. Instead, the Celtics’ detour taught humility, paving sharper defenses and EuroLeague triumphs.
Fans still debate: genius move for experience or dynasty-killer? Pitino’s career, 777-313 in college (.713), proves resilience, but that 1997 exit reshaped hoops history. From Lexington triumph to Boston bust, it underscores coaching’s high-wire act, where one lottery ball alters legacies forever.
