Virginia Tech Agrees to Contract Extension with Buzz Williams

By: Ricky LaBlue |
Buzz Williams
Buzz Williams has signed a contract extension with Virginia Tech.

With all the rumors that have swirled around Virginia Tech men’s basketball Head Coach Buzz Williams over the last two offseasons, it seems like he’ll be staying in Blacksburg for the foreseeable future.

Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock announced on Wednesday that Williams has signed a two-year extension, which means he is under contract through the 2022-2023 season.

According to David Teel of the Daily Press, Williams will make $2.5 million in salary this coming season, and will make $3.3 million in guaranteed money in the last year of his deal. Williams will have a retention bonus of $100,000 for the first next two seasons, and then that bonus goes up to $200,000 for the next three seasons.

Here is his total salary for each season.  The numbers include his retention bonus.

2016-17: $2.6M
2017-18: $2.7M
2018-19: $2.9M
2019-20: $3.0M
2020-21: $3.1M
2021-22: $3.2M
2022-23: $3.3M

The buyout on Williams’ contract starts this season at $1.5 million and tapers down each season to $250,000 by the 2021-2022 season.

The staff salary pool will also increase to $1.2 million.

“Coach Williams has made a positive impact on the culture of our basketball program at Virginia Tech in a very short time,” Babcock said in a statement. “Just as importantly, he’s a teacher, an educator, and he’s served as an ambassador for Virginia Tech, not only on our campus and in Virginia, but also all across the country. We appreciate all that Coach Williams and his staff have already done for our students and our program. We appreciate their commitment to continuing the work they have so successfully begun at Virginia Tech. Our future is bright.”

Williams has helped orchestrate a drastic turnaround for Virginia Tech basketball over the last two seasons, and even guided the Hokies to a 20-win season. Tech won 10 ACC games last season, an eight-game improvement over 2014-2015, the largest improvement in ACC history among teams that won fewer than three games the previous year. Virginia Tech also secured an NIT berth, their first postseason appearance since 2010-2011.

Williams will also endow two scholarships. The Buzz’s Bunch Scholarship Endowment will be given each year to a Tech student who is registered with Services for Students with Disabilities. The Buzz and Corey Williams Family Student-Athlete Scholarship, which will be in memory of former university president T. Marshall Hahn, will be awarded each year to a female student-athlete.

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  1. as steve said:
    “Great news and extension is a reward for a job well-done…”

    and ADWB proceeding wisely:
    pro-active, pre-emptive, not-in-season, no facebook/paparazzi intrusion
    negotiations that lead to a positive outcome and positive PR.

    and how about CBW setting up/funding two (2) scholarships !!?!!
    “Thank you, Coach!” the positive gifted guy that keeps on giving – and in more than a few ways.

    Go Hokies!

  2. Fantastic news, just wish the buyout were about 10x higher…. $1.5M won’t stop many programs from coming after him or fatten our checkbook enough to splurge on the next hire.

  3. I.W.W.T

    Love seeing this newsBuzz (see what I did there)……..but its another Fantastic proactive adjustment again by AD Whit.

    VT Nation Is there any doubt that we are not in good hands with Wit? Will somebody please put Whit on the Football Recruiting Trail and lets get us some 5stars…….he ‘s the definition of CLOSER.

  4. Great news and extension is a reward for a job well-done. Coach has exceeded expectations and our future is bright! Go Hokies!

  5. Hey let’s just celebrate that we have Buzz. And the fact that he is endowing scholarships can’t be understated. What more do we want?

  6. THANK THE LORD!!!! This is absolutely wonderful news. Tech basketball is in great hands. Thank you Buzz and thank you Whit!!!!!!

  7. Why do institutions offer long term contracts when the coach can exit anytime he desires? Has any contract been enforced when the coach leaves voluntarily? Just wondering.

    1. Big time coaches have the schools in the palm of their hands. If we don’t offer Buzz a long term contract, then we don’t hire Buzz.

  9. VERY good news! One question though: with his current/extended contract, is there any stipulation about Buzz being bought out to leave early AND getting a job at another ACC school? In other words, as long as another ACC school is willing to pay Buzz handsomely AND pay VT the contract buyout money, can that happen? Or can it only happen for a non-ACC school?

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