It’s coaching search time. Whatever your thoughts on Buzz Williams leaving, you’ve got to admit that coaching searches are interesting. I think Whit Babcock secretly enjoys them too, even if it’s subconsciously. I know that I enjoy them, though of course I don’t want to go through one very often.

During most of the Buzz Williams era, the consensus among the fanbase was that if Williams ever left that it wouldn’t matter, because Whit Babcock would just go out and hire another Buzz Williams. For the last few months I’ve thought deeply about the matter because I’ve been expecting Buzz to leave, and I’ve come to the conclusion that that line of thinking is wrong. Buzz Williams is one of the top coaches in the country, in my opinion. To hire another Buzz Williams, we’d have to hire another one of the top coaches in the country.

That is extremely difficult. Coach K isn’t leaving Duke. Tony Bennett isn’t coming to Virginia Tech. Jay Wright has won two of the last three National Championships at Villanova. Tom Izzo isn’t leaving Michigan State. John Beilein isn’t leaving Michigan, nor is Mark Few leaving Gonzaga for Virginia Tech. I’m not even sure who else I consider to be a 100% proven top level coach. I believe most everyone who is a realistic candidate has question marks.

In short, I think replicating the Buzz Williams hire will be difficult. Everything would have to line up perfectly. The exact right coach will have to be looking to make a move at the exact right time, and most of the proven top coaches in the country aren’t looking to make a move because they already have a very good job where they are making a lot of money.

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