Busting Brackets
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ACC Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers and head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands before North Carolina's game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 27, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers and head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands before North Carolina's game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 27, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 24: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Virginia Tech Hokies (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 24: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Virginia Tech Hokies (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

10. Buzz Williams – Virginia Tech (2014-2019)

While the Hokies only joined the ACC in 2004, it’s fair to say that they weren’t exactly competing at or near the top of the conference prior to Williams’s arrival on campus. In their first ten years in the ACC, Virginia Tech had made just a single NCAA Tournament appearance and had really struggled the previous two years under former coach James Johnson. Fortunately, Williams’ impact left a palpable buzz for the Hokies.

After success at Marquette, Williams took over the fledgling Hokies in 2014. By his second season, they were in the top half of the NCAA and challenging again for postseason success. In all, he led them to three NCAA Tournament appearances in a row, something that had never happened in program history. The 2019 squad really stood out, finishing 26-9 and 5th in the ACC before a run to the Sweet Sixteen. Williams had done what no coach had accomplished since 1967.

The momentum Williams created for the Hokies is very real, even if he left in 2019 for Texas A&M. New coach Mike Young is reloading the team with talent, but Williams clearly made this a more attractive job than in previous seasons. In an ACC jam-packed with talented programs and legendary coaches, the Hokies found their way, winning at least 10 conference games in each of his last four seasons in Blacksburg.