Welcome To The Aggie Family, Big Cat! (And Buzz Williams)

It’s official! Buzz Williams is going home to the great state to be the head coach of Texas A&M basketball. He replaces Billy Kennedy (who, FWIW, is an all around really great guy) after eight seasons in charge.

As an Aggie, this is amazing news. It’s no secret Buzz has gotten it done both in the Big East and the ACC and is now taking his talents to the glorious SEC. Big time names are worth getting up for. The fact he reached the Sweet Sixteen this year and has made it to the tournament three of his five years in Blacksburg makes me tingle inside.

On his side – there are more than $3 million reasons why he’d want to go back to A&M. Sure, he graduated from Texas A&M-Kingsville and was an assistant in Aggieland from 2004-2006. But that’s neither here nor there. Money talks and they’re giving him A LOT of it.

He’s a perfect fit for A&M and A&M is the perfect fit for Buzz, IMO. Sure, the Ags have never been a basketball powerhouse (obviously). But since the Billy Gillispie days, they’re on the up and up. They’ve been to the NCAA tournament only 14 times total (yikes), but eight of them since 2006 including three Sweet 16s. PROGRESS!

So if anybody is going to take A&M basketball to the next level, it’s Buzz Williams. It’s a huge hire, especially in a time when SEC basketball is on the rise.

So for those keeping track at home: A&M now has a National Championship winning head coach in football and a VERY successful coach in basketball.

I wish I could get excited, but my Battered Aggie Syndrome just won’t let me. But at least A&M is spending the cash to make sure they’re in a position to win. They have a SHIT TON of money at their disposal. Look no further than the fact the athletic department raised $450 million to renovate Kyle Field without taking one dime from the state or tuition. Or the fact that Jimbo Fisher is making $75 million to coach in the same division as Nick Saban.

That’s what we call oil and gas money, folks.

TBD on if that money will actually turn into championships. But for the time being, I’m here for this hire a billion percent.

And I think I can speak for everyone when I say that Aggies welcome any and all that want to jump on the Buzz Williams bandwagon. (PSA: bandwagon fans mean your team is relevant). Speaking of…

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Welcome to the family, Big Cat. Glad to finally have you on board!!

PS – They’re not “class rings.” They’re “Aggie rings” and they date back to 1889. They just mean a little more down there. Ya, ya, “A&M is cult. A&M is weird.” Find a new slant. From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.

Aggie Rings > everybody else’s rings. (That’s Von Miller, heard of him?)

If you can’t get behind the fact that all Aggies wear rings, everyone that likes fun can get behind another tradition known as ring dunks. Basically, you drop the ring into a pitcher of beer and take it to the dome as fast as possible. They’re fucking awesome.

Then – and only then – is the Aggie Ring official.

Rone also just walked by and told me that even though Aggie Rings are weird, Buzz being at A&M is a moment that all of us can come together as one. I’ll take it.

Welcome home, Buzz. Thanks and Gig ‘Em.