Report: Texas A&M ready to make Sweet 16 coach 2nd-highest paid in SEC

Texas A&M is gearing up to make a splash hire for its next men’s basketball head coach.

Social media was buzzing Friday about Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams potentially leaving to become the new head coach of the Aggies. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported Saturday morning that TAMU is expected to offer Williams a minimum of $3.5 million. The Texas native and former Aggies assistant (2004-06) currently makes $3 million per year at Virginia Tech.

According to USA Today’s coaches salary database, $3.5 million per year would make Williams the second-highest paid basketball head coach in the SEC. Currently, John Calipari makes $9.2 million annually at Kentucky ($7.95 million listed as salary). Next in line is Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, who makes $3.25 million. It’s the $50,000 that keeps Barnes above first-year Georgia coach Tom Crean ($3.2 million).

Virginia Tech was a No. 4 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament making the Sweet Sixteen, but falling Friday night to No. 1-seed Duke 75-73. Now that the season is over for the Hokies, things could move quickly between Texas A&M and Williams.

Sources: Texas A&M is expected to offer Virginia Tech’s Buzz Williams a multi-year deal worth a minimum of $3.5 million dollars annually to be its next head basketball coach. Aggies have no secondary candidate.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 30, 2019

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.