Texas A&M basketball fans are becoming more and more used to the idea that there is a coaching search upcoming after Buzz Williams' interest in the Maryland job looks like it will lead to fruition. Williams' departure wasn't very much on the radar even two months ago, but the talk around this possibility has grown louder and louder as the days have gone on.
Now, with Kevin Willard officially leaving Maryland and heading to Villanova, the opening that Buzz himself has been lobbying for has now manifested. Should he make his way to College Park as the head coach of the Terrapins, the Aggies will be left in the lurch.
Given how public these murmurs have been, I doubt that anything would catch Trev Alberts and the athletic department off guard, though. They have to have been lining things up through back channels up until this point— but A&M fans have to confront the fact that even that strategy may only mean so much.
Texas A&M basketball fans faced with harsh reality if Buzz Williams departs
Buzz has built a program with a very distinct identity here in College Station, and his fingerprints are all over the personnel in particular. One of his big pluses is the impact he has on the young men in his program— but that is something that could come back to bite the Aggies.
Solomon Washington and Pharrell Payne are, as of right now, set to return to Aggieland this upcoming season. However, if Buzz were indeed to depart, even they may be gone as well.
This would mean that absolutely no contributors from last year's squad would be back at all— not a position you want to be in. A&M was already going to be starting off with a dearth of returning production, to put it mildly, but this would take that from slim to none.
With the recent emergence of Payne as a solid scoring threat to go along with his tough defense and rebounding— not to mention the attitude and defense that Solo brings— that could be a real blow to Aggie fans. But this is the way that college basketball goes nowadays: since players have the free transfer, they will most likely use it when their coach departs, and especially when it's a coach as impactful as Buzz.
This is all still one big "if" right now, but with the way the wind is blowing, it's time to start thinking about these possibilities. Hopefully the Aggies are ready.