Men's Basketball
Men’s basketball became immediately successful after its introduction at Virginia Tech. The first intercollegiate game, played in the Stone Auditorium (later Chapel and Library) on January 22, 1909, resulted in a 33-26 win over Emory and Henry College, and the team went on to finish the season with a 4-2 record. The following season, 1909-10, the team scored its only undefeated basketball campaign (11-0). The most wins in a season came in 1994-95 with a 25-10 record. The highest score came in a game with Southern Mississippi on February 6, 1988, which Virginia Tech won in two overtimes 141-133. The longest shot—89 feet, three inches—was made in 1980 by Les Henson, pushing the Hokies to a come-from-behind victory against Florida State. Known as the “Henson Heave,” the shot broke the existing world record for organized basketball of 86 feet. In 1988 Tech player Vernell “Bimbo” Coles became the university’s first student-athlete to play in the Olympics, which were held in Seoul, South Korea.
National Tournaments
In national tournaments, Virginia Tech has the following record:
1966 | National Invitational Tournament (NIT), opening round, 73-88 loss to Temple |
1967 | NCAA first round, 79-70 win over Indiana; finals, 66-71 loss in overtime to Dayton |
1973 | NIT opening round, 65-63 win over New Mexico; second round, 77-76 win over Fairfield; third round, 74-73 win over Alabama; finals, 92-91 winner in overtime over Notre Dame; NIT champion |
1976 | NCAA first round, 67-77 overtime loss to Western Michigan |
1977 | NIT preliminary round, 83-79 win over Georgetown; second round, 72-79 loss to Alabama |
1979 | NCAA first round, 70-53 win over Jacksonville; second round, 69-86 loss to Indiana State |
1980 | NCAA first round, 89-85 overtime win over Western Kentucky; second round, 59-68 loss to Indiana |
1982 | NIT opening round, 69-58 win over Fordham; second round, 61-50 win over Mississippi; third round, 73-90 loss to Georgia |
1983 | NIT opening round, 85-79 win over William & Mary; second round, 68-75 loss to South Carolina |
1984 | NIT opening round, 77-74 win over Georgia Tech; second round, 68-66 win over South Alabama; third round, 72-68 win over Tennessee; semi-finals, 75-78 loss to Michigan; consolation round, 71-70 win over Southwestern Louisiana; third place |
1985 | NCAA first round, 57-60 loss to Temple |
1986 | NCAA first round, 62-71 loss to Villanova |
1995 | NIT opening round, 62-54 win over Clemson; second round, 91-78 win over Providence; third round, 64-61 win over New Mexico State; fourth round, 71-59 win over Canisius; finals, 65-64 overtime win over Marquette; NIT champion |
1996 | NCAA first round, 61-48 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay; second round, 60-84 loss to Kentucky |
2005 | NIT opening round, 60-50 win over Temple; second round, 62-83 loss to Memphis |
2007 | NCAA first round, 54-52 win over Illinois; second round, 48-63 loss to Southern Illinois |
2008 | NIT opening round, 94-62 win over Morgan State; second round, 75-49 win over Alabama-Birmingham; quarter-finals, 72-81 loss to Mississippi |
2009 | NIT opening round, 116-108 (2OT) win over Duquesne; second round, 66-84 loss to Baylor |
2010 | NIT opening round, 81-61 win over Quinnipiac; second round, 65-63 win over Connecticut; quarter-finals, 72-79 loss to Rhode Island |
2011 | NIT opening round, 81-61 win over Bethune-Cookman; second round, 76-79 (OT) loss to Wichita State |
2016 | NIT opening round, 86-81 (OT) win over Princeton; second round, 77-80 loss to Princeton |
2017 | NCAA Tournament first round, 74-84 loss to Wisconsin |
2018 | NCAA Tournament first round, 83-86 loss to Alabama |
Basketball Coaches and Records
A list of basketball coaches and their records, by the year the season ended:
1909 | R. M. Brown (4-2) |
1910-11 | Branch Bocock 1910 (11-0); 1911 (11-1) |
1912 | L. N. Keesling (6-3) |
1913 | Houston B. Hughes (5-9) |
1914-16 | Branch Bocock 1914 (14-5); 1915 (9-4); 1916 (12-3); overall (57-13) |
1917 | H. P. Sanborn (17-2) |
1918-20 | C. A. Bernier 1918 (15-5); 1919 (18-4); 1920 (14-4); overall (47-13) |
1921-23 | W. L. “Monk” Younger 1921 (19-5); 1922 (14-6); 1923 (13-6) |
1924 | B. C. Cubbage (5-13) |
1925-26 | M. Buford Blair 1925 (6-9); 1926 (3-10); overall (9-19) |
1927 | H. B. Redd (6-8) |
1928 | Bud Moore (5-11) |
1929 | I. E. Randall (4-13) |
1930 | R. S. Warren (5-14) |
1931 | C. D. Rhodes (5-10) |
1931-32 | George S. Proctor (8-9) |
1932-37 | W. L. “Monk” Younger 1932-33 (5-10); 1933-34 (1-15); 1934-35 (3-16); 1935-36 (5-16); 1936-37 (6-11); overall (66-85) |
1937-44 | H. M. “Mac” McEver 1937-38 (6-8); 1938-39 (3-14); 1939-40 (4‑15); 1940-41 (8-13); 1941-42 (10-10); 1942-43 (7-7); 1943-44 (11-4); overall (49-71) |
1944-47 | George S. Proctor 1944-45 (6-8); 1945-46 (11-8); 1946-47 (13-13); overall (38-38) |
1947-55 | G. F. “Red” Laird 1947-48 (14-9); 1948-49 (10-13); 1949-50 (16-9); 1950-51 (19-10); 1951-52 (4-16); 1952-53 (4-19); 1953-54 (3-24); 1954-55 (7-20); overall (77-120) |
1955-62 | Charles W. “Chuck” Noe 1955-56 (14-110; 1956-57 (14-8); 1957-58 (11-8); 1958-59 (16-5); 1959-60 (20-6); 1960-61 (15-7); 1961-62 (19-6); overall (109-51) |
1962-64 | William B. Matthews 1962-63 (12-12); 1963-64 (16-7); overall (28-19) |
1964-71 | Howard P. “Howie” Shannon 1964-65 (13-10); 1965-66 (19-5); 1966-67 (20-7); 1967-68 (14-11); 1968-69 (14-12); 1969-70 (10-12); 1970-71 (14-11); overall (104-68) |
1971-76 | Don DeVoe 1972 (16-10); 1971-72 (16-10); 1972-73 (22-5); 1973-74 (13-13); 1974-75 (16-10); 1975-76 (21-7); overall (88-45) |
1976-87 | Charles Moir 1976-77 (19-10); 1977-78 (19-8); 1978-79 (22-9); 1979-80 (21-8); 1980-81 (15-13); 1981-82 (20-11);1982-83 (23-11); 1983-84 (22-13); 1984-85 (20-9); 1985-86 (22-9); 1986-87 (10-18); overall (213-119) |
1987-91 | Frankie Allen 1987-88 (19-10); 1988-89 (11-17); 1989-90 (13-18); 1990-91 (13-16); overall (56-61) |
1991-97 | Bill Foster 1991-92 (10-18); 1992-93 (10-18); 1993-94 (18-10); 1994-95 *(25-10); 1995-96 (23-6); 1996-97 (15-16); overall (101-78) |
1997-99 | Bobby Hussey 1997-98 (10-17); 1998-99 (13-15); overall (23-32) |
1999-2003 | Ricky Stokes 1999-2000 (16-15); 2000-01 (8-19); 2001-02 (10-18); 2002-03 (12-17); overall (46-69) |
2003-12 | Seth Greenberg 2003-04 (15-14); 2004-05 (16-14); 2005-06 (14-16); 2006-07 (22-12); 2007-08 (21-14); 2008-09 (19-15); 2009-10 *(25-9); 2010-11 (22-12); 2011-12 (16-17); overall (88-70) |
2012-14 | James Johnson 2012-13 (13-19); 2013-14 (9-22); overall () |
2014-present | Buzz Williams 2014-15 (11-22); 2015-16 (20-15); 2016-17 (22-11); overall (53-48) |
*Tech record