For new Texas A&M head men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams being back in College Station its personal.
During his introductory press conference that was open to the public, Williams was emotional about being able to return to A&M.
“This has happened really fast, it’s was more than a dream come true,” Williams said. “As my career unfolded, I never thought that this [being hired at A&M] would be something that would ever be reality. You’ve heard the saying, ‘You can never go back home’, that always in the back of my mind, that maybe it could someday happen.”
Williams said that Wednesday afternoon was the first time the he returned to College Station since he last left almost 13 years ago. In fact, he said he’s the only person from that coaching staff that hadn’t returned to Aggieland in that span.
Even though there was a period of time in which Williams was absent from A&M, he described the emotions which he was going through as he walked the halls of Reed Arena seeing all the teams through the years on the walls.
“It just overwhelmed me, it overwhelmed me because I’m a fan of coaches just as much as I am a fan of players,” Williams said. “It just overwhelmed me that I have this opportunity and it’s hard to articulate those emotions. Seeing all of those former players, former coaches, knowing all of this in place to build from and have this opportunity. I’m just incredibly incredible grateful.”
Part of the reason why Williams was able to spend two years at A&M was because of former A&M head men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie. For Williams, the opportunity that Gillispie gave him years ago to be an assistant coach is one he never took – and still doesn’t take for granted.
In his first of two press conferences for media members and administration, an emotional Williams choked up after he was asked about Gillispie and their relationship.
“Coach [Gillispie] was the last call that I made before I got on the plane to come here. Coach means the world to me,” Williams said. “If you look back at my career, it’s easy to say if Coach would not have hired me, I wouldn’t have had the chances that I’ve had, so my loyalty will always be to Coach.”
Before boarding the flight from Virginia to Texas Williams said there was one last thing he told Gillispie before the flight took off.
“Hey, Coach, I just wanted to say thanks and I’m flying home,” Williams said.