On3 Sports Ranks Virginia Tech's Mike Young as The 9th Best Coach in the ACC

Where should Mike Young rank amongst the other ACC Coaches?

Feb 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Mike Young reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers won 79-64. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

While Virginia Tech has only made the NIT Tournament for the past two seasons, I still think that Mike Young is one of the better coaches in what might be the top basketball confernece in the country. Virginia Tech is going to be looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament this year after a two-year absence and the ACC feels like it could be open this year.

Recently, On3Sports released their ACC Basketball Coaching Rankings and Young came in 9th. Duke's Jon Scheyer took the top spot, with UNC's Hubert Davis, Wake Forest's Steve Forbes, UVA's Tony Bennett, and Clemson's Brad Brownell rounded out the top five.

Here is what On3 had to say about Young being ranked 9th:

"Young is another under-the-radar coach who consistently puts a good product on the floor and gets the most from his Virginia Tech roster.

The usage of the transfer portal has helped shape the style of play and provide more consistent results with a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and two NIT invitations to show for it.

The next step for Young would be to make a push deep into March Madness and build momentum around the program moving forward within a conference featuring blue-bloods."

I think this is a fair ranking, but Young is going to have a chance to climb higher if he can show he can get the Hokies back in the NCAA Tournament. Coming into the year, it feels like Duke and North Carolina are going to be the favorites in the ACC, but there is an open gap behind them and it is not out of the question that the Hokies could be one of the teams that jumps up in the standings. They have made solid additions through the transfer portal to replace what they lost and I think they are going to be one of the most intriguing teams in the conference next season.