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DON DEVOE
TECH ALL-TIME COACHING GREAT
To many Hokie fans, it will remain the most important event in Virginia
Tech basketball history. In 1973, the Hokies shocked the basketball world
by defeating New Mexico, Fairfield, Alabama and Notre Dame to win the
NIT. The win over the Irish in the finals was capped by a buzzer-beating
jumper by Bobby Stevens to win the game in overtime, 92-91.
The coach of the Hokies was Don DeVoe, in just his second season in
Blacksburg. DeVoe took a group of experienced players in his first season,
built upon that foundation by teaching strong fundamentals and put the
Hokies on the basketball map.
“I was fortunate at the age of 29 to be named the head coach at
Virginia Tech,” DeVoe said. “I was lucky to inherit five outstanding seniors.
I give credit to those five seniors in being able to grasp what we were
teaching and believing in what we were teaching. That first team laid the
foundation for what we were to accomplish in the future.”
DeVoe was fortunate to work with an outstanding staff, including
future head coaches Sonny Smith (VCU, Auburn) and Jim Hallihan
(East Tennessee State). A graduate assistant on those teams was Kevin
O’Connor, currently the senior vice president of basketball operations
of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and father of former Tech women’s assistant
basketball coach and player, Katie O’Connor. That group was able to
recruit an outstanding group of players that brought a lot of excitement to
Blacksburg.
“My first staff, Sonny Smith and Jim Hallihan, were great at finding
the type of kids we wanted in our program. They helped us establish the
success that we had and we were fortunate to have them here,” DeVoe
said.
DeVoe coached the Hokies for five seasons, compiling an 88-45 overall
record. He is the fifth-winningest coach in Tech history and is remembered
for being the coach that got the Hokies started on the most prolonged
and successful streak in the school’s basketball history.
“When we left, we were able to leave behind an outstanding group of
players and I know that Charlie Moir took those outstanding players and
was able to continue the success at Virginia Tech.”
DeVoe retired following the 2003-04 season as the head coach at Navy.
“It was really exciting to see what was happening
at Virginia Tech. It was exciting to see the people in
the state get excited about Virginia Tech basketball
and football. We enjoyed tremendous support from
the students and the community. The NIT season,
just about every game was a full house. It was an
exciting time in Virginia Tech athletics.”
— Don DeVoe
TECH GREAT DON DEVOE
The Hokies were 52-6 under Don DeVoe in Cassell Coliseum.
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Don DeVoe and the Hokies celebrate the 1973 NIT Championship
in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Don DeVoe coached Hokie great Allan Bristow at Virginia Tech.
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