VERNELL EUFAYE “BIMBO” COLES | GUARD | 1986-90

The nickname was coined by a cousin based on a line in a country music song.

CAREER NUMBERS:

• Points: 2,484 (1st)
• Points Per Game: 21.6 (2nd)
• Field Goals Made: 871 (2nd)
• Free Throws Made: 593 (2nd)
• Assists: 547 (1st)
• Steals: 216 (4th)

OF NOTE:

• Virginia Tech’s first ever Olympian in any sport: 1988 – Bronze Medal
• 2nd Round NBA Draft Pick of the Sacramento Kings: 1990 (40th overall pick)
• 54th Round MLB Draft Pick of the California Angels: 1990 (1322th overall pick)
• Played 14 NBA seasons for five different teams
• Scored over 6,600 points in the NBA
• Honorable Mention All-American: 1990
• First Team All-Metro Conference: 1990
• First Team All-Metro Conference: 1989
• Metro Conference Co-Player of the Year: 1988
• First Team All-Metro Conference: 1988
• Led VT in scoring his last 3 seasons
• Led VT in FTs made all 4 seasons
• Led VT in assists all 4 seasons
• Led VT in steals last 3 seasons
• Produced 3 of the top 4 single season point totals
• Produced 3 of the top 5 single season scoring averages
• The now defunct Metro Conference’s all time leading scorer
• Finished with the most points in the history of D1 Virginia colleges (Bryant Stith later passed him)

WHY HE’S #2:

Coles is the most prolific offensive player in Virginia Tech history.  Bimbo is Tech’s all time leader in points and assists, is now second in free throws made (Delaney just passed him), and his 26.6 points per game his junior year is still a Tech record (he followed that up with 25.3 his senior year – totaling 785 points, still a VT record).  His 21.6 ppg for his career is second best in Tech history (behind Bristow), and that includes averaging just 10 ppg his freshman year.  He’s the only Hokie to reach the 40-point mark more than once, and he did it four times.  Bimbo’s also one of just two Hokies to reach 50 points, along with Allan Bristow.

Coles’s most impressive achievement came the summer after his sophomore season.  Bimbo made the US Olympic Basketball Team and averaged just over 7 ppg in 8 contests, helping the USA to a bronze medal.  The US went 7-1, but a 82-76 loss to Russia cost the US a shot at the gold.

While Bimbo’s numbers and Olympic achievements are the most impressive of any player in Virginia Tech history, he also played for some bad teams (more on that below).  Bimbo was called on to do a lot more than, say, Dell Curry or Allan Bristow.  Bimbo’s teams never made the postseason.  While this isn’t the only reason Bimbo isn’t #1 on this list, it did hurt him.  But Dell was simply a better all around player and leader, and had the two been flipped in their tenures at Tech, I think Dell would have done even more than Bimbo did (Bimbo had the advantage of having a three-point line).  Bimbo followed in Dell’s footsteps, and like a little brother, couldn’t quite live up to the bigger brother.

Bimbo’s lousy teams cannot hide his brilliance, though.  He was an offensive juggernaut.  His senior year Bimbo scored or assisted on 44% of Tech’s 2384 points.  Before his final game at the Cassell on March 3, 1990, Bimbo became the second Hokie to have his number (#12) retired and his jersey hung from the Cassell rafters.

Bimbo was not the deep threat Dell Curry was.  In fact, Bimbo was just a 32% career three-point shooter, hitting 149 threes over his final three seasons.  But what Bimbo could do is attack.  He was deadly off the dribble.  His aggressive style helped Bimbo reach nearly 800 free throw attempts and almost 600 makes.  Coles also had a deadly pull-up and mid-range jumper.

On defense, like many other stars, Bimbo wasn’t asked to put out a lot of effort.  His offense was his meal ticket.  But Coles still managed to pilfer 216 steals, 4th best in VT history.

Bimbo went on to play 14 years in the NBA and score over 6,600 points, making him one of the greatest Hokies in the pros, too.

GREATEST GAME: @VT 141, so miss 133 – 2OT – 2.6.1988

Bimbo’s greatest game was not only one of the greatest performances in Tech history, it was also one of the most exciting games in Hokie basketball history.  The Hokies won a wild shootout 141-133 in 2 overtimes over southern mississippi, rivaled by Tech’s 116-108 2 OT win over duquesne in the 2009 NIT.  Both team’s point totals are VT records for and against.

To score 141 points, someone has to hotter than a pistol.  That someone, to no one’s surprise, was sophomore Bimbo Coles.  Coles dropped 51 points on the golden eagles, just 1 point shy of Allan Bristow’s VT record.  This marked the first of four times Bimbo would score 40 or more points.  No other Hokie has done it more than once.

TEAM RECORD: 53-63 (18-32 in Metro Conference)

The Hokies went steeply downhill after Dell Curry left and in a hurry.  After five straight 20+ win seasons, Tech had three losing records in Bimbo’s four years.  Part of it had to do with probation, part of it had to do with lack of talent.  Bimbo left Blacksburg without a postseason appearance.  Tech never won a Metro Conference Tournament game in three appearances (they were on probation his junior year).

Tech did manage to go 19-10 Bimbo’s sophomore year and Frankie Allen’s first year as head coach.  They defeated powerhouse #14 georgetown in Hampton, VA.  The victory set off a wild celebration at Tech, which allegedly included students throwing a flaming couch into the “Pit” in Pritchard Hall.

SUMMARY:

It may seem like I’m picking on Bimbo for not being Dell Curry.  That’s not true.  It is more of a reflection of how close the two were.  Both were absolutely great players.  Unfortunately for Bimbo, he didn’t have the talent around him Dell did, leaving us to wonder what might have been had he played with the likes of the Youngs, Beecher, and had Brow for more than two years.

Bimbo’s scoring records have stood the test of time.  His points record may go down some day with VT playing more games per year, but it has lasted 20 years.  His assist total barely survived Malcolm Delaney’s tenure, hanging on by 4 assists.  Who knows, Bimbo may stay the most prolific scorer and assist man in VT history for quite a while to come.

PAST ENTRIES:

• #10 Bill Matthews
• #9 Jeff Allen
• #8 Zabian Dowdell (includes interview)
• #7 Ace Custis (includes interview)
• #6 Dale Solomon
• #5 Chris Smith (includes interview)
• #4 Malcolm Delaney
• #3 Allan Bristow

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