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H O K I E
G R E A T S
B I MB O
COL ES
1 9 8 6 - 1 9 9 0
Bimbo Coles was Virginia Tech’s
first Olympian.
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After dazzling Virginia Tech fans for four years,
guard Bimbo Coles became the second Tech men’s
basketball player to have his jersey retired when the
university honored him in a ceremony prior to his last
home game on March 3, 1990. Coles finished his
collegiate career as the leading all-time scorer in
school and Metro Conference history and also set an
all-time scoring mark for Division I players in the state
of Virginia. He scored a total of 2,484 points during
his four seasons and became the first player in Metro
Conference history to lead the league in scoring
three consecutive years. Coles burst on the national
scene when he made the United States Olympic
team in 1988. He played a leading role at point guard
for that team, which won the bronze medal in Seoul,
South Korea. Coles was a second-round pick of the
Sacramento Kings in the 1990 NBA draft. Coles
played with a number of NBA teams. He rejoined the
Miami Heat for the 2003-04 NBA season and retired
the following offseason. Following his career, he was
an assistant coach and advance scout with the 2006
NBA champion Miami Heat.
Bimbo Coles is the
Hokies’ all-time
leading scorer.