Seth Greenberg reacts after this February's last-minute loss to Virginia.
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Virginia Tech fired Hokies men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg Monday afternoon. Director of athletics Jim Weaver said he and associate director Tom Gabbard fired Greenberg Monday at 1:30 p.m. and then announced the decision at a 4 p.m. press conference.
Two of Greenberg's three assistant coaches left earlier this offseason. In the press conference, Weaver cited the lack of a staff as a chance to start over. He said the decision was made last week after it "hit him" that the basketball program didn't fit with the rest of Tech's teams.
Greenberg came to Virginia Tech before the 2003-04 season after coaching South Florida for seven seasons. He took over a Hokies program that had made just two postseason appearances in the prior 17 years and quickly brought it into the national spotlight — making it to either the NIT or NCAA tournaments six of seven years from 2005-11.
He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2005, as well as 2008, but Greenberg’s career came to be known more for falling short of expectations, as the Hokies seemed to be on the precipice of making the NCAA Tournament every year, but failed to end seasons consistently.
The senior class that graduated in 2011 — comprised of Malcolm Delaney, Jeff Allen (and Dorenzo Hudson and J.T. Thompson who both stayed an extra year because of injury) — was the winningest class in the school’s history, but will forever be remembered as the class that made it to four straight NITs — never once to the big dance.
"It had nothing to do with losing," Weaver said during the press conference before adding it had more to do with the departure of the staff and a desire to change the direction of the program.
Weaver said he did not plan to extend Greenberg's contract when it ended, and decided to make a change. He said the search for a new coach would begin tomorrow.
The 2012 recruiting class that brought in Tech’s first-ever five-star recruit had the school excited for basketball yet again this season. It was Greenberg’s first season where he could use a new state-of-the-art practice facility to lure recruits and had come through with the No. 12 class in the nation.
But yet again, the product Greenberg put out on the floor couldn’t meet expectations. The Hokies finished with a losing record (16-17) for the first time since the 2005-06 season and started the conference schedule by losing six of their first seven. Tech finished the ACC schedule with a 4-12 record, although nine of those losses were by five points or fewer.
A version of this article appeared in the Apr 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Better hire someone good. Make it count Weaver!
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The timing of this seems very strange. I'm wondering if we'll learn more about this. It seems like either Seth did something to make them want to get rid of him, or someone better became available.
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Coach Greenberg made basketball a sport at Virginia Tech, and I will be sad to see him go.
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agreed. He made BB relevant at VT. Bad decision, bad timing.
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He was due to be fired. Good coach for a small to mid-sized program. The failure to give Stephen Curry a scholarship and then fading time and again when on the Big Dance bubble late-season will remain in the memory long after NIT appearances have faded.
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Tech will never and I mean never do anything in THE ACC in Basketball.They were brought in form The Big East For Football,and Football only.The ACC got The Cuse and Pitt for Basketball.
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Don't care about bread and circus so this means nothing to me.
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This was handled badly by a good coach who gave his all. VT should be ashamed
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False, he is a terrible coach
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False.
Coach Greenberg won more games at VT than any other coach except for Charlie Moir.
Stay in school, kid.
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Hear it here first. Miami’s Jim Larranaga would move to Blackburg from Miami if asked. He’d move by week’s end. He went to Miami for the ACC, not Miami. He fits perfectly into the Blackburg Beamerball culture like nobody else in college basketball. Proven winner. The Hokie Nation would love him and vice versa. And he can recruit well immediately. He also is a proven tireless program saleman, completely loyal to the cause. He’d completely pay for himself. Don’t dismiss, even if he claims “no” at first. It would be a perfect mutual fit and at a reasonable price.
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You know, I def can see this. He was at Mason forever. Definitely has that "Beamer" appeal that Weaver seemed to be hinting at. This is a way more realistic pick than Shaka. He's staying at VCU, though Teague's departure today does make things semi-interesting there.
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I totally disagree that he would be a good fit and I have seen almost every home game at George Mason that Larranaga has coached. He is very similiar to Greenburg in his coaching style, especially when it's under two minutes. We need someone more like Shaka Smart, who can identify and motivate today's b-ball.
But I will say, Weave did handle the whole situation badly.
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Departing Asst Coach James Johnson also back in play in Blacksburg if Larranaga comes to Virginia Tech...Johnson a big part of Larranaga regime at George Mason...
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I've been attending VT games the past two years and most of the time its crickets in there unless they are playing somebody like Duke. Seth seemed to have talent on the team, he just couldn't pull out the Ws when they needed them. They should consider hiring someone from the Midwest, where basketball means something. Recruiting kids to come to the middle of nowhere to play b-ball is a hard enough feet in itself. Let alone recruiting them to play in a half full 10k capacity gym. They better be willing and able to pay up because taking a leap of faith on an up and comer assistant coach wont cut it if they really want to have success in b-ball in Blacksburg.
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You're right, but it won't happen.
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I've been attending VT games the past two years and most of the time its crickets in there unless they are playing somebody like Duke. Seth seemed to have talent on the team, he just couldn't pull out the Ws when they needed them. They should consider hiring someone from the Midwest, where basketball means something. Recruiting kids to come to the middle of nowhere to play b-ball is a hard enough feet in itself. Let alone recruiting them to play in a half full 10k capacity gym. They better be willing and able to pay up because taking a leap of faith on an up and comer assistant coach wont cut it if they really want to have success in b-ball in Blacksburg.
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The timing on this was terrible, nobody good is available to hire now. Watch the recruits we had leave now. I agree Greenberg needed to leave at some point but this should have been handled way back in March.
Now watch, I'd bet $1000 that he will hire some assistant coach inside the department or some guy with zero experience. Just watch cuz that's what Weaver does.
This is the same guy who refuses to get rid of Stinespring btw
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There is very rarely a 'good' time to fire someone. This isn't a bad, it's just a month later than it probably should have been. That said, Tech has plenty of time still to shop for the right mix for this university's culture. They need to find the coach who can coach kids up and who can keep and retain coaches. If your staff keeps leaving, its an issue, if you keep losing with same staff, its an issue.
Say what you will about Weaver, but his business approach to athletics has done us well. We run in the black, we run a clean program and under performing coaches are consistently shown the door. The next coach on the hot seat will be womens bb. He has another 2 years to turn it around or be looking for new employment....
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You do realize that Weaver is the one who hired the last two Women's Bball coaches, right? He just walked down the hall to hire Wolff w/o a major search. Seems somewhat silly to compliment Weaver's business skill and then criticize his most recent hire all in the same paragraph.
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And? How is that relevant? He has made good business choices. That the last women's coach didnt work out and was released seems to make sense to me. Does every employer find the perfect candidate every time? How is this any different?
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Really, Weaver knows what he is doing? It was his lack of support that drove away Bonnie from our women's BB program. The cleanliness of Tech Sports can be attributed more to former Tech President Torgeson who laid down the law when we had several football players get in trouble. Weaver has been riding the financial coattails of football. If Tech ever has a couple of down years, sub .500, his fortunes will change dramatically.
Seth maybe should have gone. No telling why assistants were leaving, but, if Weaver doesn't get someone really good, he shouldn't be far behind Seth.
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The next pink slip need to go to both Weaver and Gabbard for the classless way this was handled.
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This is bad PR that VT doesn't need. Recruits and potential coaches saw how badly this was handled. Weaver wants a family atmosphere, but yet he treats the family members like this? Embarrassing for the program and the school.
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