Nobody follows Virginia Tech sports like our contributing writer @HokieGuru. Later this week he will write an in depth article discussing the firing Hokie basketball coach Seth Greenberg. As an outsider to the program, I have a few thoughts on what happened today. I know Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver said it had nothing to do with NCAA appearances, but I’m not sure I’m buying that. It always comes to down to wins and losses, well unless your Bobby Petrino.
Frankly Seth Greenberg had become the college basketball version of Chan Gailey. You remember Chan Gailey the head football coach at Georgia Tech from 2002-2007 right? He was generally was a nice guy, fielded competitive teams, occasionally won a big game two, but he couldn’t get the Yellow Jackets over the hump and into a championship team. There were the 5 out 6 years winning 7 games, and the one 9 win season that ended with 3 straight losses. There were those that followed the program that were initially apprehensive about Gailey and Georgia Tech parting ways.
With Gailey you knew you’d never be that bad, and maybe the big seasons were just around the corner, but after 6 years you knew what you had. A move had to be made and it was, enter Paul Johnson. Now with Virginia Tech, Seth Greenberg did do some good things. The Hokies had losing seasons 6 of the 7 previous season before Greenberg’s arrival. Greenberg made the Hokies respectable. He made them competitive, but that’s as far as he got. Greenberg was at Virginia Tech 9 years with 1 NCAA tournament appearance, and exactly 1 NCAA tournament win. When you’re at a school nearly a decade, and in particular an ACC basketball that simply won’t cut it.
It’s risky move for the Hokies. Greenberg was a decent if unspectacular coach and his teams typically played hard. With the Greenbergs and Gaileys you always feel like maybe the next year will be one, but deep down after 6,7, 8 years things aren’t probably going to change. I’m a little surprised the Hokies pulled the trigger on Greenberg right now, but I felt like next year was a make or break season for him. I’m looking forwarding to reading @HokieGuru’s thoughts on the subject, so be on the lookout for that.
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