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Hokies pay respect to former Athletic Director Jim Weaver

Posted at 4:43 PM, Jul 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-07-02 16:51:00-04

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Former Virginia Tech Athletic Director, Jim Weaver, passed away Thursday morning at the age of 70.

Weaver served as the Virginia Tech’s AD for more than 16 years. In November of 2013 he announced that he was retiring at the end of the calendar year because of health reasons. Weaver had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2004.

From 1997-2013, Jim Weaver’s leadership guided the Hokies through the BIG EAST Conference and later into the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Jim Weaver made a tremendous impact upon our institution, and we are deeply saddened to hear of his passing,” Tech President Dr. Timothy Sands said. “He was dedicated to making our athletics enterprise among the best in the country, while always being true to the principles and values of this university. We will always be inspired by his legacy.”

Weaver’s legacy also includes:

  • Recpeint of the 2009 Toner Award presented by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. This award is given each year to a director of athletics who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football.
  • Named the AD of the year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in May of 2014.
  • Virginia Tech won 16 ACC team championships during his tenure, and has added four more since his retirement.

“Weaver’s biggest impact at Tech came in his emphasis on facilities. The department committed nearly 200 million toward facilities during his time as the AD,” Virginia Tech said in a press release. “Weaver spearheaded the building of the south end zone at Lane Stadium and later the expansion of the west side of the stadium. He also oversaw the building of the Hahn Hurst Basketball Practice Center, the new football locker room, the new baseball hitting facility and many other projects and renovations.”

Weaver was especially close to Virginia Tech football head coach Frank Beamer.

“I greatly appreciate what Jim Weaver meant to Virginia Tech, and what he meant to me personally,” Tech football coach Frank Beamer said. “He was a former player and coach who understood those challenges as he served as athletics director. I respected that he was always organized, straightforward and was never afraid to make the tough decisions.”

Former Virginia Tech football players, Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon shared their thoughts on Weaver’s passing on twitter.

Weaver graduated from Penn State in 1967 and played football for legendary coach Joe Paterno during his time there. He served as the AD at Western Michigan and UNLV prior to coming Tech in 1997.

Weaver leaves behind wife Traci and four sons, Josh, Paul, Cole and Craig. Funeral arrangements have not yet been released.