BLACKSBURG (WTVR) - Virginia Tech officials announced a press conference for 4pm Monday afternoon, the subject of which was kept private.
Speculation centered on the health and future of Athletic Director Jim Weaver, who has Parkinson's Disease and was thought to be announcing his retirement. Quite the opposite.
Weaver flexed his still resolute athletic muscle and announced that head basketball coach Seth Greenberg had been terminated after a nine year tenure that saw the Hokies go 167-117 but just 66-71 in the ACC and just 4-12 in conference this year.
"[Assistant athletic director Tom Gabbard and I] decided last week that we needed to go in another direction in our men's basketball program" Weaver said at Monday's announcement. The reasons were not solely because of the Hokies lack of success on the court. It was more about the attrition in the program: 6 assistant coaches have left the team in the last four years, including all three this year as well as the Director of Basketball Operations.
"I can certainly understand some coaches leaving, but to have as many leave as we had sat the wrong way with me," Weaver said.
"I was completely shocked and blindsided by the decision of Jim Weaver and the administration" Greenberg told ESPN. "These past nine years have been some of the most rewarding for me both personally and professionally".
Weaver said the search for a replacement would begin Tuesday, noting he had already heard from some interested candidates. The Daily Press in Hampton reported that Weaver would not use a search firm in the process.
Greenberg had several years left on his contract and his buyout was $1.2 million.
