Seth got the boot!

[achiever1911]

Virginia Tech has fired men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg after nine seasons with the Hokies, athletic director Jim Weaver announced at a news conference Monday afternoon.

CAPTION

By Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

"We needed to go another direction in our men's basketball program," Weaver said. "We have terminated Seth Greenberg's contract."

Weaver said he and associate athletic director Tom Gabbard made the decision to fire Greenberg last week. Weaver also said that the rest of the athletic department had a "family environment" -- and the basketball program didn't.

"One year from now, in 2013, we were not going to extend the contract at all, nor would we extend the contract the year after that," Weaver said. So why wait?

Weaver said he expects a lot of interest in the vacant head coaching position because it's in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Greenberg's teams went 167-117 in nine seasons at Virginia Tech. The Hokies made the NCAA tournament once (2006-07) and the NIT five times.

Virginia Tech finished ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season.

The timing of the announcement is odd, but it does follow the news that two of Greenberg's three assistants have left the program, and the third is expected to do so as well. The director of basketball operations has left, too.

"Because we have three vacancies now on our staff, it made all the sense in the world to us to move forward and change the direction of our program and hire a new staff that's going to be here," Weaver said.

Weaver was asked if he'd have fired Greenberg if the assistants hadn't left, and Weaver said, "in all likelihood, yes."

Weaver said Greenberg was "shocked" when told he was being fired Monday.

"There's no good time to make the decision," Gabbard said. "There's no good time."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/04/virginia-tech-seth-greenberg/1

[wagers]

This sucks....The Sheriff was promised an assistant coaching job this year by Greeny (as he only had one left on staff).

[GaUSFBull]

4 years left on the contract - they must have $ to burn up there in Crapsburg.

[SRQ]

no tears for Seth; has four more years on a rich contract.

[jasonb56]

^{sounds like he P***ed off a few powerful people up there...}

[gobulls83]

I'm a little surprised by this. I won't pretend I follow Virginia Tech basketball at all, but I thought they have had more success in the past decade than in the two or three decades before it, even if it was nothing compared with the ACC powerhouses. But I think Greenberg's past suggests the team has more than likely peaked, so I'm not saying it's a bad call. Guess that explains those confusing "Greenberg interested in SMU" rumors from a few weeks ago.

[Triple B]

With three assistants and the director of baketball operations leaving, something was up before the firing ...

[bcgruber]

not surprised at all by this. He wore out his welcome here and the same thing happened there. His teams have been the same for the last 15 yrs. Better talent then the record all mouth and no game. My guess is he ends up in the Pac-12 somehwere or ESPN

[Brad]

Kids just don't grow up dreaming of being Hokies.

Good luck Seth. Hopefully he chooses the booth, I think that's where he's destined to be.

[The Sheriff]

I guess when you make a lot of money in your profession, haters are gonna hate. I don't claim to know an ounce about coaching hoops (besides dominating in NBA Fantasy Basketball leagues), nor was I ever good enough to play hoops at the college level (I was a decent street ball player at best). However, Seth treated me and my friends with respect while I was at USF and I will always extend that respect back to him (he also drew a lot of interest in a program that was spiraling to loserville). Things get said in the heat of the moment (Kids don't grow up wanting to go to USF). Yeah, it stung... but when I drove up to VaTech to see his first game as a coach there, he treated me well (and I was decked out in USF gear). Seth will land on his feet. He's a good guy. People will always have hard feelings on here about him... That's fine. I'd give the guy the shirt off my back... and for the most part, I believe he would reciprocate to each and everyone of you on here. Keep your head up Seth... You'll land on your feet.