My new interview with Seth Greenberg
I talked to Seth Greenberg today. This is a longer story than the one that will appear in Tuesday’s newspaper and online Tuesday:
Seth Greenberg gained a new employer Monday, and it could very well be his final one.
ESPN announced it has hired the former Virginia Tech coach as an analyst for its men’s basketball coverage. Greenberg will spend most of his time as a studio analyst, although he will occasionally be used a color commentator for game telecasts.
“It’s going to be a different lifestyle, but it keeps me involved in the game,” he said in a phone interview today. “I’m going to talk basketball and I’m going to have fun doing it. And at the end of the night, when the game’s over, I’ll probably sleep a lot better.”
Is this just a one- or two-year gig for Greenberg until he gets another coaching job? He did not give that impression.
Earlier this month, Greenberg and his family moved from Blacksburg to Avon, Conn., near ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios.
“We moved up to Connecticut with the mind-set that we’re making a commitment to doing this,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity they’re giving me. Like anything I’ve ever done in my life, I’m going in with both feet in. I wouldn’t have moved to Avon, Conn., if that wasn’t my mind-set.
“I get a chance to stay in basketball and be around the game and talk ball. As much as I love the game, this is a great platform for me to share my passion for the game.”
Greenberg’s middle daughter, Ella, still plans to graduate from Tech in December. His youngest daughter, Jackie, would have been a senior on the Blacksburg High School volleyball team this year but will instead graduate from a Connecticut high school.
Greenberg could have traveled back and forth from Blacksburg to Bristol while his daughters finished school, but he and his wife decided not to put off the move north.
“Being that I was going to be in the studio three or four days a week, I would have missed Jackie’s whole senior year,” Greenberg said. “That wouldn’t have been fair to her or [wife] Karen.
“I didn’t think staying in Blacksburg would have been the healthiest for anyone involved.”
Greenberg, 56, was fired by Tech in April after nine seasons with the Hokies.
“I appreciate the opportunity I was given,” he said. “I’m very proud of what we accomplished. And now it’s time for me to move on and I guess for Virginia Tech to move on. I think history will end up proving out that we did some very special things.
“I’ve got great opportunity ahead of me. … My record speaks for itself. I’ve got a supportive family and an exciting future, so why wouldn’t I be at peace?”
Greenberg was 170-123 with one NCAA tournament bid and five NIT berths at Tech.
“I have great memories of Virginia Tech,” he said. “It’s where my children were raised and grew up. My memories are of graduating every senior but one. My memories will be of taking the worst program in the Big East and making it one of the most successful programs in the ACC over a five-year period. I’m leaving a lot of really dear, close friends behind and a very, very good team.”
Greenberg was replaced by former assistant James Johnson. The two have not spoken since Johnson was hired. Greenberg said he has called Johnson “numerous times but we haven’t been able to connect.”
Greenberg will often appear in the ESPN studio during halftimes, between games and during the nightly college basketball wrap-up show.
“I’ll have to speak in shorter sound bites,” he said.
This will be the first season in 35 years he won’t be a coach.
“This has been a different spring and summer for me,” he said. “It hasn’t been bad because I’ve had a chance to take Jackie to volleyball camps and be there for my family.
“I won’t know how I’ll feel [this season] until I get to that point, when Midnight Madness or the first set of games [happens].”
He said he will miss the relationships with players the most.
“They day-to-day interaction for better or for worse, even the drama, it’s something that I’ve lived with for 35 years,” he said. “One of the great things about coaching is not the four years you coach the young person, it’s five years down the road, 10 years down the road. It’s when they come back and say, ‘Coach, what you were talking about, that had an unbelievable effect on how I view life today’ Making a difference, even though it’s not realized at the time, that’s probably the thing I’ll miss.”
Athletic director Jim Weaver said in April that he fired Greenberg because assistant coaches had left and because he wanted “to change the direction and leadership of the program.”
Does Greenberg still have some anger towards Tech?
“I’m not giving that much thought,” he said. “I don’t have any control over what happened and I’m moving forward.”
Why does Greenberg feel he was fired?
“I’m excited about my opportunities with ESPN. That’s a question I can’t answer,” he said.
Does he feel if his assistant coaches hadn’t left, he’d still be the Hokies coach?
“I can’t answer that. I couldn’t tell you,” he said.
Does he have any ill will toward Johnson?
“It’s not a concern,” he said.
ESPN also announced Monday the hiring of former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl as a studio analyst and occasional game commentator.
Neither Greenberg nor Pearl will succeed Hubert Davis, now a North Carolina assistant, on the weekly “College GameDay” show. That slot will go to Jalen Rose, who is moving over from ESPN’s NBA coverage.
July 30, 2012 - 6:44 PM
Not surprising that Greenberg is TRYING to take the high road here… He knows darn well that his assistants leaving was one of the primary reasons he was let go – and he IS still miffed about it. But, media-savvy as he is – he knows it’s best NOT to say it. I’m thankful for the exposure that he gave the Tech b-ball program… although aside from maybe one or two seasons – they just didn’t meet with the TYPE of success that they maybe should have. And as for him phoning Coach Johnson.. I’m sorry, I just don’t buy that at all…
It is obvious that Seth Greenberg is being as classy about his dismissal as anyone could imagine. It opened up a door to a much larger opportunity for him, even if not quite as financially rewarding. Good for him. I hope he enjoys it, as he certainly seems to be ready to move beyond coaching. He did a great job building a program at VT. Given the direct nature of the questions asked him – all of which were fair, based on this transcript – he was extremely gracious in his responses. It’s obvious it did not go down well, but he refused even a single hint at spite. Something to be noted there, especially to his critics.
Weaver might have dismantled the entire thing, but at least Seth proved it could be done. Maybe a decade from now we’ll be back where we were a year ago.
I’m going to miss Coach Greenberg. I hated to see him go but was resigned to it having to happen once all of his assistants bolted. Wish things had ended better and still believe we very much got the short end of the stick several years with the selection committee.
Question for Berman – Seth graduated all but one of his seniors, who was the one that has not yet graduated?
Jay, ever think perhaps Greenberg is telling the truth, ever consider that? Maybe Seth has phoned Johnson and Johnson chosen to not take his call because it would be very awkward?
I dunno, if I tried 3-4 times and kept getting no response on a phone, I’d get the message. Every single action Greenberg has taken since his dismissal has been classy, I tend to doubt those who keep wanting to attribute some negative response to him. The proof is that he’s been classy, and the way that everyone at VT handled it, well…
Proof is in the pudding, as they say.
My guess is A.D. Vassallo.
Reading between the lines, he does bear a little ill-will toward Weaver, but at least he is smart enough to know the less sound bites, the better.
I think he will be all right and maybe a force on the camera.
Wow, Pearl and Greenburg. What a great hire for ESPN. Maybe they can work together, they certainly deserve each other.
Whoa, Greg. You may not like the man but Greenberg ran a clean program. There was never a hint or whisper of any wrongdoing. Pearl, on the other hand…dirty, dirty, dirty.
CR. I see we are on the same page on this one. Weaver`s ego will send Tech basketball back to the Stokes era debacle. Granted, Seth left some good players but what happens when Ced gets in foul trouble? Will that Dutch guy turn into Hans Christian Olajuwon. Doubtful. Seth graduated his players, never broke NCAA rules and certainly never did anything immoral to embarrass the University. How could he have been treated any worse had he done any of the three? Seth talked about his friends in Blacksburg. Were these the same friends who never publically supported him after his firing. Their silence was wrong. I am as big a Tech basketball fan as football fan and that`s saying a lot. Come Oct.15 I will be pulling for Coach Johnson and the players same as always but last April I lost some respect for the athletic department. I doubt I`m the only one.
I think it’s Jeff Allen.
Greenberg gone, hopefully stinespring is next neither know what a offense is or how to coach an offense. The college game has changed you can win with an average defense just ask okla St no defense all offense, Tech is the complete opposit that’s why they lose every big game they play. I think the grey hound leaves at 8 pm stinespring!
Crooked Road…
If Greenberg did, in fact, telephone Coach Johnson… what exactly was he gonna say to him? I doubt very seriously it would be a cheery, “Wish ya the best of luck” kinda phone call. Since Johnson’s original departure to Clemson was the straw that broke the Greenberg camel’s back… I hardly think that he would call right away to be supportive. Give some more time for this to be in the rear view mirror and him be good at ESPN and enjoy that success for a while….. THEN maybe I could see it happening. If Greenberg is savvy enough to not throw Tech under the bus for how he was let go in this interview with Berman…he SURELY wouldn’t ruin the savvy reputation by calling Coach Johnson and bawling him out for getting him fired.
mb, that is a good assessment about the non-grad. Either of the two seemed to take FAR more than they gave, on the whole. Too bad. They’ll probably, hopefully, maybe realize in a decade just what they ignored at the time.
One of the great thin books of all time- “How to make the NCAA tournament annually” by Seth Greenberg. The ceiling had been hit. SG was not going to take the program any farther. It had been hit years earlier.
That being said, SG is not the problem that Weaver is. For the most part an absolute disaster for VT athletics. And this latest desperate move to hire Johnson is one he “hopes” will work out but does not have the %’s on JW’s side, especially considering the loss of a prized recruit and the transfer of a key player.
VT needs to find out if any of the PSU football players can play basketball. It will be a while before we are relevant again in MBB.
Thanks Mr. Weaver…..
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next five years with Hokie basketball. For all the people who criticized Greenberg for his 20+ win seasons that resulted in no NCAA bid, what are they going to say now?
Between the approach to womens’ hoops and now to mens’, I’ve got to say, it’s going to be an uphill battle.
I think SG got EXACTLY what he wanted – a gig on ESPN. I think he was posturing for one for years and had certainly “auditioned” many times during the last few NCAA Tournaments.
The timing may not have worked as he would like but thats life. Why shouldn’t he take the high road? it is in his financial interest do so. If he were intent on bashing VT how would that translate to TV? Not well.
I thought he wore out his welcom at VT myself but I also think he is a good man (note his comments about staying B-burg and use of the word “healthy”) and knows hoops. I wish him well.
Who will have the break out season this year? My vote was R. Brown until his recent surgery. All depends how he comes back from that injury though. Now I will go with Raines. What does everyone else think?
Drew, the offense is a big problem in football, but you have the wrong coach to go first, it needs to be NEWSOME !!! O-line coach, ha,ha !!!!!!! High school coaches in the Roanoke valley are better at coaching o-lines, look at the great running attacks on teams in the area.
I can’t wait to see how all of the people who are glad Seth is gone feel when January and February roll around and VT is in last place in the ACC. Greenberg overachieved at Tech and once the 2012 season is completed a majority of Hokie fans willl realize it. The sad part about this whole situation is SG had built the program up and Weaver had the opportunity to hire a coach that at least could keep the team competitive. Instead he hires a rookie coach who is in way over his head. I predict Tech will finish in the cellar the next three years and they’ll be right back to this point with less talent on the team.
Jeremy, Weaver managed to bulldoze away the HokieStone solid foundation Greenberg had built over the near decade of his program. We’re now back to the level of the Stokes ‘glory days’. Eight scholarship players, rookie head coach, lack of recruiting base, forced deference to the football program, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the next 4-5 years, minimum.
But heck, the important thing is that Weaver is saving money on investing in the basketball program. That way Beamer’s staff can continue to reap more salary demands, so it’s all good…