Commentary

Greenberg Injects Intensity into Hokie Basketball
by Ben Boggs
Sports Writer/Photographer
February 2, 2007

Let’s face it, Frank Beamer is the biggest name associated with Virginia Tech. He is the most recognized and admired man in Blacksburg and the president would probably get charged for a meal before Virginia Tech’s football coach.

As much as Beamer has done for the football program, coach Seth Greenberg has done just as much, if not more, for the basketball program since Virginia Tech’s arrival in the ACC.

Obviously, winning Coach of the Year in Tech’s inaugural season in the ACC has been the biggest of his personal triumphs, but you can’t realize the passion Greenberg puts in day in and day out until you've had the chance to watch him. There is never a moment in the game where Greenberg isn’t putting all of his enthusiasm into coaching these young athletes.

Take a look at Beamer on the sidelines once he knows that the team has the game in the bag. Beamer exhibits a relaxed and laid back coaching style when he knows that Tech will get another one in the win column.

Being up by 30 in the second half makes no difference to Greenberg, putting all his emotion in it until the very end as if the Hokies were playing the number one team in the nation every night. There is a realistic attitude about Greenberg that gives him my ultimate respect as well.

Just ask Tech assistant coach Brad Greenberg, who greatly admires his brother's the recent success.

“Seth is as good as it gets in figuring out how to try and build a program. He has an incredible feel on just know how to do it A-Z,” Greenberg said in a recent radio interview.

“No one deserves it more than Seth, because there’s nobody out there that works harder. He is just consumed with it, obsessed with it. He is just exceptional at it. Combination of passion, intellect, desire to build a program, build a community around it, he’s got it all covered. I am enjoying just being able to look at it up close everyday. We’re not done yet, that’s for sure, we are just scratching the surface.”

Many Hokie fans will tell you that the reason Tech lost on Wednesday was because of the officiating. I’m sorry, but if you are one of these you have a lot to learn about the game. What was Greenberg’s opinion about the referees following the loss? Well, there was no reaction. He put it honestly about why his team didn’t end up with another win.

“We were out coached. We were out played. We were out competed. We were out focused. We were out toughed. I can’t really say one thing what we did a job with,” said Greenberg immediately after sitting down in the post game press conference.

This kind of tough-to-swallow honesty is what makes Tech’s basketball coach one class act. Many coaches would have walked into that press conference cursing up a storm and pointing fingers. Instead, Greenberg was calm and seemed a bit heartbroken.

With the manner in which he spoke you could get the sense of him being truly disappointed about the loss. He didn't show the impatient anger of a coach that just wanted to get home after a late game, something all too common among professional and collegiate coaches. The care and desire for this team to succeed could obviously be seen in his eyes.

Like Bruce Pearl, head coach of Tennessee, Greenberg has devout support for the students, getting them into the building and making them a huge part of the Cassell Coliseum atmosphere, a must in the ACC. He’s gone on the radio in recent weeks and voiced his opinion about getting more students in Cassell and putting them closer to center court.

Following the Maryland game, he even got on the microphone to thank the students and admitted that the outcome of the game probably wouldn’t have been the same without the student body that night.

With that respect he shows comes an equal respect the fans should be showing the team. Regardless of who it was intended for, the drink cup thrown from the stands towards the Virginia Tech bench showed an immeasurable amount of disrespect for the progress Greenberg has made with this program. For all the fan respect he has recently shown, that cup threws it all back in his face.

Realistically, it is almost impossible to dominate in the ACC. If you don’t come out and play at the top of your potential each night you're not going anywhere in this conference. Anyone can win on any given night, and that’s just the plain truth about the ACC.

I’ve already read plenty following the N.C. State loss about Greenberg not being able to motivate his players and possibly not being a fit for Virginia Tech. To those outspoken few, have you forgotten the Hokies won at Cameron Indoor Stadium? Have you forgotten that seven days later Greenberg led the Hokies to one of the biggest victories in their history against number one UNC? Those two feats were dreams come true for many lifelong Hokie fans.

Greenberg is truly vital to the future and success of this program. Wednesday night was one game. At 6-2 in the ACC, the Hokies are still in great shape to finish out the regular season strong. Greenberg will have his team ready to bounce back Saturday against Boston College.

As he did two years ago, Greenberg has my support for earning ACC Coach of the Year. Depending on what happens from here to March, he may also be considered as a candidate for National Coach of the Year.