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Seth Greenberg

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Seth Greenberg
Greenberg in 2012 at Virginia Tech
Biographical details
Born (1956-04-18) April 18, 1956 (age 68)
Plainview, New York, U.S.
Playing career
1974–1978Fairleigh Dickinson
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1978–1980Columbia (assistant)
1980–1983Pittsburgh (assistant)
1983–1984Virginia (assistant)
1985–1987Miami (FL) (assistant)
1987–1990Long Beach State (assistant)
1990–1996Long Beach State
1996–2003South Florida
2003–2012Virginia Tech
Head coaching record
Overall383–293 (.567)
Tournaments1–3 (NCAA Division I)
7–8 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 Big West tournament (1993, 1995)
Big West regular season (1996)
Awards
2× ACC Coach of the Year (2005, 2008)

Seth Vincent Greenberg (born April 18, 1956) is an American college basketball broadcaster who works as an analyst for ESPN.

Prior to taking the position at ESPN he was a coach for 34 years, the last 22 as a head coach. Greenberg has been the head coach at Long Beach State, the University of South Florida, and Virginia Tech. He was a two-time ACC Coach of the Year.

Early life and college playing career

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Seth Greenberg is one of the three sons of Marilyn and Ralph Greenberg of Plainview, New York. Older brother Brad also became a college basketball coach.[1]

After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview in 1974, Greenberg attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Lettering for four years in basketball under coach Al Lobalbo, Greenberg graduated in 1978 with a B.A. in broadcast journalism.[2]

Coaching career

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Assistant coach at Columbia, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and the University of Miami (1978–87)

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From 1978 to June 1980, Greenberg was an assistant coach at Columbia University under Buddy Mahar.[2] Greenberg later joined Roy Chipman as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1980 to 1983. In that era, Pittsburgh appeared in the NCAA Tournaments of 1981 and 1982.[2] For the 1983–84 season, Greenberg was an assistant on Terry Holland's Virginia team that made the Final Four of the 1984 NCAA tournament.[2] Greenberg later worked as an assistant under Bill Foster at the University of Miami from 1985 to 1987.[2]

Long Beach State associate head coach (1987–90)

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In 1987, Greenberg became associate head coach at Long Beach State under Joe Harrington. Long Beach State appeared in the National Invitation Tournaments of 1988 and 1990.[2]

Long Beach State head coach (1990–96)

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Long Beach State promoted Greenberg to head coach in 1990. In six seasons with Greenberg as head coach, Long Beach State went 105–70, second behind Jerry Tarkanian for the most wins in the program's history.[3] Postseason appearances during the Greenberg era included the 1992 NIT, 1993 NCAA tournament, and 1995 NCAA tournament.

In the 1992–93 season, Long Beach State also had its first Top 25 ranking in 14 years.[4] On January 25, 1993, Long Beach State upset #1 Kansas 64–49 at Allen Fieldhouse.[5] Long Beach State won the Big West tournament in 1993 and 1995.[4]

While at Long Beach, Greenberg was a mentor of two successful future NBA players, Lucious Harris and Bryon Russell.

South Florida (1996–2003)

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Greenberg was head coach at the University of South Florida from 1996 to 2003 and had a 108–100 record there.[3] South Florida became the Conference USA regular season champions in the 1999–00 season and made the NIT after the season.[6] South Florida also made the 2002 NIT.

Virginia Tech (2003–12)

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In nine seasons at Virginia Tech, Greenberg attained a 170–123 record. Greenberg's tenure at Virginia Tech began with the school's final season in the Big East Conference before joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004.[3] Following his second season at Virginia Tech that included an appearance in the 2005 NIT, Greenberg won the ACC Coach of the Year award.[2]

In 2005, he helped donate 2,400 student tickets to the NIT game against Temple.[7] In 2008, he increased the donations to 3000 tickets for students in all three NIT games played in Cassell Coliseum.[8][9][10]

During the 2006–07 season, Greenberg led the Hokies to a 22–12 record with signature victories against #5 Duke on the road and #1 North Carolina at home in an eight-day span. The victories landed the Hokies in the AP Top 25 for the first time in over a decade, and earned their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1996. They received a #5 seed in the West bracket, but fell to Southern Illinois in the second round.

Again in 2007–08, Virginia Tech had over 20 wins. Virginia Tech also made the quarterfinals of the 2008 NIT. Greenberg earned his second ACC Coach of the Year award.[2]

On January 21, 2009 the Hokies defeated #1 Wake Forest, 78–71. Wake Forest was the only remaining undefeated team in the nation at the time. Virginia Tech made each NIT from 2009 to 2011 and had its most successful season under Greenberg in 2009–10 with a 25–9 record.[2]

On February 27, 2011 the Hokies defeated #1 Duke in Cassell Coliseum.

Greenberg's tenure as Virginia Tech's head coach ended in April 2012, when Athletic Director Jim Weaver fired him at a surprise news conference.[11] Greenberg was "completely blindsided and shocked" by Weaver's decision.[11] Greenberg was replaced by his former assistant, James Johnson.

Greenberg is Jewish, and volunteered to coach the USA Men's Basketball team at the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel in July 2013.[12]

Awards

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Greenberg was inducted into The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2012, and the Long Beach State Hall of Fame in 2013.[13] In 1996 he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[14]

Broadcasting career

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Greenberg is a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Long Beach State 49ers (Big West Conference) (1990–1996)
1990–91 Long Beach State 11–17 7–11 T–6th
1991–92 Long Beach State 18–12 11–7 4th NIT first round
1992–93 Long Beach State 22–10 11–7 4th NCAA Division I Round of 64
1993–94 Long Beach State 17–10 11–7 T–2nd
1994–95 Long Beach State 20–10 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
1995–96 Long Beach State 17–11 12–6 1st
Long Beach State: 105–70 (.600) 65–43 (.602)
South Florida Bulls (Conference USA) (1996–2003)
1996–97 South Florida 8–19 2–12 4th (Red)
1997–98 South Florida 17–13 7–9 4th (National)
1998–99 South Florida 14–14 6–10 T–2nd (National)
1999–00 South Florida 17–14 8–8 T–1st (National) NIT first round
2000–01 South Florida 18–13 9–7 3rd (National)
2001–02 South Florida 19–13 8–8 3rd (National) NIT first round
2002–03 South Florida 15–14 7–9 4th (National)
South Florida: 108–100 (.519) 47–63 (.427)
Virginia Tech Hokies (Big East Conference) (2003–2004)
2003–04 Virginia Tech 15–14 7–9 T–8th
Virginia Tech Hokies (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2004–2012)
2004–05 Virginia Tech 16–14 8–8 T–4th NIT second round
2005–06 Virginia Tech 14–16 4–12 T–10th
2006–07 Virginia Tech 22–12 10–6 T–3rd NCAA Division I Round of 32
2007–08 Virginia Tech 21–14 9–7 4th NIT quarterfinal
2008–09 Virginia Tech 19–15 7–9 T–7th NIT second round
2009–10 Virginia Tech 25–9 10–6 T–3rd NIT quarterfinal
2010–11 Virginia Tech 22–12 9–7 T–4th NIT second round
2011–12 Virginia Tech 16–17 4–12 9th
Virginia Tech: 170–123 (.580) 68–76 (.472)
Total: 383–293 (.567)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ Teel, David (March 9, 2005). "The Brothers Greenberg". Daily Press (Newport News, Va.). Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Seth Greenberg". Virginia Tech Hokies. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Seth Greenberg". sports-reference.com. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Long Beach State 49ers Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
  5. ^ McLeod, Paul (January 26, 1993). "CS Long Beach, 34-Point Loser Saturday, Stuns No. 1 Kansas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  6. ^ 1999-00 South Florida Bulls Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
  7. ^ hokiesports.com
  8. ^ 3,000 tickets for NIT game donated for Tech students
  9. ^ Another 3,000 tickets donated to students for Second Round of NIT
  10. ^ Another 3,000 tickets donated to students for Quarterfinals of NIT
  11. ^ a b Andy Katz (April 24, 2012). "Va. Tech fires Seth Greenberg". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  12. ^ Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg named team USA coach for Maccabiah Games – The Washington Post
  13. ^ Seth Greenberg – ESPN MediaZone
  14. ^ "Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home".
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