A program to call his own

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By Patrick Stevens

It was going to work out well for Brad Greenberg, one way or another. He had arrived at the University School of Nova Southeastern University to glad-hand with the booster club and become familiar with his latest corner of the basketball sky.

Yes, the college and pro games would soon be a distant memory. But there was a substantial upside. Life in the Miami suburb of Davie, Fla., is typically enjoyable, and after remaining on the move for years, Greenberg finally would settle down and perhaps live closer to his teenage daughter and his ex-wife.

It would mean leaving Virginia Tech and his younger brother, Seth, the Hokies' coach. It also would mean at age 51 a career already filled with unexpected twists would head in an different direction.

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So as the spring of 2005 churned ahead, Brad Greenberg approached his daughter, Ali, with his plan.

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"She looked at me and said, 'Dad, you are an NBA general manager; you're not going to coach high schools,' " he recalled this week. "I said to her if I do this, she could go to this school. She said, 'Don't worry, we'll be cool.' "

Just about everything is cool for Greenberg these days. He remained at Virginia Tech as associate head coach, helping his brother establish the Hokies as a reputable program.

He grew closer to his children; his son, Cory, graduated from Virginia Tech last year, and his daughter is wrapping up a stable high school experience in Blacksburg.

And in a professional triumph, the man who was funneled into administration early in his basketball life is making his NCAA tournament debut as a coach with Big South champion Radford.