Seth Greenberg spent nine seasons as the men’s basketball coach at Virginia Tech. He has spent the past 11 seasons working for ESPN. Greenberg spent only one season at Virginia, but it still had an indelible impact on his life. He gained a mentor at UVa — the late Terry Holland. “He meant the world to me,” Greenberg said this week in a phone interview. Holland, who made his mark at UVa as a men’s basketball coach and athletic director, died in February at the age of 80. Greenberg will be part of UVa’s tribute to Holland at 2 p.m. Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena. Greenberg was on Holland’s staff in the 1983-84 season. “From that point on, basically every major decision I made in my life, I consulted him, whether it was asking Karen to marry me, … [or] when I left Long Beach State to go to South Florida,” Greenberg said. “He helped guide me through my time at Virginia Tech. “He was, for 38, 39 years, the most influential voice, besides Karen, in my life.” Greenberg will not only be one of the speakers at Saturday’s ceremony but will also be one of the moderators, along with former UVa great Ralph Sampson. Greenberg said he was “blown away” when Holland’s widow, Ann, asked him to be one of the moderators. Greenberg first met Terry Holland when Holland was recruiting one of Greenberg’s high school teammates in New York, Marc Iavaroni. Years later, Holland became Greenberg’s boss. After losing his job as a Pittsburgh assistant, Greenberg joined Holland’s staff. “I went to Virginia to extend my coaching career,” he said. “What I got wasn’t an eight-month relationship. What I got was a lifetime relationship. “We’d go on runs [that season] every day almost and we’d just talk. We just developed this trust, this … friendship that was real. “He invested in me and my career and my happiness.” The UVa staff that season included future college head coaches Dave Odom, Jim Larranaga and Jeff Jones. Tom Perrin was also on the staff. Greenberg, who would go on to become a head coach at Long Beach State, South Florida and Virginia Tech, was a graduate assistant. “I was the worst graduate student in the history of Virginia,” Greenberg cracked. One of UVa’s two Final Four appearances under Holland came in that 1983-84 season — even though Sampson’s illustrious UVa career had ended the previous season. The 1983-84 squad included Othell Wilson, Rick Carlisle, Olden Polynice, Jim Miller, Kenton Edelin, Ricky Stokes, Anthony Solomon and Tom Sheehey. “The thing that was amazing to me is we never had a practice schedule. It was all in [Holland’s] mind,” Greenberg said. “Coach Holland was brilliant, to say the least.” UVa was just 17-11 on Selection Sunday that season, including 6-8 in ACC play. “We thought we were going to the NIT,” Greenberg said. Instead, UVa got an NCAA bid. Seventh-seeded UVa beat Iona, Arkansas, Syracuse and Indiana to advance to the Final Four. “That was one of the most remarkable runs to the Final Four ever,” Greenberg said. Greenberg left UVa to become a full-time assistant for the late Bill Foster, who was reviving the men’s basketball program at Miami. “[Holland] had a great relationship with Coach Foster. Without a doubt, [Holland] was the reason I got the Miami job,” Greenberg said. Greenberg and Holland remained close after Greenberg left the Cavaliers. “He always had time for me,” Greenberg said. “He always had … the right advice to help me figure it out. Not to tell me what to do, but to help me figure it out.” Holland won 326 games at UVa from 1974 to 1990 before become an athletic director at Davidson, UVa and East Carolina. “Coach was … fiercely, fiercely competitive,” Greenberg said. “He was ‘The Gentleman Coach,’ but when he put his hands over his mouth after a bad call, I wish I could’ve done that. And then he would take his hands away and he’d smile and no one had any idea he was obviously undressing the official.” Larranaga, Jones, Carlisle, Iavaroni and Miller will be among those participating in Saturday’s tribute, along with current UVa coach Tony Bennett, Kentucky coach John Calipari and ex-Cavaliers Wally Walker, Bryant Stith, Jeff Lamp and Bobby Stokes. There will also be participants who knew Holland from his time at Davidson and ECU, including former ECU football coaches Skip Holtz and Ruffin McNeill. As a moderator, Greenberg will not only introduce some of the speakers but will also ask questions of Calipari, Larranaga and some of the others to draw out their Holland memories. Saturday’s event, including a 1:30 p.m. performance from Bruce Hornsby, will be open to the public. It will be streamed live on VirginiaSports.com and on Facebook at @VirginiaCavaliers starting at 1:30 p.m.
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Seth Greenberg spent nine seasons as the men’s basketball coach at Virginia Tech.
He has spent the past 11 seasons working for ESPN.
Greenberg spent only one season at Virginia, but it still had an indelible impact on his life. He gained a mentor at UVa — the late Terry Holland.
“He meant the world to me,” Greenberg said this week in a phone interview.
Holland, who made his mark at UVa as a men’s basketball coach and athletic director, died in February at the age of 80. Greenberg will be part of UVa’s tribute to Holland at 2 p.m. Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena.
Greenberg was on Holland’s staff in the 1983-84 season.
“From that point on, basically every major decision I made in my life, I consulted him, whether it was asking Karen to marry me, … [or] when I left Long Beach State to go to South Florida,” Greenberg said. “He helped guide me through my time at Virginia Tech.
“He was, for 38, 39 years, the most influential voice, besides Karen, in my life.”
Greenberg will not only be one of the speakers at Saturday’s ceremony but will also be one of the moderators, along with former UVa great Ralph Sampson.
Greenberg said he was “blown away” when Holland’s widow, Ann, asked him to be one of the moderators.
Greenberg first met Terry Holland when Holland was recruiting one of Greenberg’s high school teammates in New York, Marc Iavaroni.
Years later, Holland became Greenberg’s boss. After losing his job as a Pittsburgh assistant, Greenberg joined Holland’s staff.
“I went to Virginia to extend my coaching career,” he said. “What I got wasn’t an eight-month relationship. What I got was a lifetime relationship.
“We’d go on runs [that season] every day almost and we’d just talk. We just developed this trust, this … friendship that was real.
“He invested in me and my career and my happiness.”
The UVa staff that season included future college head coaches Dave Odom, Jim Larranaga and Jeff Jones. Tom Perrin was also on the staff. Greenberg, who would go on to become a head coach at Long Beach State, South Florida and Virginia Tech, was a graduate assistant.
“I was the worst graduate student in the history of Virginia,” Greenberg cracked.
One of UVa’s two Final Four appearances under Holland came in that 1983-84 season — even though Sampson’s illustrious UVa career had ended the previous season. The 1983-84 squad included Othell Wilson, Rick Carlisle, Olden Polynice, Jim Miller, Kenton Edelin, Ricky Stokes, Anthony Solomon and Tom Sheehey.
“The thing that was amazing to me is we never had a practice schedule. It was all in [Holland’s] mind,” Greenberg said. “Coach Holland was brilliant, to say the least.”
UVa was just 17-11 on Selection Sunday that season, including 6-8 in ACC play.
“We thought we were going to the NIT,” Greenberg said.
Instead, UVa got an NCAA bid. Seventh-seeded UVa beat Iona, Arkansas, Syracuse and Indiana to advance to the Final Four.
“That was one of the most remarkable runs to the Final Four ever,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg left UVa to become a full-time assistant for the late Bill Foster, who was reviving the men’s basketball program at Miami.
“[Holland] had a great relationship with Coach Foster. Without a doubt, [Holland] was the reason I got the Miami job,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg and Holland remained close after Greenberg left the Cavaliers.
“He always had time for me,” Greenberg said. “He always had … the right advice to help me figure it out. Not to tell me what to do, but to help me figure it out.”
Holland won 326 games at UVa from 1974 to 1990 before become an athletic director at Davidson, UVa and East Carolina.
“Coach was … fiercely, fiercely competitive,” Greenberg said. “He was ‘The Gentleman Coach,’ but when he put his hands over his mouth after a bad call, I wish I could’ve done that. And then he would take his hands away and he’d smile and no one had any idea he was obviously undressing the official.”
Larranaga, Jones, Carlisle, Iavaroni and Miller will be among those participating in Saturday’s tribute, along with current UVa coach Tony Bennett, Kentucky coach John Calipari and ex-Cavaliers Wally Walker, Bryant Stith, Jeff Lamp and Bobby Stokes. There will also be participants who knew Holland from his time at Davidson and ECU, including former ECU football coaches Skip Holtz and Ruffin McNeill.
As a moderator, Greenberg will not only introduce some of the speakers but will also ask questions of Calipari, Larranaga and some of the others to draw out their Holland memories.
Saturday’s event, including a 1:30 p.m. performance from Bruce Hornsby, will be open to the public. It will be streamed live on VirginiaSports.com and on Facebook at @VirginiaCavaliers starting at 1:30 p.m.
