When Virginia Tech hired Jim Weaver way back in 1997, he was the right person at the right time. The Hokies needed an AD with a mind for finances and facilities. Tech needed to take a big step forward in terms of facilities, and they needed to start turning a profit. For the better part of two decades, that’s exactly what Jim Weaver did.

Now, with Weaver on the way out, the people on the search committee along with Ray Smoot have to ask themselves the same thing: what does Virginia Tech need right now?

At this point in time, Virginia Tech is a strong, healthy athletic department that runs in the black every year. The Hokies are also up to date in facilities, for the most part. There are a few things that I believe need to be tackled, but there aren’t any huge things like the South Endzone Expansion on the horizon. Once the Indoor Practice Facility is built, there won’t be too much to do.

So what do the Hokies need? They need to get better at fundraising, they need to get better at communication, they need to get better at establishing relationships with the younger alums, etc. They also need to get better at basketball.

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