Weaver’s dream: A Tech championship

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2000 | 10:12 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- Jim Weaver is enjoying a nice, sunny 70-degree day before Virginia Tech's practice at Tulane University here by tossing a football back and forth with a youngster.

He has a big smile on his face, and why not? The Hokies' athletic director could soon be getting himself fitted for a national championship ring if Virginia Tech (11-0) can find a way to upset No. 1 Florida State (11-0) in the Sugar Bowl tonight at the Superdome.

But Weaver's smile quickly disappears when he is asked about his three-and-a-half year stint as AD at UNLV in the early '90s.

"We don't need to regurgitate that, do we?" he asks politely. "I'd rather not look back, just forward."

Who can blame him?

Brought in "to reconstruct a troubled athletic department" at UNLV -- that's how the Virginia Tech football guide phrases it -- Weaver drew raves for generating nearly $15 million in fund-raising. He oversaw the construction of the $8.5 million Lied Athletic Complex and also the state-of-the-art $1.4 million Earl E. Wilson baseball stadium.

He also implemented a compliance and monitoring program designed to help eliminate further NCAA infractions, produced a departmental policy manual and initiated a life skills program.

But he also helped hire a pompous little basketball coach named Rollie Massimino, who lasted only two seasons before being shown the door. And when longtime UNLV basketball boosters, yearning for a link to the golden days of Jerry Tarkanian basketball, pushed Weaver to hire longtime Tark aide Tim Grgurich to replace Massimino, he balked.

"I resigned when they wanted me to bring Tim Grgurich in to coach," Weaver said. "I didn't think it would be the right thing for the university."

It wasn't.

Besides his link to Tarkanian's past NCAA troubles, Grgurich compiled a 2-5 record before stepping down for what was termed "health reasons."

Weaver was hired as AD by Western Michigan in January of 1996 where he hired Gary Darnell as head football coach and announced the creation of a $7 million football center.

Then, in September of 1997, he moved on to Blacksburg to take over Virginia Tech's athletic program.

"Jim Weaver was the unanimous choice of our search committee," Virginia Tech president Paul Torgersen said. "The committee was searching for someone with extensive Division I experience, a commitment to compliance, a commitment to gender equity, a commitment to all 21 varsity sports and a vision for conference alignment."

Weaver is already busy upgrading Tech's football facilities. But perhaps his most important move was re-signing head football coach Frank Beamer to a contract extension that will likely keep Beamer in Blacksburg for the duration of his coaching career.

"I have no regrets about coming to Las Vegas," Weaver said. "I enjoyed my years there and some of the people I met. I always look for their scores and hope they win. I made a lot of friends there."

He tries to put a positive spin on resigning at UNLV.

"You just do the best job you can do every step of the way," Weaver said. "That's something I learned from coach (Joe) Paterno during my football days at Penn State. You give your best effort every day and try and get a little bit better.

"I also try to follow the advice my host gave me when I went on my recruiting trip to Pitt. He told me, 'Don't make your decision until you're really ready to live with it. And when you do, don't look back.' And that's what I've tried to do. Just keeping looking forward, not behind."

Besides, the future is looking very bright for Jim Weaver these days.