Saturday, October 27, 2007
Source: Lineburg accepts job as RU AD
The one-time Highlander basketball player grew up in Radford and has strong community ties.
Perhaps it would be overstating the case to say that the Lineburg family has established a dynasty in the field of education in the City of Radford.
Even so, it's a claim that isn't entirely without foundation.
Robert Lineburg, eldest son of venerated retired Radford High athletic director and coach Norman Lineburg, will be introduced soon as the new Radford University athletic director.
Multiple sources who are familiar with the situation said the 39-year-old Lineburg is the university's man.
Lineburg, a former basketball coach at a number of colleges -- most recently Southern Methodist University -- has never been an athletic director. He was working in commercial real estate in Dallas when he landed the Radford job.
"He doesn't work here any more," said John Briggs, a partner in Peloton Real Estate Partners, Lineburg's former employer. "He left here early this week. He told us he'd be returning home to Virginia to take a job as a college athletic director.
"He's been in Dallas 15 years and we'll miss him, but I know he's excited about returning to Virginia to do something he really wants to do."
Also known to have interviewed for the Radford job was VMI senior associate athletic director Bart Bellairs. According to a source at VMI, Bellairs is aware his bid for the Radford job was unsuccessful.
Sharon McCloskey, a senior associate athletic director at Virginia Tech, also interviewed for the Radford job.
Lineburg succeeds Greig Denny at Radford. Denny announced his resignation as athletic director this past summer. A university search committee was formed and the interview process launched this fall.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that Robert Lineburg has been hired as AD," Radford spokesman Drew Dickerson said.
Dickerson added that he knew of no scheduled announcement on the subject.
Lineburg said Friday he could not talk about his situation.
He played college basketball at Radford before finishing his career at Roanoke College, when it became clear playing time would be scarce with the Highlanders.
Lineburg served as an assistant for seven seasons at SMU. Then, when head coach Mike Dement was fired on Feb. 27, 2004, Lineburg was named interim head coach and went 2-3 during his time in charge.
He has also been an assistant coach at James Madison University, UNC Greensboro, and Emory & Henry. He was a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech.
Lineburg graduated from Roanoke in 1991 with a history degree. He finished his masters degree in education from Virginia Tech in 1995.
Lineburg continues to have deep roots in the Radford community, which would seem to have been one of the strong points of his candidacy.
The university has tried for years to establish a higher athletics profile in the community, efforts that have been met with mixed results.
Lineburg's wife of seven years, Mary Parish Lineburg, is the daughter of retired Radford University music professor George Parish.
Robert Lineburg was an All-Group AA quarterback for his father, who retired after last season with 315 career victories. Robert Lineburg was also all-state in basketball.
His brother Mark Lineburg is principal at Radford High.
