Byers recently completed his second season with the Hokies following stints at Penn State, VCU, Rice, Radford, Saint Francis (Pa.), Randolph-Macon, and Lebanon Valley.
The Hokies ended Byers’ second season with a disappointing 13-19 (8-12) record. While they managed a decent 5-5 mark in true road games, their 8-9 home record and 0-5 neutral site record meant that, for the third consecutive season, they missed out on the NCAA tournament.
Former Radford basketball head coach Darris Nichols moved to La Salle University, where he took on the same role. Nichols had two 20-win seasons during his time in Southwest Virginia.
Other nominees for coaching positions included current Radford assistant coach Shane Nichols and Kyle Getter, an assistant at Notre Dame. Nichols spent most of his playing career at Wofford, under current Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young, while Getter is now based in South Bend, Indiana, after serving as an assistant at the University of Virginia.
Byers finished his tenure at VCU with a 129-61 record, which included three NCAA tournament appearances and four postseason berths. He was known for mentoring guards Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland and Vince Williams Jr., both of whom were drafted into the NBA.
At Virginia Tech, Byers focused on managing the guards, including Sean Pedulla, MJ Collins, Brandon Rechsteiner, and Hunter Cattoor, among others.
During his time as an assistant at Radford, Byers played a key role in transforming the Highlanders from a 6-22 record to a 22-12 season before his departure in 2014.
If Byers were to leave, the Hokies would need a coach capable of supporting their recruiting efforts, which have helped the program remain competitive in recruiting battles across the Commonwealth.
