Virginia Tech Assistant Coach Reportedly In The Mix For Big South Coaching Job

The former VCU assistant could be on the move

Connor Mardian | Mar 15, 2025

Feb 18, 2012; Blacksburg, VA, USA; A general view of the Virginia Tech Hokies logo near Cassell Coliseum before the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech assistant men's basketball coach J.D. Byers has been tipped for a Big South coaching job.

Sources: Radford has zeroed its head coaching search down to three finalists -Shane Nichols (Radford AC), JD Byers (Virginia Tech AC), or Kyle Getter (Notre Dame AC)#BigSouth
— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) March 12, 2025

Byers just finished his second season with the Hokies after a stint at Penn State, VCU, Rice, Radford, Saint Francis (Pa.), Randolph-Macon and Lebanon Valley.

The Hokies finished Byers' second season with a bleak 13-19 (8-12). While the Hokies posed a decent 5-5 record in true road games, a 8-9 home record matched with a 0-5 neutral site record meant for the third straight season, the Hokies will miss out on the NCAA tournament.

Former Radford basketball head coach Darris Nichols moved to La Salle University to take the same position. Nichols posted two 20-win campaigns in his time in Southwest Virginia.

The other nominations included current Radford assistant coach Shane Nichols and Kyle Getter, who is currently an assistant at Notre Dame.

Nichols spent the majority of his playing career at Wofford, where he played under current Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young.

Getter currently resides in South Bend, Indiana, after a spell at the University of Virginia, where he also served as an assistant.

Byers finished his time at VCU with a 129-61 record, which included three NCAA tournament appearances and four total postseason appearances, where he managed guards Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland and Vince Williams Jr. Both became NBA draft picks.

Byers took priority managing the guards of Virginia Tech, including Sean Pedulla, MJ Collins, Brandon Rechsteiner, and Hunter Cattoor, among others.

When Byers was an assistant at Radford, he helped oversee an effort that took the Highlanders from a meek 6-22 record to 22-12 before his eventual exit in 2014.

If Byers were to leave, the Hokies would be in need of a coach who can aid in the Hokies' recruiting efforts, which have been able to keep the program competitive in recruiting battles across the Commonwealth.