Longtime Radford University athletic director Robert Lineburg has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the year.
“Serving as the Director of Athletics at Radford University for nearly 19 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” said Lineburg. “I will always cherish the relationships built with our scholar-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty, donors, fans and colleagues across college athletics. …on the field.”
Radford University president Bret Danilowicz thanked Lineburg for his time, leading the athletic department. for granting me this opportunity in 2007. My sincere thanks also go to President Bret Danilowicz for his vision, leadership and steadfast support of Highlander Athletics. I take immense pride in what we have accomplished together and in having served a university I truly love. I look forward to watching the Highlanders continue to excel in the classroom, on the court and on the field.”Radford University president Bret Danilowicz thanked Lineburg for his time, leading the athletic department.”Since 2007, Robert has been the heart and soul of Radford University Athletics,” said Danilowicz. “During that time, he has helped the university navigate the many changes in college athletics, unwavering in his devotion to helping our Highlanders succeed and serving fans in our surrounding communities. Perhaps most importantly, he has built an environment where our scholar-athletes can and do excel in sports and in academics.”
Lineburg is only the third AD in the university’s history and is the second-longest tenured athletics director in the Big South Conference presiding over Radford Athletics since November 2007.
During that time, the university has recorded 27 Big South regular season championships, 24 Big South tournament championships and 33 NCAA Tournament appearances. Radford head coaches have also garnered 36 Big South Coach of the Year nods with 35 student-athletes earning All-American and academic All-American nods.
The university points to multiple projects completed under his tenure, including multiple Dedmon Center renovations, the renovation of the Learning Enhancement Center, a brand new turf field and scoreboard at Williams Field at Carter Memorial Stadium, and construction of the Sioros Center.
Also completed were renovations to the baseball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball locker rooms, the VCOM Center for Sports Medicine, the transformation of the previous aquatic center into one of the largest strength and conditioning centers on the East Coast, and most recently a state-of-the-art softball facility with a brand new turf field, wall padding, scoreboard and videoboard.
A nod to his prominent position in the collegiate athletics landscape, Lineburg was appointed as a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee, effective Sept. 1, 2018. During his four-year term on the committee, Lineburg helped shape the game of basketball on the collegiate level alongside several distinguished coaches and administrators such as Rick Barnes (head coach, Tennessee), Bob Huggins (head coach, West Virginia), Tad Boyle (head coach, University of Colorado, Boulder), Richard Johnson (athletics director, Wofford) and Stu Jackson (sr. associate commissioner, Big East Conference).The Radford native’s start in sports came at a young age as the son of the late legendary high school football and track and field coach Norman Lineburg, whose influence inspired Lineburg to pursue a lifelong career in collegiate athletics.
Prior to becoming Radford’s athletic director, he served as a college basketball coach for more than 15 years with stops at Emory & Henry College, Virginia Tech, UNC Greensboro and SMU. He graduated from Roanoke College and later earned his master’s degree from Virginia Tech.
Lineburg started his collegiate basketball career as a Radford Highlander, where he was a two-year letterman before transferring to nearby Roanoke College to play his final two years.
Lineburg will continue to serve as Athletics Director through 2026. Effective Jan. 1, 2027, Deputy Athletics Director Cory Durand will serve as Interim Director of Athletics and will oversee the leadership and operations of the department.
