WSU's Burdette Greeny announces cancer diagnosis
Oct. 25—PULLMAN — Washington State assistant volleyball coach Burdette Greeny revealed during a Twitter video Monday that he is battling cancer.
Greeny is a former WSU baseball player and former assistant coach at Lewis-Clark State College. He is the husband of longtime Cougs volleyball coach Jen Greeny.
Burdette Greeny told his team a week prior, but they kept the news behind closed doors until he was able to talk to his two daughters in person.
"I wanted to be able to tell my daughters, Lauren and Leah, face-to-face and look in their eyes and tell them that their dad was going to be all right," Greeny said in the video.
Greeny began chemotherapy Monday and has already had two surgeries. He did not disclose the type of cancer.
"My plan is to coach through the end of the year," Greeny said.
Greeny played baseball for the Cougars in 1997. He signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization before the 1998 draft and was with the organization for two seasons.
Greeny was the assistant coach for his wife Jen at Lewis-Clark State from 2007-10 before being promoted to associate head coach in 2010.
Joining the Cougars' volleyball team in March 2011, Greeny has been part of four WSU NCAA tournament appearances as an assistant coach.
"I will fight this, I will never give in," Greeny said. "It's what Cougs do, it is what I will do."
