BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech announced on Monday that the agreement of director of athletics Whit Babcock has been prolonged five years via June 2029. Babcock was at first appointed to that write-up on Jan. 24, 2014. For the duration of his tenure he has continued to make a mark on all sides of the Tech Athletics from educational and athletic accomplishment to lover engagement and amenities enhancements, as effectively as fundraising and prosperous coaching hires.
“Whit Babcock and his roster of proficient coaches have completed an remarkable task, building memorable moments for our college students, alumni, and supporters, and creating the scholar-athlete experience their prime priority,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. “Whit and his management group have the ideal long-phrase eyesight and have demonstrated their skill to manage the promptly changing landscape in collegiate athletics. I seem forward to continuing our collective efforts on behalf of Virginia Tech.”
During the 2020-21 tutorial year Babcock served manual Tech Athletics by 1 of the most turbulent situations in the fashionable background of college athletics as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted lives, family members and economies across the globe. In spite of the unprecedented troubles, through the collective perseverance of Tech’s coaches, student-athletes and employees, the Hokies produced some of the most extraordinary collective outcomes in college background.
In the classroom, 16 of Tech’s groups registered a collective 3. or better staff GPA through both of those the fall and spring semesters in 2020-21. In phrases of competitive achievements, the Hokies finished No. 32 in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings, Tech’s 2nd-best overall performance in those people rankings, trailing only a No. 28 complete in 2017-18. Virginia Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both made the NCAA Event in the exact same period for the initially time in university history, as men’s basketball mentor Mike Younger was named the ACC Mentor of the 12 months and women’s mentor Kenny Brooks registered his 100th career win at Tech.
“Throughout the interview process practically 8 several years back, I shared with the choice committee that Virginia Tech was the greatest occupation in the place,” Babcock reported. “That sentiment hasn’t altered, my relationship to Tech and Blacksburg has gotten even stronger. I’m honored to be a Hokie, there is nowhere I would relatively be, this is my household. I’m thrilled to perform for Dr. Sands and our Board of People. Our alignment is robust and we are just setting up to hit our stride and obtain at under no circumstances-just before-accomplished degrees. Our good results commences with our head coaches and the proficient pupil-athletes they are in a position to recruit. This is collectively the very best team of coaches and athletic directors that I’ve at any time worked with in my vocation. I’m grateful for all of them and it speaks to what we can accomplish when we all work with each other as Hokies.”
On the soccer subject, head mentor Justin Fuente and the Hokies reclaimed the Commonwealth Cup and finished the 2020 year on a beneficial observe with a convincing 33-15 victory to stop the season vs. Virginia. The Hokies boasted a pair of initial-spherical NFL Draft picks for the second time in 4 years. In the meantime, Tech’s baseball squad under the direction of John Szefc enthusiastic crowds as Tech returned to the national rankings and concluded the 12 months with 27 victories.
Beneath the leadership of Dave Cianelli, Tech’s men’s indoor monitor squad received the ACC indoor title by the major margin in fashionable conference record. It marked the 17th all round workforce ACC championship claimed by the Hokies underneath Cianelli. In 2021, Tech’s softball application coached by Pete D’Amour reached the NCAA Tremendous Regionals for the initial time due to the fact 2008. Tech’s women’s golf coach Carol Robertson continued main her team to new heights as the Hokies capable for the championship spherical of the NCAA Event in 2021 for the initially time in system historical past.
Tech’s wrestling staff underneath the course of Tony Robie also ongoing its streak of NCAA Tournament appearances as 8 people certified for the NCAA Championships. The men’s soccer system led by Mike Brizendine skilled for NCAA postseason levels of competition for the fifth straight yr and ended up rated as large as No. 4 in the nation, although as standout performer Daniel Pereira manufactured record as the school’s initial No. 1 all round decide in the Main League Soccer Draft. In the meantime, Sergio Lopez Miro ongoing the ascent of Tech’s swimming and diving application as both the men (No. 11) and women (No. 15) have been ranked in the Major 25 this earlier time.
Tech’s exterior functions device was acknowledged for its creativity during a year loaded with unprecedented troubles in 2020-21. Tech gained Paciolan’s Star of the Calendar year for Ground breaking Profits Era Applications, when the Athletics marketing squad was a person of six finalists for NACMA’s Advertising Workforce of the Year. Meanwhile, Tech’s Learfield/IMG Ticketing Solutions group won NACMA’s Perform of the Year for orchestrating a virtual sellout of Lane Stadium last tumble.
The launch of the $400 million Access For Excellence marketing campaign in conjunction with Dr. Sands and other campus associates in April 2021 was an additional important milestone for the university and Tech Athletics. The main pillars of this campaign involve a football improvement fund, renovations to Cassell Coliseum, the ongoing Drive for 25 initiative to improve Hokie Club membership to 25,000, as effectively other initiatives to aid sustain detailed excellence in all sporting activities and boost scholarship endowments.
Throughout Babcock’s tenure, a number of big services jobs have been remodeled from eyesight to truth. Many thanks to a $15.2 million gift, Tech’s $20.4 million Student-Athlete Performance Center was finished and went on line serving meals on a everyday foundation to college student-athletes in all sports in 2021. A $5 million renovation and enlargement of the football strength and conditioning centre was concluded, a new home hall in Virginia Tech’s Creativity and Innovation District Home Hall with 176 residence spaces for college student-athletes is scheduled to open up this tumble.
In the spring of 2018, the athletics division concluded an $18 million renovation of English Industry at Atlantic Union Bank Park, in massive part since of a $3.5 million donation from Atlantic Union Bank secured by Babcock. Construction of a softball batting facility and the conversion of Rector Subject Residence into a home for the Hokies’ observe and field courses have also been done beneath his check out, as properly as important upgrades at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Centre.
Babcock and his staff invested several yrs laying the groundwork for the start of the ACC Community in August 2019. Those preparations involved the completion of management rooms, engineering and business space in the south end zone of Lane Stadium with ideas for studio room on the west aspect of the stadium going through Beamer Way. In addition to roughly $10 million in infrastructure, the Hokies are also generating significant investments in gear and human assets to showcase Tech’s athletic packages, the campus and its individuals in the ideal attainable gentle.
The Harrisonburg, Virginia native has gained countrywide recognition for his get the job done at Virginia Tech. In June 2020, Stadium named him the No. 9 athletic director in the state. During the 2017-18 educational calendar year, Babcock was named one of four FBS recipients of the Beneath Armour Advertisement of the Year. The earlier calendar year, Babcock was one particular of five finalists for the Advert of the 12 months honor handed out by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Day by day.
Babcock served as a member of the NACDA Govt Committee for 2020-21 educational yr and carries on to provide as a member of the NCAA Soccer Oversight Committee through 2021. He is also an active mentor as component of a venture proven by Countrywide Coalition for Minority Soccer Coaches. This system pairs influential athletic administrators with minority soccer coaches. Babcock is a previous president of the Nationwide Affiliation of Athletic Growth Administrators (NAADD). He served as the President/Chairman of the ACC Athletic Administrators in 2019-20 and proceeds to serve as Advertisement agent on ACCN Advisory Committee to ESPN.
