Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech Athletics started a new era when Whit Babcock was formally named Virginia Tech’s director of athletics on Jan. 24, 2014. The Harrisonburg, Virginia native came back to the state following stints at Cincinnati, Missouri, West Virginia, Auburn and James Madison.

Babcock continues to make his mark on all facets of the athletics department, from academic and athletic accomplishment to fan engagement and facilities improvements, as well as fundraising and successful coaching hires.

During the 2021-22 academic year Babcock helped guide Tech Athletics through one of the most memorable stretches of collective achievement in school history. In the classroom, 17 of Tech’s teams registered a collective 3.0 or better team GPA during both the fall and spring semesters in 2020-21. During the past year, Virginia Tech was the ONLY FBS school to qualify for a football bowl game and reach the NCAA tournament in baseball, men’s soccer, men’s basketball, softball, women’s basketball, women’s golf and women’s soccer.

The Hokies boasted one of the most decorated collection of head coaches in the league, including four who earned ACC Coach of the Year honors: Dave Cianelli (Track and Field), Pete D’Amour (Softball), Tony Robie (Wrestling) and John Szefc (Baseball).

Both Tech’s baseball and softball programs soared to No. 2 in the national rankings in 2022 as Szefc’s unit reached the first NCAA Super Regional in program history. Meanwhile, D’Amour’s softball squad hosted a Super Regional for the initial time in program history in 2022 after reaching the Super Regional last season for the first time since 2008.

On the court, Virginia Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both made the NCAA Tournament, accomplishing that feat for a second consecutive season. After earning ACC Coach of the Year accolades in 2020-21, men’s basketball head coach Mike Young guided Tech to its first-ever ACC Tournament championship. Women’s basketball head coach Kenny Brooks owns a 124-69 record during his six seasons in Blacksburg, including a school-record 13 ACC wins in 2021-22. Under his guidance, C Liz Kitley became the program’s first- ever ACC Player of the Year this past season.

Under the leadership of Cianelli, Tech’s men’s indoor track squad won another ACC indoor title. It marked the 19th overall team ACC championship claimed by the Hokies. Two of his student-athletes also won individual indoor national championships in 2022: Lindsay Butler (800m) and Rachel Baxter (pole vault).

Virginia Tech’s wrestling program racked up another Top 10 finish at the NCAA Championships as Mehki Lewis reached the national championship match for the second time in his career. Tech’s women’s golf head coach Carol Robertson guided the Hokies to their fourth straight NCAA regional, and Emily Mahar became the program’s first-ever All-American in 2022 after qualifying for the national championship as an individual. Meanwhile, the men’s soccer program led by Mike Brizendine qualified for NCAA postseason competition for the sixth straight year in 2022, while Tech women’s soccer advanced to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time with Chugger Adair at the helm. On the football field, the Hokies posted yet another Commonwealth Cup win against Virginia to earn a berth in the Pinstripe Bowl, setting the stage for Brent Pry to enter his initial season coaching the Hokies in 2022.

The future is also bright on several other fronts in Blacksburg under Babcock’s guidance. In conjunction with Virginia Tech President Dr. Tim Sands and other campus officials, Tech Athletics launched the Reach For Excellence Campaign in April 2021. This $400 million fundraising campaign seeks to help propel Tech Athletics sports to the forefront of the Atlantic Coast Conference, prepare generations of student-athletes for success in life, and raise the university’s profile nationwide. As of June 2022, the campaign had raised over $200 million. 

Several major construction projects have been finalized under Babcock in recent years. Thanks to a $15.2 million gift, Tech’s Student-Athlete Performance Center was completed and went online serving meals on a daily basis to student-athletes. This multiple-purpose space permits Tech’s sports nutrition staff to provide a variety of menu options to athletes in all 22 sports. The venue will also be used for donor hospitality before football and basketball games, recruiting and a myriad of other functions.

In addition, a $4.5 million renovation and expansion of the football strength and conditioning center was completed. The project nearly doubled the functional workout space of the facility located in the Merryman Center to over 12,300 square feet. A custom-designed, 24-rack system by Sorinex serves as the centerpiece of the strength and performance area that features all-new equipment, weights and other high-performance training gear.

Thanks to a generous contribution from Tech graduate Mehul Sanghani, the reimagined and fully-equipped Sanghani Player Lounge debuted in January 2022. A $5 million lead gift from Tech alum Win Sheridan will also help kickstart a renovation of the football locker room, which will mark the final makeover project of Tech Football facilities used on a daily basis by student-athletes.

The student-athlete experience is always at the forefront of Babcock’s mind and he played an integral role in securing 176 residence spaces for student- athletes with an interest in interdisciplinary creation and entrepreneurship in the Creativity and Innovation District Residence Hall, which opened in 2001.

This $105.5 million project on the Virginia Tech campus encompasses 200,000 square feet and features a total of 596 beds, as well as academic, research and collaboration space.

Tech’s external operations unit was recognized for its creativity during a year filled with unprecedented challenges in 2020-21. Tech won Paciolan’s Star of the Year for Innovative Revenue Generation Programs, while the Athletics marketing squad was one of six finalists for NACMA’s Marketing Team of the Year. Meanwhile, Tech’s Learfield/IMG Ticketing Solutions team won NACMA’s Play of the Year for orchestrating a virtual sellout of Lane Stadium in 2020.

Among the many notable athletic accomplishments during the 2019-20 academic year, Tech’s women’s indoor track squad won its third ACC indoor title and its first since winning back-to-back titles in 2007-08. The Tech’s men’s cross country squad qualified for the NCAA Championships, led by Peter Seufer, who claimed the ACC Men’s Cross Country title for the second consecutive season. He finished fourth at the NCAA Championships, the best-ever finish in the men’s distance program’s history. Chugger Adair’s women’s soccer squad made the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, while Tech’s wrestling program ascended to No. 3 in the national rankings.

There were also an abundance of accolades for the Hokies in 2018-19. Robie earned 2019 ACC Coach of the Year honors following a third straight top-10 NCAA Wrestling finish after posting back-to-back ACC titles. The men’s track and field program won both indoor and outdoor ACC championships, while the softball squad earned the ACC Coastal title, a No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament and the program’s first NCAA tournament berth since 2015 as D’Amour earned ACC Coach of the Year honors. The men’s and women’s soccer programs each advanced to the NCAA tournament, while the women’s golf program and cross country also qualified for NCAA postseason competition. Mekhi Lewis won Tech’s first individual NCAA title in wrestling at 165 pounds, while Amanda Hollandsworth became the first Tech women’s golfer to advance to the championship round of the NCAA tournament and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Babcock has received national recognition for his work at Virginia Tech. In June 2020, Stadium named him the No. 9 athletic director in the country. During the 2017-18 academic year, Babcock was named one of four FBS recipients of the Under Armour AD of the Year. The previous year, Babcock was one of five finalists for the AD of the Year honor handed out by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily.

Babcock and his team spent several years laying the groundwork for the launch of the ACC Network in August 2019. Those preparations included the completion of control rooms, engineering and office space in the south end zone of Lane Stadium with plans for studio space on the west side of the stadium facing Beamer Way. In addition to approximately $10 million in infrastructure, the Hokies are also making significant investments in equipment and human resources to showcase Tech’s athletic programs, the campus and its people in the best possible light.

In the spring of 2018, the athletics department concluded an $18 million renovation of English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park — in large part because of a $3.5 million donation from Atlantic Union Bank secured by Babcock — and the conclusion of an $18 million project that resulted in the construction of a softball batting facility and the conversion of Rector Field House into a home for the Hokies’ track and field programs. Major upgrades at the Burrows- Burleson Tennis Center have also been completed.

In December of 2016, Babcock implemented a “Drive for 25” campaign designed to increase membership in the Hokie Club to 25,000 members. He tabbed Hall of Fame football coach Frank Beamer to serve as the spokesperson for the campaign, which helps raise the financial resources to provide Virginia Tech student-athletes with the opportunities to continue their success in the classroom, in competition and in the community. The initiative has increased membership from 9,000 members to a figure approaching 26,000 members as of June 2022.

Babcock arrived in Blacksburg following two-and-a-half years as the director of athletics at the University of Cincinnati and five years at the University of Missouri, where he served as the executive associate director of athletics. His background in fundraising, marketing, promotions, ticket sales, licensing and multimedia partnerships were key attributes in support of his hiring. In his introductory press conference at Virginia Tech, Babcock cited three guiding principles for his vision for the athletics department’s future: commitment to comprehensive excellence, centering the department’s focus on the student- athlete experience and engaging the community.

Babcock served as a member of the NACDA Executive Committee for 2020-21 academic year and previously served as a member of the NCAA Football Oversight Committee. He is also an active mentor as part of a project established by National Coalition for Minority Football Coaches. This program pairs influential athletic directors with minority football coaches. Babcock is a past president of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). He served as the President/Chairman of the ACC Athletic Directors in 2019-20 and continues to serve as AD representative on ACCN Advisory Committee to ESPN.

A former student-athlete himself, Babcock lettered four seasons in baseball at James Madison University and served as team captain his senior year. He earned his bachelor’s degree from JMU in 1992. In 1996, he received his master’s in sports management from West Virginia University. He and his wife, Kelly, have three sons: Andrew, Brett and Eli.