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WH I T
BABCOCK
D I R E C T O R O F A T H L E T I C S
Whit Babcock is in his third year as Virginia Tech’s Director of
Athletics after being formally announced as Tech’s AD on Jan. 24,
2014. The Harrisonburg, Virginia native came back to the state
following stints at Cincinnati, Missouri, West Virginia and Auburn.
Babcock continues making his mark on all facets of the athletics
department, from fan engagement to facilities to fundraising and
coaching hires.
In Babcock’s inaugural year at Virginia Tech, he hired head
basketball coach Buzz Williams who took Marquette University to
the NCAA tournament five times in six seasons and the Hokies to
the second round of the NIT in 2016.
The 2015-16 academic year turned into a busy one for him, as he
made three key coaching hires and oversaw the revamping of the
Hokie Club, the athletics department’s fundraising arm. Babcock
brought in Justin Fuente as the new football coach to succeed
legendary Frank Beamer, who retired after the 2015 season
following 29 years as the head coach of the Hokies. Babcock also
tabbed Kenny Brooks to lead the Virginia Tech women’s basketball
program, and John Sung to lead the women’s lacrosse program.
On the fundraising front, Babcock and his staff teamed with the
staff of the Hokie Club to launch the “Hokie Scholarship Fund.”
The program is designed to increase funding for scholarships
by requiring football and men’s basketball season ticket holders
in certain designated locations to meet minimum per-seat gift
contributions. These contributions will provide revenue to meet the
rising costs of tuition for the school’s more than 550 scholarship
student-athletes.
The 2015-16 academic year also sawBabcock and his staff secure
corporate donations for upcoming facilities projects. Carilion
Clinic committed $5 million that will be used for scholarships and
improvements to Cassell Coliseum, and Union Bank committed
$3.5 million toward improvements to English Field, the Hokies’
baseball home.
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, 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 has been active on local and national speaking circuits.
He has presented before the National Association of Collegiate
Directors of Athletics (NACDA), National Association of Collegiate
Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) and the 1-A Athletic
Directors Association annual institute. He is a past president of the
National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD).
Prior to his time at Cincinnati, Babcock’s 22-year career path
included stops at Missouri, West Virginia, Auburn and James
Madison.
A 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.
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