MBB HOKIES 17-18 | MEDIA GUIDE

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 enters his fourth year as Virginia Tech’s director of athletics after being formally announced as Tech’s AD on Jan. 24, 2014. The Harrisonburg, Virginia native returned to the Commonwealth following stints at Cincinnati, Missouri, West Virginia, Auburn and James Madison. With Babcock overseeing the Hokies’ athletics programs, Tech continued building momentum in 2016- 17, claiming The Commonwealth Clash that rewards head-to-head wins against the University of Virginia for the first time. The Hokies also tied North Carolina for the most ACC team championships with four this past academic year. Tech claimed titles in wrestling, as well as women’s track and field (outdoor) and men’s track and field (indoor and outdoor) adding more ACC trophies to the growing collection under 13-time ACC Track and field Coach of the Year Dave Cianelli. The football squad extended the longest active bowl streak in the nation to 24 straight seasons as first-year head coach Justin Fuente earned consensus ACC Coach of the Year honors. The men’s and women’s basketball programs both reached the 20-win plateau in the same season for the first time since 1994-95. Under the director of Buzz Williams, the men’s basketball program made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade, while Kenny Brooks’ women’s squad earned an NIT berth during his debut campaign in Blacksburg. Tech’s men’s soccer squad advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament under coach Mike Brizendine and the wrestling program registered its fifth straight top-10 national finish at the NCAA Championships under Tony Robie. Under Babcock’s watch, the Hokies also are excelling academically. Tech had three student-athletes named ACC Scholar-Athletes of the Year in their respective sports. At the conclusion of the 2017 spring semester, 285 student-athletes – more than half of those on team rosters – held a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better. The cumulative grade-point average of Virginia Tech’s student-athletes overall was 3.03 at the end of the 2017 spring semester with an all-time high of 16 teams maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better. Along with former Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, Babcock and the Hokie Club helped launch The Drive for 25 campaign with an objective of increasing membership in the organization to 25,000 members. Formally known as the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, the Hokie Club was founded in 1949 with the expressed purpose of funding all scholarships for Virginia Tech student-athletes. Hokie Nation has enthusiastically answered the call. As of June 2017, the organization boasted over 13,000 members and donors generously gave over $33 million to the Hokie Club, both all-time records for Virginia Tech. Of that record $33 million total, approximately $16.2 million was designated to the Hokie Scholarship Fund to be utilized specifically for scholarships for deserving student-athletes, a dramatic 65 percent increase in giving from the previous year’s $9.8 million total. Respected by his peers and other key figures on the collegiate athletics scene across the country, Babcock was selected as one of five finalists for the 2016-17 Athletic Director of the Year Award presented by the SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily. With the assistance of a talented staff, Babcock and his team are making a positive impact on all facets of the athletics department. Perhaps one of the most tangible example of Babcock’s leadership at Tech has been the continued success of established head coaches combined with the immediate impact made by newcomers to the Hokies’ head coaching roster. Led by Cianelli, the track and field program produced a 2017 NCAA individual champion in the javelin (Irena Sediva). Tech’s women’s soccer program has made five NCAA appearances under head coach Chugger Adair, including a national semifinal berth in 2013. The men’s basketball program has continued to ascend to new heights under Williams, while Brooks won his first 15 games with the Hokies as Tech’s women’s basketball team ascended as high as No. 15 in the national polls. Fuente guided the football team back to the ACC Championship Game and a thrilling Belk Bowl victory to cap a 10-win season and a No. 16 finish in the polls. In his first at the helm of the women’s lacrosse coach John Sung spearheaded a Hokie resurgence in that sport. Sung led a program that tied a school record with 11 wins and was ranked as high as No. 12 during the season – the program’s highest ranking ever. A total of 14 programs earned a top 25 ranking at some point during the 2016-17 academic year. Robie took over the helm of the wrestling program on an interim basis for the postseason, earned ACC Co- Coach of the Year honors, guided his team to an ACC tournament title and a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships before receiving the job on a permanent basis following the season. Meanwhile, the Hokies hired Jill Wilson from LSU in January to lead the fortunes of Tech’s volleyball program Babcock’s professional background is mostly in fundraising and marketing, and he believes that success in these areas begin with developing relationships. “People have to trust you, and you have to paint a vision for them and show them a need; how they can make an impact,” he said. “The reason we want to treat all of our fans well is because they are all important. There is strength in numbers and we have room for more to join our cause. There’s an old adage in our business that everyone’s first gift is their smallest. If you do things right, it moves on up the line. We look forward to engaging our ever-increasing fan and alumni base and focusing on creating memorable experiences whenever they come in contact with us.” Babcock continues to make an impact on Tech’s facilities as well. Next year marks the 125th season of baseball at Virginia Tech. In conjunction with that anniversary, the Hokies will celebrate the completion of a $20 million renovation of English Field at Union Park thanks to a transformational corporate partnership investment by Virginia-based Union Bank and Trust. That tangible commitment to facilities was one of many factors that helped the Hokies hire a proven winner in John Szefc in June to lead Tech’s baseball program. Szefc guided Maryland to three NCAA berths, including a pair of NCAA Super Regional appearances, and has led his squads to 10 campaigns with 30 or more victories in 12 previous seasons as a head coach. A 2,600-square foot indoor golf practice facility for both the men’s and women’s programs was recently completed. $18 million in renovations to Rector Field House, which houses the track and field programs, as well as the construction of a softball batting facility are currently in progress, while improvements to the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center are on the horizon. Babcock was instrumental in securing a $5 million commitment from Roanoke-based Carilion Hospital for scholarships and improvements to Cassell Coliseum where new, padded seats were installed this summer. Future plans call for other renovations, including the Bowman Room, a projected $15 million project designed to aid the athletics department in its student- athlete nutrition efforts and to provide enhanced pregame hospitality options for donors and fans. The $21.3 million Virginia Tech Indoor Practice Facility opened in the summer of 2015 and has proven to be a fabulous asset for the football program, as well as the men’s and women’s soccer teams, in addition to baseball, softball and lacrosse. Other accomplishments during Babcock’s tenure include the launching of a new mission statement and core values for the athletics department. The core values – integrity, service, honor, excellence and strong together – represent the brand and foundation of the department. In addition, he unveiled the “Pylons of Promise,” a landmark document that sets forth the university’s and the athletics department’s commitment to student-athletes during their times at Virginia Tech. This document served as Virginia Tech’s proactive response to the changes in the NCAA governance landscape. The Pylons of Promise is based on the ideals emblazoned on the eight pylons at the Virginia Tech War Memorial Court. 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. Babcock has 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. During his stint as the AD at Cincinnati, Babcock initiated a new administrative structure within the department and proposed a comprehensive vision and capital campaign for athletics facility enhancement, which included an $86-million renovation and expansion to Nippert Stadium, the school’s football stadium. A member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, Babcock is a past president of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). 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. A product of the student-athlete experience himself, Babcock lettered four seasons in baseball at James Madison University and served as team captain his senior year. Babcock 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 reside in Blacksburg and have three sons: Andrew, Brett and Eli. #getB3 TTER #ThisIsHome 133