VIRGINIA TECH | 2017-18 WBB Team Guide

4 THE UNIVERSITY | STUDENT-ATHLETE SUPPORT | PLAYERS & STAFF | HISTORY & RECORDS 2017-18 BASKETBALL Whit Babcock is in 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 came back to his home 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 fact, he received national acclaim for his work as an AD during the 2016-17 academic year, as he was one of five finalists for the AD of the Year honor handed out by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily. The 2016-17 academic year was tremendously successful for Virginia Tech under Babcock’s leadership. The Hokies won ACC titles in wrestling, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s outdoor track and field. The football program won the ACC’s Coastal Division crown and its third straight bowl game, while the men’s basketball program made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. The year saw three of Babcock’s coaching hires enjoy stellar first seasons at the helms of their respective sports. Justin Fuente earned consensus honors as the ACC Coach of the Year after guiding the football team to a 10-4 record. Fuente succeeded legendary coach Frank Beamer, who retired after the 2015 season following 29 years as the head coach of the Hokies. Also, women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks led the women’s program to 20 wins and a WNIT berth, and women’s lacrosse coach John Sung spearheaded a resurgence in that sport. Under Sung, Tech tied a school record with 11 wins and was ranked as high as No. 12 during the season – the program’s highest ranking ever. On the fundraising front, Babcock’s 2016 revamping of the Hokie Club, the athletics department’s fundraising arm, paid dividends, as the club raised a school-record $33 million over the course of the latest giving cycle, with $16 million going to the fledgling “Hokie Scholarship Fund” – a program 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 provide revenue to meet the rising costs of tuition for the school’s more than 550 scholarship student-athletes. In addition, in 2016, Babcock implemented a “Drive for 25” initiative designed to increase membership in the Hokie Club to 25,000 members. He tabbed Beamer to serve as the spokesperson for the campaign, which helps raise financial resources for the department. The membership has grown to 13,500 members. 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. Other career stops included stints at West Virginia, Auburn and James Madison. 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. 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. Whit Babcock Director of Athletics John Ballein Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations & Sports Performance Omar Banks Senior Associate Athletics Director for Finance and Administration Tom Gabbard Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities & Operations Reyna Gilbert-Lowry Senior Associate Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Development/Senior Woman Administrator Chris Helms Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration & Sports Programs Bill Lansden Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development & Executive Director, Hokie Club Angie Littlejohn Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations Brad Wurthman Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Operations Carmela Smith Assistant to the Athletics Director ATHLETICS EXECUTIVE STAFF DEPARTMENT DIRECTORY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS WHIT BABCOCK @WhitBabcock