Whit Babcock Named One of Four Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year

Whit Babcock Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock has been nationally recognized for his success in Blacksburg. (Photo by Ivan Morozov)

Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock has been recognized by Hokies as a successful administrator of the Tech athletic department. On Monday, Babcock received some national recognition.

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced on Monday that Babcock had been named a recipient of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award. Babcock was one of four FBS athletic directors to win the award this season, joining Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez, Oklahoma’s Joe Castiglione and Texas Tech’s Kirby Hocutt.

Babcock, who was hired in January 2014, has overseen dramatic changes and improvements to Virginia Tech’s athletic department. Babcock successfully managed the coaching transition from Frank Beamer to Justin Fuente, and the Tech football team has won 19 games in the last two seasons. Babcock hired Buzz Williams to run his basketball program, and the Hokies are on the verge of making the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. Babcock has hired several other coaches in other programs, many of whom have already found success.

He’s also helped boost donations to the Hokie Club with the department’s Drive for 25 effort. Virginia Tech has seen an increase in both members and donations, and Babcock has also helped procure donations of $1 million towards a renovated weight room and a $15.2 million towards a “student-athlete performance center” that will be available to all sports.

Virginia Tech has begun and finished several facilities projects as well since Babcock arrived in Blacksburg. The renovations to Rector Field House and English Field at Union Park are nearly complete, while Tech is just getting started on the $4.5 million weight room renovation and the $16.5 construction of the performance center.

With all of this success, there are some issues as well, namely that Virginia Tech’s department ran in the red for Fiscal Year 2016. Financial reports for Fiscal Year 2017 will be made available on TechSideline later in the spring

Babcock and the other winners of this year’s award will be recognized at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on June 29 at the NACDA’s 53rd Annual Convention in Washington D.C. The award is meant to highlight “the efforts of athletic directors at all levels for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and their surrounding communities.”

9 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. You know other schools will be after him. We need to do whatever is necessary to keep him! Let’s all open up our wallets.

  2. Happy to see Whit get this kind of recognition. But 1 of 4 AD’s getting the award? Sounds like the “everybody” gets recognized/is a winner nonsense going on in grade through HS now. Not even a Gold, Silver, Bronze winner. All 4 equal? As far as I am concerned Whit’s number 1.

    1. Agree completely. Now, if they were awarded to the top AD in D1A, D1AA, D2, and D3, I could understand.

  3. SUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. The best hire ever at VT. Happy for Whit and his family. Hope they are Hokies for ever and he stays in Blacksburg. VT needs him and I hope everything possible is done to make certain he stays “at home.”

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