Virginia Tech signs athletic director Whit Babcock to a 5-year extension

The Virginia Tech Hokies announced a five-year extension for athletic director Whit Babcock on Monday that will keep in Blacksburg until June 2029.

Babcock originally came to Blacksburg in Jan. 2014 from Cincinnati, where he previously served as athletic director for the Bearcats. Virginia Tech president Tim Sands released the following statement through Virginia Tech’s official website:

Whit Babcock and his roster of talented coaches have done an outstanding job, creating memorable moments for our students, alumni, and fans, and making the student-athlete experience their top priority. Whit and his leadership team have the right long-term vision and have demonstrated their ability to manage the rapidly changing landscape in collegiate athletics. I look forward to continuing our collective efforts on behalf of Virginia Tech.

Babcock, a native of Harrisonburg who played college baseball at James Madison, is considered one of the best athletic directors in the nation — whether fans believe it or not.

Since coming to Blacksburg, Babcock has made some big-time hires, including both men’s basketball coaches in Buzz Williams and Mike Young and women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks. The baseball program has improved under John Szefc — another Babcock hire.

Many other sports, including wrestling, continue to thrive under Babcock’s leadership.

The biggest hire Babcock has made is football coach Justin Fuente. While that hasn’t worked out the way either side would have liked up until this point, the Hokies are actually recruiting well this cycle and need to finish the class strong. Fuente badly needs a good season in 2021.

It’s important to note, Fuente was the “it” candidate during that hiring cycle — it just hasn’t worked for various reasons. There’s still time, though.

Babcock’s most recent move was the $400 million “Reach For Excellence” campaign that should put the Hokies in the top tier of spending in the ACC.

Babcock is a respected athletic director, and Virginia Tech is fortunate to have him.

Babcock offered the following statement:

During the interview process nearly eight years ago, I shared with the selection committee that Virginia Tech was the best job in the country. That sentiment hasn’t changed, my connection to Tech and Blacksburg has gotten even stronger. I’m honored to be a Hokie, there’s nowhere I’d rather be, this is my home. I’m thrilled to work for Dr. Sands and our Board of Visitors. Our alignment is strong and we are just starting to hit our stride and achieve at never-before-achieved levels. Our success starts with our head coaches and the talented student-athletes they are able to recruit. This is collectively the best group of coaches and athletic administrators that I’ve ever worked with in my career. I’m thankful for all of them and it speaks to what we can achieve when we all work together as Hokies.