Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech AD Whit Babock announces retirement

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs04/23/26grant_grubbs_

On Thursday, Virginia Tech announced athletic director Whit Babcock is retiring. His tenure will officially end on June 30.

“Serving as Virginia Tech’s Director of Athletics has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Babcock said. “For me and my family, this wasn’t just a career stop, it was my dream job and a homecoming of sorts. To return to Virginia, to serve this university, and to be part of a community that lives and breathes Hokie sports, has meant more than words can express.

“This place has given my family and me memories we’ll cherish forever. The opportunity to raise our three sons in Blacksburg, the friendships, the fans, the community, Virginia Tech is unlike anywhere else. I love it. This is Home.”

Babcock has been Virginia Tech’s athletic director since 2014. He will serve as Virginia Tech’s athletics director emeritus following his retirement. In the role, Babcock will “support strategic planning initiatives and provide guidance on conference-related matters and the evolving national landscape of college athletics,” per the school’s release.

Babcock is the second-longest tenured athletic director in the ACC. Babcock made several notable hires while at the helm of VT athletics, including former basketball coach Buzz Williams and current football coach James Franklin.

Additionally, he helped Virginia Tech adapt to the NIL and transfer portal era of collegiate athletics. Babcock acknowledged the role these factors played in his decision to retire.

“I’ve always believed in giving everything you have to this role, and I’m proud of the commitment we’ve made to Virginia Tech over the years,” Babcock said. “While I had been considering this type of transition, likely next year, the demands of the role and the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics have required a lot of thoughtful reflection regarding my work-life balance, my desire to focus on family, my health and the next chapter for me.

“I know that now is the right time to retire as AD and allow new leadership and new energy to carry the momentum forward. When you can’t continue to give it 100% every day, it was just time.”

In 2018, Babcock was named the Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year for his efforts. He currently serves as the Vice President for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).