Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock will end that role on June 30 and move into a position as athletics director emeritus on July 1, the school announced Thursday.
Babcock has been the AD for 12 years, beginning in January 2014. He is the second-longest tenured athletic director in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“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 in a news release. “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.”
One of Babcock’s final hires was landing former Penn State coach James Franklin as the Hokies’ new football coach.
Virginia Tech put together 25 consecutive winning seasons from 1993-2017 — the first 23 under Frank Beamer — but now is in a rut of six losing seasons in eight campaigns.
“It weighs heavily on me that we have not yet reached the level of football success our fans so deeply deserve,” Babcock said. “This program means too much to too many for anything less. I am confident that with Coach Franklin, along with the Invest To Win support, the foundation is in place for our program to elevate and remain at a nationally-elite level.”
Babcock was one of four FBS Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year for the 2017-18 athletic season.
