BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech hired Brian White as its new Vice President and Director of Athletics, effective July 1, 2026. White will replace Whit Babcock, who will transition out of the role on June 30, 2026.

Babcock announced in April that he would be stepping down from his position after serving as Virginia Tech's athletic director for 12 years. Babcock will assume the role of Athletics Director Emeritus starting July 1, serving in an advisory capacity to the new athletic director and the incoming university president. "The AD, certainly, you have to get an AD in before football season starts," Babcock said.

White previously served as Vice President and Athletic Director at Florida Atlantic University from 2018 to 2025. During his tenure, the institution moved to the American Athletic Conference. The university's men's basketball team made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Final Four in 2023. White was recognized on Sports Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list in June 2023. In September 2024, Florida Atlantic University interim president Stacy Volnick announced a contract extension for White through 2029.

Virginia Tech formed an eight-member search committee on May 28 to find Babcock's replacement. Lynne Doughtie, a 1985 Virginia Tech graduate and the retired chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP, chaired the committee. The university is scheduled to open its 2026 football season under head coach James Franklin.

White is the son of Kevin White, who previously held athletic director positions at Notre Dame and Duke. His brother, Danny White, is the athletic director at the University of Tennessee, and another brother, Mike White, is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Georgia.