Three Takeaways From New Virginia Tech AD Brian White's Opening Press Conference

White was at FAU as the athletic director since 2018.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech announced its next athletic director hire earlier this week, signaling that former Florida Atlantic athletic director and university vice president Brian White will take the same roles at Tech. Here are three takeaways I have from the introductory press conference concerning the new Virginia Tech AD:

No. 1: White's hiring may move the needle most for hoops.

With Florida Atlantic, White had Lane Kiffin as his head coach when he came in, and in Kiffin's tenure with the Owls, he went 26-13 (18-6 CUSA). In the six years since he departed, the program has went 26-43.

Men's basketball has been a more fruitful endeavor; White hired Dusty May — now the head coach of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks after winning an NCAA title at Michigan — and in that time, May went 126-69, rounding out his tenure with two NCAA Tournament appearances — including a 2022-23 season where the Owls went 35-4 (18-2 CUSA) and went all the way to the Final Four. John Jakus took over for White, and he's gone 36-31 in the two years since.

Whether White can quickly elevate Virginia Tech football remains an open question, men's basketball appears well-positioned to see positive returns in the near future.

No. 2: Resource generation will be a major focus.

One of the clearest messages from White's introductory press conference was his emphasis on growing Virginia Tech's resources in an increasingly competitive college athletics landscape.

"I want to be at a place where my skill sets match what's needed," White said, later noting that Virginia Tech must continue to expand its resources to compete at the highest level.

Fortunately for the Hokies, that's an area where White has built a strong reputation throughout his career.

At both Florida Atlantic and Missouri, White helped oversee significant fundraising efforts and facility investments while navigating rapidly changing collegiate athletics environments. With revenue sharing now becoming a reality and NIL continuing to shape recruiting across the country, generating additional resources has become one of the most important responsibilities for any athletic director.

While wins and losses will ultimately define his tenure, his ability to grow Virginia Tech's financial footing may prove just as important to the department's long-term success.

No. 3: White makes out well monetary-wise.

Per the term sheet released by Virginia Tech, White will make $1.6 million per year, with his base salary being $500,000 and his supplemental compensation coming in at $1.1 million. That compensation "shall be considered for an annual increase based upon the percentage appropriated by the General Assembly for Administrative and Professional faculty." The contract begins today and is scheduled to go through June 30, 2031. White will also receive a $65,000 relocation bonus for his moving expenses.

With that in mind, Virginia Tech now has its athletic director hire in place for at least five years, and depending on how the football program goes, that could extend.