Virginia Tech appoints Brian White, longtime Florida Atlantic leader, as next athletic director

Virginia Tech announced that Brian White, a long-time administrator at Florida Atlantic University, will become the program’s next athletic director. White is stepping into a central leadership role for the Hokies, overseeing the daily operations of a department that competes at the Football Bowl Subdivision level and supports programs in multiple NCAA sports.

White’s move comes after more than eight years leading athletics at Florida Atlantic, where the university credits him with a significant fundraising expansion. According to Virginia Tech’s announcement, White has overseen a 625% increase in donations since 2021, a benchmark the school highlighted as part of his value proposition as an AD. The announcement also pointed to stadium-related negotiations in 2024, describing White’s involvement in the venue process.

Beyond fundraising and facilities, the hiring release framed White’s credibility through his work with football leadership and coaching development. Yahoo Sports reported that White “gave Dusty May his first head-coaching job,” and that he worked alongside Lane Kiffin for two seasons, describing White’s familiarity with the kinds of relationships and operational demands that come with head-coach turnover and program-building cycles. Those details were used to underscore White’s fit for an AD role that depends on both administrative execution and coach-facing credibility.

Florida Atlantic’s internal experience matters in a different way for the Hokies. Building support for an athletic department typically requires coordination across donors, alumni, corporate partnerships, and facilities planning. When a school hires a veteran administrator rather than a coach-adjacent executive, the intent is often to bring systems and continuity to revenue, compliance, and staffing, not simply to manage a single sport.

For Virginia Tech, White’s appointment arrives at a time when athletic departments are increasingly expected to operate as professional business units while still sustaining competitive performance. ADs are responsible for hiring coaches, shaping budgets, managing scheduling and facilities priorities, and coordinating the student-athlete experience across sports. The fundraising emphasis in White’s track record suggests Virginia Tech is putting weight on long-term financial capacity as the program continues to plan its next cycles in revenue generation and infrastructure.

There is also a recruiting and program-management subtext to an AD change. When the department’s priorities shift toward fundraising, facilities, and budget stability, coaches often get clearer parameters for what is investable in recruiting, support staff, and on-field development. White’s history of collaborating with coaching leadership, as described in the coverage of his background, positions him as someone the Hokies can rely on for alignment between administration and coaching execution.

What to watch next will be White’s early staffing and operational priorities, starting with how he assesses the department’s budget structure and facility plan. Observers will also look for how Virginia Tech pairs that administrative focus with its competitive goals in football and basketball, and whether the Hokies’ leadership transition affects timelines for long-range projects already in motion.