Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 3, 1991 TAG: 9104030052
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Babb had been the school's acting athletic director since Eric Hyman resigned in December to become associate athletic director at North Carolina State University.
"VMI is fortunate to have Davis Babb as it's new athletic director," school superintendent Major General John W. Knapp said. "He understands the needs, the challenges and the opportunities in this important area. Furthermore, he understands the particular role of athletics at VMI and how our athletic endeavors contribute to the institute's broader educational mission."
Babb, 34, was hired by Hyman as an assistant athletic director in 1984 and was promoted to associate athletic director in 1988. He monitored the athletic department's business operations, administered the school's compliance with NCAA and Southern Conference regulations and served as building manager for Cameron Hall, the institute's 5,000-seat arena. Babb was also executive producer of the VMI Sports Radio Network.
"This is a happy day for me," said Babb. "We've thought about this for some time and look forward to the opportunities ahead. With any endeavor, it's important you believe in what you're doing in order to succeed and make a difference.
"VMI stands for all the right things. The idea of the student athlete is realized every day here. This is a school that places a premium on academic endeavors. I think we're doing it the right way here. I've had a wonderful six years up until now and look forward to the days ahead."
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Babb is a 1978 graduate of Appalachian State University. He majored in speech communication and minored in business administration and political science. An outstanding tennis player at ASU, he won Southern Conference titles in both singles and doubles.
After graduation, he worked as an account executive with the Charlotte Observer and WBT radio in Charlotte. Prior to coming to VMI, Babb was a tennis professional at Green Valley Country Club in Greenville, S.C. and coached women's tennis at Furman University for two years.
Babb will be in charge of an athletic program that has 13 NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports.
"We have 1,300 cadets and over 400 compete in athletics," Babb said. "With almost a third of your students involved in athletics, it becomes a big part of your university. That's a commitment that comes with a lot of challenges for the future."
Babb said one of his first chores will be finding someone to fill his former role. He said a "key challenge" for VMI will come in the area of finance and budget.
Although Babb's past role in VMI's athletic department helped, Col. Tom Davis, VMI's faculty chairman of athletics who chaired the search committee, said Babb's selection as athletic director "was not a foregone conclusion. The committee and I would not have spent the time looking at over 70 candidates if this was a preordained decision. Going through this process just made Davis a stronger candidate."
by CNB