BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock announced Tuesday the contracts of four head coaches have been extended.
Chugger Adair (women's soccer),
Mike Brizendine (men's soccer),
Sergio Lopez Miro (swimming and diving) and
Tony Robie (wrestling) have all agreed to terms that will keep them in Blacksburg through the dates indicated below.
"I firmly believe the best days in Blacksburg are ahead and these head coaches are a part of our optimism," Babcock expressed. "Each of them has built successful programs, while being committed to providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes. We're proud to call them Hokies and look forward to the continued success of their programs under their respective leadership."
Adair was named Virginia Tech's fourth-ever head coach for women's soccer in 2010, and he hasn't looked back since. With an overall record of 148-75-24, Adair already sits atop the Hokies' all-time wins list in program history. Of the 12 years leading Tech women's soccer, Adair has made the NCAA Tournament an impressive nine times. Headlining that stretch was the Hokies' first-ever College Cup appearance in 2013. Tech has achieved an overall NCAA Tournament record of 11-9-1 with Adair at the helm, having made four Sweet 16 appearances in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2018. In 2021,
Emily Gray became the highest all-time National Women's Soccer League draft pick from Tech. Gray was chosen third overall by the North Carolina Courage. She joined former Tech legends Jazmine Reeves (2014) and Mandy McGlynn (2020) as the only three NWSL draft selections in program history (all developed by Adair). Tech has also had its only three All-Americans under Adair's tutelage – Reeves (First Team, 2013), Murielle Tiernan (Third Team, 2015) and McGlynn (Second Team, 2019) – and three of its four Academic All-Americans - Katie Yensen (Third Team, 2014), McGlynn (First Team, 2019) and Gray (Third Team, 2021). In 2019, Adair became only the 10th women's soccer head coach to reach 100 wins within the ACC.
Brizendine has led arguably the most promising era of Virginia Tech men's soccer as head coach of the program since 2009. From 2016-2021, Brizendine set program records in NCAA Tournament appearances (six) and wins (nine), all while progressing past at least the first round each year – a feat accomplished by only two other teams (Indiana and Wake Forest) in that span. In 2016, the Hokies marched to the 'Elite Eight' in a run that included wins over No. 10 Charlotte and No. 7 Indiana. Virginia Tech has produced an impressive number of professional players in the United States and abroad under Brizendine, including seven MLS SuperDraft picks since 2014. In 2021, Dani Pereira was selected first overall by Austin FC in the MLS Draft. More recently, Tech's
Danny Flores (Sporting KC) and
Ben Martino (Nashville SC) signed MLS first team contracts after two seasons in Blacksburg.
Lopez Miro was named head coach of Virginia Tech's men's and women's swimming and diving in May of 2018, and has since helped re-establish the Hokies as a force in the pool. In 2021, the former Olympic bronze medalist led Tech to a breakout season, with the men's squad finishing a program-best 11th at the NCAA championships. The women's team enjoyed its second-best all-time placement, finishing at 21st overall. After a 2022 season that saw five swimmers earn All-America honors between both squads, Lopez Miro has now amassed a total of 43 school records, and a remarkable 359 top-10 program performances in his time at the helm. The Tech men are coming off a runner-up showing at the 2023 ACC championships – their highest finish since 2014, headlined by
Youssef Ramadan winning the league's most valuable swimmer for the second year in a row.
Robie came to Blacksburg in 2006 and has been an integral part in sustaining Virginia Tech as a powerhouse wrestling program, taking over as head coach in 2017. Upon his head coaching debut, he became the first coach in ACC history to start his career with two consecutive regular-season titles. Robie has led the program to new heights in his six-year career at Tech, capturing five ACC titles (three dual meet and two tournament), and the program's first undefeated season in 2020-21 since 1956-57, finishing at 9-0. A three-time ACC Coach of the Year recipient, he's cultivated individual accolades on the national landscape as well, developing
Mekhi Lewis (165 pounds) into the Hokies' first-ever individual wrestling national champion in 2019. In 2020-21, the program rose up the ranks to the No. 3 spot in the National Wrestling Coaches of America Coaches Poll, the highest rank under Robie and tied for the highest in program history.
