New Virginia Tech AD WHIT BABCOCK will "make $470,000 a year, plus an annual retention bonus of $140,000." He also was "paid a signing bonus of $325,000, and his contract includes performance bonuses for team successes." Virginia Tech Foundation CEO RAY SMOOT, who chaired the school's search committee, said that VT "had more than 50 candidates for the job, interviewed eight and then recommended three finalists to outgoing president CHARLES STEGER and incoming president TIMOTHY SANDS" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 1/30). Meanwhile, former VT AD JIM WEAVER will "continue to be paid his salary for the next two years as he consults" with Sands on matters related to intercollegiate athletics. Weaver will "earn $469,529 per year, his base salary" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 1/30).
HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW: A private party in Manhattan on Tuesday night for outgoing NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN was "attended by past and present league executives and owners who are closest" to him, including USA Basketball Chair JERRY COLANGELO, Big East Commissioner VAL ACKERMAN, NHL Commissioner GARY BETTMAN, Warriors President & COO RICK WELTS and incoming NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER (SACBEE.com, 1/29). Meanwhile, Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN "decided to donate $100,000" to the iBelieve Foundation, which "raises money to search for a cure for a rare condition known as Mucopolysacharridosis, MPS II or Hunter syndrome." The $100,000 figure matches the "final fine issued to him" during Stern's tenure (ESPNDALLAS.com, 1/29).
NAMES: Panthers QB CAM NEWTON and 49ers QB COLIN KAEPERNICK will host Cartoon Network’s fourth annual Hall of Game Awards on Feb. 17 (ESPN.com, 1/29)....Grizzlies CEO JASON LEVIEN on Tuesday in N.Y. “plugged Memphis International Airport” to JetBlue execs (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 1/29)....Knicks and NHL Rangers Owner JAMES DOLAN on Tuesday night "celebrated the Knicks' win over the Celtics" with actor ADRIAN GRENIER. The two were spotted at Lower East Side bar Leave Rochelle Out Of It (N.Y. POST, 1/30)....Former Dodgers President PETER O'MALLEY on Monday received the Southern California Sports Broadcasters' Gil Stratton Lifetime Achievement Award (THE DAILY)....Hockey HOFer and Lightning GM STEVE YZERMAN, retired coach CLARE DRAKE and women's ice hockey player FRANCE ST. LOUIS were named to the '14 class of Distinguished Honorees of the Order of Hockey in Canada (FREEP.com, 1/29)....The Reds will induct former MLBers KEN GRIFFEY JR., DAVE PARKER, RON OESTER and the late JAKE BECKLEY into the team’s HOF on Aug. 8-10 (Reds)....Univ. of Oklahoma AD JOE CASTIGLIONE will be honored as the '13-14 recipient of Oklahoma City Univ.'s Abe Lemons/Paul Hansen Award for Sports Excellence (NEWSOK.com, 1/29)....Int'l League Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens broadcaster JIM WEBER this week became the first broadcaster elected to the Int'l League HOF (TOLEDO BLADE, 1/28)....Pro Basketball HOFer DAVID ROBINSON has listed his 8,175 foot home in Shavano Park, Texas, for $3.695M (MYSANANTONIO.com, 1/30).
