What we learned about the new Virginia Tech Basketball GM from our FOIA request

I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get a copy of the contract of the new Virginia Tech Basketball general manager, Nelson Hernandez, the goal being, to dive into the contract language to see how the job is being structured.

I didn’t get anything on that from what I got back yesterday from Virginia Tech, but there were a couple of other interesting tidbits.

The offer sheet that I got back from the FOIA office at Tech reveals the salary for Hernandez is $200,000, with $50,000 in supplemental compensation, and the term of the deal is just one year, with expiration date of April 30, 2026.

Per the terms of the offer sheet:

• “Your initial appointment to a non-tenure track administrative or professional faculty position is continued based on the need by the university for the scope and level of services being provided, and available funding.”
• “Re-appointment and salary increases are not automatic, and this appointment does not provide you with any right to continued employment or the expectation of continued employment beyond the stated term. Any consideration of your continued employment at the University will be conditioned on a high level of performance of all your duties and responsibilities.”

What I was looking for in the language was a sense of who Hernandez would be answering to – Mike Young, the head coach, or would he be reporting directly to the AD, Whit Babcock.

If it’s Babcock, the position is a true general manager, with oversight of the head coach, staff and player personnel.

If it’s Young, Hernandez is a recruiting coordinator with a budget on the staff of the head coach.

It’s noteworthy that Hernandez’s most recent job was at WVU, where he was director of player personnel/recruiting last season.

Buttressing the point that I’ve been making about the job being GM in name only: the press release from Virginia Tech Athletics spells out that Hernandez “will oversee key operational areas such as working closely with Triumph NIL, managing revenue-sharing strategies for the men’s basketball program and aligning resources to support student-athletes both on and off the court.”

Um, yeah, recruiting coordinator with a budget.