John Szefc has added to his front office, bringing in Rich Witten as General Manager and Director of Baseball Operations. It’s a hire that continues a broader trend in college baseball, where programs are increasingly building out MLB-style front offices to handle roster management, recruiting logistics and the day-to-day operational load that comes with the transfer portal era.
Witten spent the last four seasons as skipper at Florida International. Before FIU, Witten was on staff at VCU from 2018 to 2022 as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, giving him a return trip to the Commonwealth. That stint followed three years as assistant coach at Winthrop.
He’s also got administrative experience, specifically in this kind of role, having served as director of baseball operations at UCF back in 2013.
The hire also marks a quick turnover in the role. Easton Dally had held the GM/Director of Baseball Operations position at Virginia Tech for less than a year, brought on in July 2025 after six seasons of graduate and undergraduate team management work at East Carolina.
Witten’s fit is evident; he knows the state and brings both coaching and administrative chops to a role that’s become increasingly important as programs try to manage rosters like professional front offices.
For a Virginia Tech program looking to build on an NCAA regional appearance in 2026, Witten’s addition brings someone who’s already run a Division I program and gives Szefc an experienced hand managing the operational side while he focuses on the field.
