Marty Gordon
Virginia Tech has announced the school’s Rector Fieldhouse, home to indoor track, will be renamed in honor of its former Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Dave Cianelli.
His legacy as one of the sport’s most influential coaches is marked by his 74 NCAA Champions, 490 All-America honors, 373 individual conference champions, 32 World Championship qualifiers, and 22 Olympic qualifiers. At Tech alone, Cianelli has overseen the success of 20 NCAA individual champions, 13 top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships, 242 ACC individual champions, and 21 ACC team titles. The 19-time ACC Coach of the Year and 18-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year enters his 23rd season directing the Hokies.
In August of 2024, it was announced that the 20-time ACC Coach of the Year and 19-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year, Cianelli, would be inducted into the USFTCCCA Hall of Fame, joining 223 esteemed track and field and cross-country coaches.
In 2007, Cianelli claimed the program’s first-ever ACC indoor championship title. Nearly two months later, the Hokies’ captured their first outdoor title proving Tech was a force to be reckoned with in track and field. The men’s team won their first ACC title at the 2011 indoor championships becoming the first host school since 1979 to win the conference title.
The Hokies backed their indoor success with an outdoor conference title in 2012. Flash forward to a few months later, and the Virginia Tech cross country team brought home their first-ever ACC title in a 55-49 defeat of second-place Virginia at Tech’s Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg.
The Rector Field House will be renamed to the Dave and Ellen Cianelli Track.
“Celebrating Dave and Ellen Cianelli with the renaming of the track at Rector Field House is a fitting tribute to their extraordinary contributions and enduring legacy,” Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock said. “Their passion, commitment and excellence have set a standard of greatness, and this honor ensures their remarkable influence will continue to inspire future athletes and supporters alike. Congratulations, Dave and Ellen, on this well-deserved recognition!”
Rector Field House was initially dedicated in 1971 and named after alumnus Charles W. Rector, class of 1958. In 2018, Rector underwent an $18 million renovation to become one of the most notable and respected fieldhouses in the country for indoor track and field.
His retirement in July of 2024 followed a storied career. For 23 seasons, Cianelli led the Virginia Tech programs to repeated and continuous success, departing as one of the most successful coaches in the university’s history.
Virginia Tech Athletics
