Final Domino Falls For Justin Fuente

Justin Fuente
Jim Quist @ACCTheQ –

Just like dominoes, once the design is set and you flick the first piece it’s hard to stop the momentum. For almost two years we’ve watched as one after another of the pieces of Justin Fuente’s future have tumbled. Today, the final domino fell for the beleaguered head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies. AD Whit Babcock announced at 7:30am ET to personnel and players that Justin Fuente would no longer be head coach. In the world of proper collegiate gentlemen it was referred to as having mutually agreed to parting ways.

The Fuente change is among 12 (and counting) FBS teams that have coaching changes in play. Only three of those schools have hired replacements.

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Babcock had put Fuente on notice last year that 2021 was a make or break scenario. But when it came down to cleaning up and clearing up the problems in the program this year. After a great start knocking off a highly ranked North Carolina things began to take a turn for the worse. As baseball great Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” Fuente departs the program with a 43-31 record over six seasons. His overall record as an FBS head coach is 69-54. He compiled a 26-23 record at Memphis before leaving for Blacksburg.

Justin Fuente

Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said, “While it is never easy to make a change, I believe in order for our football program to attain the type of sustained success that is expected at Virginia Tech, the time was right for new leadership of our football program. I’m extremely confident that we’ll be able to identify and hire a new head coach who can build on our rich history and winning tradition.”

Things weren’t all lemons for Fuente while he was in Blacksburg. In his opening season he led the Hokies to a 10 win season, division title and bowl win. He was also named the ACC Coach of the Year. After the grand opening, however things went downhill. Virginia Tech failed to appear in another ACC title game and lost three straight post-season appearances.

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Reportedly Justin Fuente will be owed $10 million in a buyout of his contract. If Babcock had waited until December 15 that figure would have dropped $2.5 million.

Why the rush? With multiple programs shedding their head coaches recently it is rapidly becoming a sellers market. The number of top-tier coaches that will be available to come to Blacksburg is dwindling by the hour. Plus, the deep pocket financial incentives necessary to attract them become tenuous. Babcock is rolling the dice that his next hire will deliver and be worth the bite they’ll take financially. With a more inspired selection Babcock won’t have to worry about his own final domino.

The interim until the end of the year will be co-defensive line coach J.C. Price who played for the Hokies as a defensive tackle.

Justin Fuente