By Marty Gordon
Athletic Director Whit Babcock ended the speculation surrounding football coach Justin Fuente Tuesday by stating there will be no changes for next season.
“I believe in Justin,” Babcock said during a Zoom news conference. “It’s not always the fashionable thing to keep somebody when everybody is yelling, but he’s our guy and I believe he gives us the best chance to be successful.”
Babcock told reporters he understands the rumblings of fans and longtime Hokie supporters but asked them to stay the course.
“We would ask from Hokie nation if you can do it when we play again in nine to 10 months if you are up to this: Don’t tear it down,” Babcock said. “Some will continue to try to tear and never stop just to justify their previous position of thinking that we needed to make a change.”
Babcock said he and Fuente sat down on Monday. “We covered recruiting, the depth chart, strength and conditioning, coaches, coaching, community outreach, fan donor engagement, his media appearances, former player involvement, that this is a results-driven business, what the identity to our team is and needs to be, where we need help and support, his level of commitment whether he wants to be here and what he wants to do right here? And his answers were honest and sincere and genuine and they certainly energized me,” the AD said.
Babcock put to rest any rumors that the two men did not see eye-to-eye.
“Any past misunderstandings that Justin and I may have had are greatly, greatly exaggerated,” the athletic director said. “Please keep in mind any leak that is put out there is always with a motive. We get along just fine, and yesterday was a great example.”
Coincidentally, Tuesday was the day Fuente’s buyout of his contract dropped from approximately $12 to $10 million. But Babcock said that did not come into play, and neither did the overall financial downslide of the university’s athletic budget.
“Yes, we are in a bind financially, yes there’s buyouts, but we were determined to make the right decision either way because I cannot imagine a working relationship with somebody whom you don’t believe in that you just keep for money,” Babcock said. “You can lose or risk money no matter which way you go, so make the right decision and the rest will take care of itself.”
Fuente has gone 43-32 in five seasons in Blacksburg, and Babcock compared this season to being the former Memphis head coach’s first “true” year in charge of the Hokies.
The athletic director said it’s hard to follow a legendary coach like Frank Beamer.
“For Justin, this was Year 1 in some respects,” he said. “And please let me explain it like that. We are not going to look at it like Year 1. We know it’s Year 5. What I mean is this, that this is Year 1 of being totally Justin’s program, all of his players. I believe that the transition from Coach Beamer and Bud Foster was harder than anticipated, not because of Bud or Coach Beamer.”
COVID-19 has turned the program upside down. Babcock admitted over 70 percent of the football team and staff has had the virus this season.
The pandemic could also play into whether the Hokies participate in another postseason bowl game. Babcock said that decision has not yet been made.
At least four other ACC programs, including UVA, have opted out of playing in a bowl game.
