The way Whit needs to look at this is "Who is best qualified to take VT to the next level?", not "Should we give the job to Bud?"
I'll go along with whatever he decides (I guess we all will), but he needs to look at the choice comprehensively. How would Bud fill the OC and DC positions? Would that be the best combination vs. the other HC candidates? Who is best prepared to be the HC? Who is going to be the most competitive recruiting and fundraising-wise? That's the decision that Whit needs to make.
I think the optimal choice would be to keep Bud as DC, and get a new HC and OC. We'll find out what Whit thinks soon, I think.
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Whit gets the big bucks to make these high pressure decisions. The majority of Hokie Nation, not necessarily this board, would agree that Bud as HC would be supported for 3-4 years because he is the backbone of the FB team. A new guy with no Bud that has a losing season would make things uncomfortable/ unpopular for Whit.
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Yeah except Frank Beamer is leaving the football program in far better shape than our basketball program was in before Buzz arrived. I'm not expecting the same growing pains for the football program as I did for basketball. At least our football team has a ton of talent currently in the Burg.
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I agree. Just like there was no reason we shouldn't have won at least 8-9 games this season. We had a TON of talent on the team this year and an extremely easy schedule. To be honest, unless the ACC Coastal starts to improve, 8 or 9 wins should really be our floor every season.
And before someone else says it, yes, I'm fully aware we had injuries, but everyone deals with injuries in college football. We still had as much or more talent on the field than all but 1 or 2 teams we played.
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The basketball team was a completely different situation- Buzz inherited very little talent in arguably the toughest conference in the country.
On the flipside, our new football coach will be inheriting arguably the most talented team in what is the weakest division in college football. He will also luck out in getting Syracuse as the rotating cross-division opponent in Year 1.
Realistically there's no reason we shouldn't win at LEAST 8 games next season. I hope the new coach is targeting double digit wins and an ACC Coastal title in year 1-- there isn't a whole lot standing in the way.
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I don't think that's an unrealistic timeline at all. It's not like this team is a dumpster fire right now, it's a .500 team that many agree is probably more talented than their record and is poorly coached. The new coach is coming into a situation where, while a playoff appearance isn't expected out of the gate, a quick turn-around to ACC relevance in a year or two absolutely is.
With our resources and schedule situation, I think the new coach should absolutely be on the hotseat if he can't bring us at least very, very close to the ACCCG within 3 years. If we're still hovering at 6-8 wins in three years that is a problem.
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On the one hand I'm hesitant to put much stock in any coaching rumors (at VT or otherwise) until they're made official by the hiring school. Press conference and all. There have been so many rumors of done deals that my head is spinning.
On the other hand, I suspected there was a pretty darn good chance Bud would be gone after this year.
I also want to point out that the rumor is that he's a candidate. That means relatively nothing.
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What's the saying? If you really love something let it go? Bud has done so much for Virginia Tech already, and if he won't get a shot at being head coach here he deserves to have one somewhere.
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Big "what if" scenario: what if Bud does indeed become the Illinois HC (or a HC at any P5 school), and builds their program into a national power. On the flip side, we hire a dud of a coach and our program sinks even more than it is now. How awful would that feel to have a great coach in waiting but not give him the job? Then, to witness his success at another school while our program flounders. That's why I would give our job to bud. On top of that, he's earned the right to be our next coach by helping to build our program. That's something no other coach in the country can say. No one has earned it the way bud has
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Playing devil's advocate, what if we knew we could get a next big thing coach (i.e. Fuentes) and instead give Bud the nod as a lifetime achievement award only to see VT flounder as many suggested it may under Bud and then we see Fuentes be wildly successful at Miami or some other program in a similar place to VT.
If Bud finds a P5 HC job elsewhere and he is successful then kudos to him. I wish him nothing but the best should he stay at VT or pursue the rest of his career elsewhere. If the new HC isn't successful, Whit will take flak for it regardless of the back story.
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We are hiring a new staff. Can't blame him if he's ready to leave. Best of luck to him if it happens, and I'd be happy for him. I'd love the Frank Beamer coaching tree to start getting some legitimate branches.
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Until I hear more, not going to believe it. He isn't even on their fanbase's radar.
Also, the Fighting Illini colors are too similar to #LOLUVA, I mean come on now, he would laugh every time he saw the uniforms.
Seriously, the University of Illinois? I mean they usually steal our professors, not our coaches. I see a big cultural disconnect between Bud Foster and University of Illinois.
I love and appreciate all that Coach Foster has done at VT, but if he wanted to become an HC, I think he could do better than the University of Illinois. Maybe try for USCe....
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If I'm Bud and don't get the HC job, of course I leave. I personally am of the the mind that Bud Foster has earned the chance. It would make me so sad to see him wearing another school's colors (UVA colors at that).
Alum is right, if he leaves he leaves, but damnit the man has stayed loyal while carrying this program. I'm confident Whit will do what's best for the team, but stories like this just drive home the fact that this truly is the end of an era.
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According to our on-line partner HokieHaven.com, long time Virginia Tech Defensive coordinator Bud Foster is a candidate for the Illinois head coaching position.
So are they the only #sauce?
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Foster went to HS in Illinois. IIRC, he always listed Illinois as one of his dream jobs (along with VT, and any P5 school in a college town in the southeast).
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i'm only speculating, but my guess is that any head coach hired will offer Bud to stay on staff. at that point, it's up to Bud to weigh his options. if he leaves, i have no hard feelings at all. even if the new coach DOESN'T offer Bud a spot, I'm not sure how us hiring the best candidate for the HC job and allowing him to hire his own staff takes anything away from "This is Home"...
Being a great DC does not entitle you to be the next Head Coach. We've paid Bud well to do what he does. I would love to see it continue, but that's just not how life always works out...and that's ok.
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Bud has done as much for VT as anybody. Not doing everything possible to retain him doesn't give me the feeling of a family atmosphere we have been preaching. My fingers are still crossed that he stays.
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Because the head of that family is stepping away after a great career. At some point, you need to move on. I must be the only one on this website that won't be totally disappointed if Bud doesn't get the job. Who's to say he's going to be a good head coach?
Also maybe this is generational, but loyalty doesn't always serve its justice. I look at it from job experiences. Just because you're loyal with a company doesn't mean they have to automatically be loyal back.
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Exactly....and it's not like Bud hasn't interviewed for other HC'ing jobs before. He has and just hasn't gotten them. He didn't want to make a lateral move which is understandable so he has stayed. He has stated that he doesn't want to take a lower teir program as well, where he would have probably been hired away to already if he did. That being the case I think the "loyalty" card is a bit overplayed with Bud. I love the guy and he's a great DC but I don't think he "deserves" the job because he has been here for so long. He has been here for so long because he hasn't gotten any of the HC jobs he has interviewed for. All that said, I do hope he stays and don't think any new HC wouldn't offer him a job. I mean that would seem to be a dumb move to not retain a guy who is by and large regarded as one of the best DC's in the country for someone who is not. I think if Bud leaves it's because he doesn't want to work under the new coach, not because the new coach didn't offer him to stay on as the DC.
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I'm not saying Bud shouldn't. But if whit feels we are going to lose Bud if he doesn't get the head coaching position, it drastically changes my mindset. I would much rather give him the shot than lose him and be back to square one with both the offense and the defense. After all, he has exactly one less year of head coaching experience than Morris, who is pretty much universally viewed as an acceptable hire. My hope is that he has told whit that his plan is to stay on in whatever capacity is best for the team, but we'll see.
As for the family atmosphere, I'm looking at it from a recruits perspective. If that's the mission statement, and we aren't fighting tooth and nail to keep the most accomplished and beloved coach on staff, it comes across as disingenuous to me.
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How so? The "family", the football staff, if you will, is breaking up. Beamer's retiring, the staff will not likely be retained, why not leave? I'm sure Bud will always be back here, and he'll likely call Claytor Lake his "home", but its not bullshit if Frank retires and everyone gets their walking papers.
I would love to see Foster on the sidelines again, but he came close to leaving last year, he has always wanted a HC job. If Illinois offers and Tech doesn't, it's on Whit, not Bud.
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If Illinois offers and Tech doesn't, it's on Whit, not Bud.
This is my point. I'm not saying Bud shouldn't chase his dreams. I do however think that any coaching change that doesn't retain bud on the sideline in some form could be a mistake. I will concede though that I haven't ever sat down in an interview with Bud like whit has. I trust that if Bud isn't offered the HC position, there are valid reasons. I would hope that whit has a comfortable feeling with where bud stands on his future, and if he is planning to walk out the door, I think that would be a strong motivational factor in considering offering Bud the big whistle. Otherwise, we're starting off clean on both sides of the ball, doubling the risk of a successful hires by needing to build on offense and defense.
I should probably amend my original comment to say that if whit doesn't fight as hard as possible to retain bud, then the premise of being a family doesn't have the same feel to it. I never intended it to mean that Bud shouldn't do what Bud thinks is best for himself.
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Just saying... you are wrong. You cant hold a coaching search hostage with that phrase. It's Whits job to get the best coach he can for the school. And that's not going to happen by using that mantra conveniently because the guy you want isn't chosen.
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So we've got one of the greatest defensive minds in college football history on our staff, a guy that other schools want (Illinois is just one, I'm sure there are going to be others at many different levels), and we're just willing to watch him walk out the door without really giving him much consideration.
Alright, as long as everyone is comfortable with that.
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There are other competent coaches for sure. But, the risk of nailing a competent offensive and defensive coach in this hire is greater than having to focus only on offense. We have been bad at offense for so long, we take for granted how good we have been on defense in that same time. We could easily end up tilting the scales but ending up with the same results in the W-L column.
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Yeah because if we let Bud go, the likely scenario is to see us drop from a top defense to a bottom 1% defense, like the offense wallowed in for years.
If Bud goes, it'll stink, but we'll get by just fine.
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To expand on this, college football programs all over the country have put an added emphasis on offense. Not defense. There are only a handful of teams left that put more emphasis on defense than offense. In the league we're in, offense is king. We need offense much more than we need defense. If we keep Bud and our defense remains top 15 that's cool but that scenario lends itself to us getting an OC on par with or slightly better than Scot Loeffler.
IF we get a new HC who is offensive minded and brings in a talented and intelligent offensive staff and a middle of the pack defense we will be much better off. We'll win a lot more games in the ACC by having a better offense than the other team than vice versa.
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You need both to get to where we want to go. Stopping the opponent yields the same result as scoring on the opponent in the final score. What we need is to be more balanced. I agree that we can't win with only defense just like some of these high octane offenses can't win when they get punched in the mouth by a good defense.
Edit:
I wonder sometimes, what is better:
A. #1 defense and #100 offense
B. #100 defense and #1 offense
C. #50 defense and #50 offense
I did some research one time about national champions since the bcs era started. If memory serves, the winning formula averaged out to having a top 10 defense and top 25 offense. I'd have to check again to be sure.
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He certainly has a grip on the defense, but is he that much more capable of attracting a top offensive coordinator than some of the other candidates being mentioned? He's been at the same school 29 years, so he may not be as well-connected as some of the other candidates.
I think Whit has to look at total packages. Hiring Bud has both pros and cons.
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You're all assuming that Bud is going to be able to bring in a stud OC. I'm not so sure about that, TBH. I think our chances at drastically improving our offense are much greater if we hire a HC who is a proven offensive mind as opposed to hiring a DC and hoping he can find an OC who will turn this offense around.
The trouble with stud OCs is that once they're a known quantity they're not going to be looking for other OC jobs. They'll be looking for HC jobs. If Bud is hired he'll have to take a chance on an OC who is unproven and hoping he turns out to be a rockstar. Is that a risk you're willing to take with a defensive guru who has 0 years of HC experience?
Me personally; I'd much rather a guy who is a known offensive mind and has some HC experience. In my mind, he's much more likely to find a competent DC to pair with his offense than Bud is to find a competent OC to pair with his defense.
And before you make the argument "What kind of OC wouldn't want to come into a situation where Bud is the DC backing them up?..A good OC would be crazy NOT to want to work with Bud."
Well, I'll pose this counter point to that argument. 1. Why couldn't we snag that top flight OC 4 years ago when we made changes? 2. Why would a stud OC want to work for a HC who has no HC experience. He would be coming into a situation that is completely unknown. Being a DC/OC is much different than being HC. Just because you're good at DC/OC doesn't mean you're going to be good at HC. I think that is why HC experience is so important to Whit. If I were a stud OC I'd rather work for a guy with HC experience and a defense that is in the 20-50 range than a new HC with no experience who has produced top 10 defenses as a DC in his past. Much fewer question marks with the guy who has been around the block. And, if I'm a stud, I don't need a top 10 defense to back up my high flying offense.
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Just playing devils advocate, but your comments don't address $$$ anywhere. Maybe the stud OC comes this time because we can pay him a lot more. Hiring Bud for HC with no HC experience could result in significant cost savings. After all, isn't it all about the money?
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I think if Bud is hired as HC we will end up with a top 15-20 defense and a top 60 offense. That will get us pretty much to where we are right now plus about 3 wins.
If Bud is retained as DC and we bring in an offensive minded coach we could be looking at top 10-15 defense and top 25 offense. This will take us to the heights we want to be at. I also think this is the most unlikely scenario. I don't think Bud stays if he isn't HC.
If the new HC comes in and has to hire his own DC we could be looking at a top 25 offense and a top 50 defense. I think this is the most likely scenario and while it's not as good as retaining Bud, it's better than handing Bud the keys. A top 25 offense in the ACC will get us 10 wins pretty regularly. With an offense like that I have to believe we'll improve recruiting and that could go a long way towards making VT more of an elite program. We might not get a rock-star DC off the bat but in this scenario but we're not guaranteed to get a dud either. I think Whit is smart enough to realize he needs to hire a guy who understands defense is important. We're not going to turn into a big XII team where defense is optional. The next Coach will bring in a competent DC if he can't retain Bud. I have confidence in that.
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I researched this data out of curiosity to see how each year's champion ranked on offense and defense. These are my takeaways:
Every champ but 3 had a top 10 defense
Only 1 champ had a top 10 offense and not a top 10 defense (Auburn 2010, defense in NC was clutch)
The worst offense was ranked 43rd (Edit 2002 Ohio St. was 70th, but that's dumb)
The #1 offense never won
The #1 defense won 3 times
Defense still wins championships
We need to get our offense into the top 50 nationally to be contenders, the defense is there
Every team on this list is a Big Boy Recruiter
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A top 5 defense is awesome. If nobody can score on you, that's a huge plus, but people can score against a top 20 defense, so you'll be need a high-power offense to go along with it if you don't have something that's completely "lock-down".
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I think if we bring in an Offensive Minded HC who also happens to be somewhat of a QB whisperer that will lead to exciting eye-popping numbers which will garner more of an audience and lead to the biggest up-tick in recruiting that is possible. Putting up 40 points per game is going to do more for recruiting than anything else. Hiring an offensive minded HC is the only way I really see that happening.
Offense first, then recruit to the defense to build that unit up. Build and build and become a contender.
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I really don't understand how someone can make these hopelessly optimistic comments as
"He will field an effective offense in a few years once he brings in the right players. Right now he's working with a slew of TEs and RBs converted to other positions." -VPIhokieME on Loeffler
with little to no evidence and yet have zero optimism in Bud. If you recall, Bud has fielded single digit ranked defenses multiple years and Loeffler has not even sniffed that even with BCS talent at Auburn. Not to mention that you were high on LT3 and thought he would make it in the pros.
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I'll admit that I said that and I'll admit that I was wrong. Loeffler was able to do everything except teach the fundamentals to the players. I didn't account for that in my estimation. I never thought someone in his position would struggle with teaching fundamentals to this degree. You're also conveniently excluding my quote about how our O-line was in such bad shape that it would be at least a 4-5 year rebuild. We won't get more into that. At this point all of this is moot. I think if there is anything we can all agree on, it's that Loeffler will not be in Blacksburg next season.
That being said, I never once said, or even implied, that I have "zero optimism in Bud." I think Bud is a terrific DC. I don't know if he will be retained. I would love for him to be but I don't know if it's realistic. And, to be quite honest, I think the best thing for Bud would be to move on to something different. I would love for him to follow his dream of becoming a Head Coach. He needs to start at a lower level, though, IMO. Frank started at Murray State before coming back to VT. And VT wasn't anywhere close to the same job it is now when Frank did it. I don't think VT would ever have considered a head coach with zero HC experience back in the 80's. They sure as heck aren't going to start now.
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I meant you have zero optimism in Bud succeeding as the VT head coach if he were to get the job at this point in time. I agree that Loeffler won't be here next season. His coaching abilities were extremely suspect to me from the very start. Sorry for calling you out, one thing that has irked me is that the same people who thought Loeffler was a good hire seem to overlap with people thinking that Bud should not get a chance at head coach. I could go back to those threads and find plenty more quotes from others but I really don't understand the thought process behind why everyone unanimously agrees that Bud is a great DC, but needs to prove himself before getting a chance at being the VT head coach when Loeffler was the exact opposite of being proven. I mean, why would anyone have more faith in Loeffler than Bud, and if you do, you should reevaluate your views on coaches.
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I'm comfortable with it. Bud isn't the right person for HC at VT right now. We need offense and recruiting, not his strengths. If he wants to be a HC, he should go get that opportunity. He may come back to VT in a few years. If he wants to stay a DC, we should do our best to keep him. But if he is offered $1.5m to be a DC at UGA or LSU, he should go. We have other options. Gray is ready to be a DC, he's done a lot for VT as well.
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Bud becomes Big 10 Champion and comes back to beat us...yikes...
On a more serious note, I would have thought that he might be interested in the UMD terps job considering that he is familiar with the recruiting territory already. It made a little more sense. If he does become the HC at UMD, it'll be in my backyard, i might actually go an support Bud
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If he goes Illinois or UMD, he'll never make the playoffs unless he wins the Big 10 outright. I don't see it happening, which is why UMD won't be offering.
UMD is like VT, in that they sort of need a "splash" hire.
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UMD doesn't care about football success. They never would have joined the B1G if they cared about winning. They whore'd themselves out to that league for more $$$ and they knew exactly what they were doing at the time. They're going to be irrelevant in CFB for years to come.
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They did whore themselves out for money, but they also convinced themselves that if they went to the Big 10, it would help with recruiting.
Their strategy was to join the Big 10, get their athletic programs profitable, invest in facilities, and eliminate sports that they don't have a chance of winning.
I think they were short-sighted, but it doesn't mean they don't very much want to have a successful football program. Their bankroll is Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, who played football at UMD.
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Correct but hardly any for things like keeping Div. 1 sports team afloat, increasing the budget for athletic dept hires or for helping pay coaching buyouts.
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if you think UMD will ever compete with blue bloods like OSU and UM I don't know what to tell you. UMD is never going to win the B1G. Ever. They had to know that going in. They had a chance to win in the ACC. They might have even had a shot in the Big XII. But the B1G is a conference that UMD absolutely will never have a chance to win in football. I just don't think UMD takes football that seriously. I don't think they ever will. They're a basketball school.
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I doubt that's the case, luckily. I think he has a pretty wide range of choices, and Bud is one of them. I don't think we'll be waiting long past the UVA game for real news.
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I interpreted "none of the candidates...worth losing bud over" and "whit has a big decision" as limiting Whit to one decision, and if it isn't Bud you chose poorly.
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I think that contract he signed last year is a factor. If he is fired along with the rest of the staff then, he is owed money which makes me think that Whit wants him to stay. But if Bud leaves on his own for a HC job then no money is owed.
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Reading some of the reactions here, it makes me glad Whit is in charge of this process. The knee jerk reactions is how you end up with a James Johnson disaster for a few years instead of doing a legitimate search.
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I agree. I think deep down everyone here knew that there was a pretty good chance Bud would leave BBurg one day. That day is quickly approaching. I think we're going to be fine. Bud has put a lot into this program and I, for one, will be forever thankful to him for that. However, he's not the only DC in the world. It's not like VT is going to completely forget how to play defense when Bud leaves. We may not be the top 10 unit that we've come to expect every year but hopefully, with an offense that shouldn't be in the basement anymore, we'll be okay with a middle of the pack D.
I want Bud to get a shot at HC somewhere else. I think it would be good for him. He needs the experience and as much as he loves VT I think he'll benefit from not working in the shadow of his predecessor. The best experiences typically come to those who get out of their comfort zones a little bit. Bud needs to get out of Blacksburg to flourish at the next level. Let the man advance his career in the best way possible. It's the least we can do for him after all he's done for VT.
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With all due respect, comparing Foster to JJ is a bit of an insult. A Bud Foster hire as HC would not only be a well thought out decision, I still think its one of the best we could make.
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He's not comparing Bud to JJ at all. He's saying the knee-jerk reaction of fans to the news that Bud is possibly leaving us is the same type of knee-jerk reaction that can result in a poor hire. In essence, we're glad that none of us are employed by VT as the AD.
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Agreed. What some people seem to be missing is that if you promote Bud based on his merits, it's a well thought out decision. If you promote Bud because you're afraid of losing him, it's not.
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I understand how you can see it that way but we have never won ACC championships in basketball. Johnson didn't have the tenure or the track record of any type of success. I agree THAT decision was poor.
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This would make me sad. I wish beyond all wishes that Bud would stay on as our DC with whoever the new coach ends up being, and at this point I'm (totally un)sure that it won't be Bud.
Having said that, it'll be a bittersweet departure if he does go. We have spent all this time saying goodbye to Frank, but haven't focused much at all on Foster. Sad times.
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You have to do what's best for the program, not what's best for Bud. With our current struggles on offense and in recruiting, I really don't think he's the right guy (at this point in time) for the job. That sucks because he's been loyal here for so long but the success of the program has to be valued over rewarding loyalty.
If he leaves and has success elsewhere, so be it. But I think this team will be in a better place with an offensive-minded HC and Gray or Wiles potentially at DC than with Bud and whatever OC he would get to come here.
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Foster has been a candidate for many head coaching jobs and it is not likely that this is the only opening he is being considered a candidate for. For example, he is a candidate for our head coaching vacancy as well ;)
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Shane Beamer? He's actually solid defensive coach, and South Carolina had some stacked defenses in his time there as a DB coach.
Ted Roof, not sure where he's at now, Ga Tech?
If we get an offensive minded coach, he's got to pair well with a defensive coach, not a great defense, but solid. Example, we score 60 and give up 50, but always winning. This might be where the Kirby Smart interest comes into play.
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Let's get one thing straight. Tech will not have a better defense with Bud leaving. If he's not our next HC, he should go try to be a HC elsewhere. If he doesn't get hired, Whit should do whatever necessary to retain him. If the new HC doesn't try to retain Bud and his staff, they are fools.
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Looking at this from the other side, I am not really sure the Illinois job is something I would willingly sign up for. They are in the wake of firing a coach and an athletic director over a scandal. Foster would have no way of knowing what he was truly signing up for without an established Athletic director.
The fact that Bud's name is out there though I think probably tells us a lot about what is ultimately going to happen with Virginia Tech's staff. I'm not sure this is the job I would take but we know that before this is all said and done we could be looking at 30 open coaching positions. If there ever was a year to take the leap into a Head Coaching position this is the year. Best of luck to him when he likely makes the jump. Going to spin this in a positive way for him because I'm not ready to emotionally process that on top of Beamer hanging it up.
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I thought this had been addressed a while back when there was a perceived "coach-in-waiting" status with Bud and he came out and said he didn't want the position.
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That never happened. Beamer has said he doesn't like the coach in waiting title but Bud has never said he doesn't want the VT coaching job. In fact he's stated openly that he does want it.
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I think, as some have said above, that if Bud leaves we'll be fine. I think it would be fairly easy to get a very good DC to come to VT with the reputation VT defense has. It's not a rebuilding of a defense but more of a sustaining / improving situation at a school that has a reputation for fielding strong defenses. Even when they aren't up to par with VT standards, VT defenses are still pretty good. I think a young DC or good DC at a lower program would love the chance to become the DC at VT and keep the tradition of the lunch pail defense going.
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If Bud leaves, I hope that the new coach keeps Charles Wiles... maybe even as DC. The fact that he is a great coach notwithstanding, it would be worth it just for the great interview quotes alone.
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I'm honestly surprised this is the first rumor/leak we have heard of Bud being looked at by other schools this season. I don't know if he's my #1 pick for HC but he sure is one hell of a coach.
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Head scratcher. Who is making that call? Who would he be interviewing with? Might happen but feels premature https://t.co/wReBvzBpRE— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) November 25, 2015
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As mentione by wade, Illini are really struggling. This could be good or bad for a new coach, good in the sense that it may buy more time to turn things around.
The report says he is a candidate, as we have seen, tomorrow it could be someone else. Didn't read this as he is gone at all.
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I was thinking that this might have been leaked to let Whit know Bud is serious about pursuing a head coaching job and dispel the notion that he would want to continue on as a DC at Tech
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Comments
Good luck, Bud.
I mean we all saw this coming eventually. Hopefully he can cut his teeth and come back to us.
All the more reason to get the best HC possible.
The way Whit needs to look at this is "Who is best qualified to take VT to the next level?", not "Should we give the job to Bud?"
I'll go along with whatever he decides (I guess we all will), but he needs to look at the choice comprehensively. How would Bud fill the OC and DC positions? Would that be the best combination vs. the other HC candidates? Who is best prepared to be the HC? Who is going to be the most competitive recruiting and fundraising-wise? That's the decision that Whit needs to make.
I think the optimal choice would be to keep Bud as DC, and get a new HC and OC. We'll find out what Whit thinks soon, I think.
Whit gets the big bucks to make these high pressure decisions. The majority of Hokie Nation, not necessarily this board, would agree that Bud as HC would be supported for 3-4 years because he is the backbone of the FB team. A new guy with no Bud that has a losing season would make things uncomfortable/ unpopular for Whit.
I think most of Hokie Nation understands that it will take a few years to get the ship afloat again.
See: VT basketball.
Yeah except Frank Beamer is leaving the football program in far better shape than our basketball program was in before Buzz arrived. I'm not expecting the same growing pains for the football program as I did for basketball. At least our football team has a ton of talent currently in the Burg.
Honestly if Bud there is little reason we can't win 8-9 games next year.
??
incomplete sentence FTW, should have read" If Bud doesn't leave there is no reason we can't get 8-9 wins"
I don't know if there is any reason we shouldn't win 8-9 games if Bud leaves. Have you seen our schedule? It's a joke
I agree. Just like there was no reason we shouldn't have won at least 8-9 games this season. We had a TON of talent on the team this year and an extremely easy schedule. To be honest, unless the ACC Coastal starts to improve, 8 or 9 wins should really be our floor every season.
And before someone else says it, yes, I'm fully aware we had injuries, but everyone deals with injuries in college football. We still had as much or more talent on the field than all but 1 or 2 teams we played.
Will see. I'll feel better after watching the spring game
On the contrary...expectations will be fairly high from the get-go. Just watch.
The basketball team was a completely different situation- Buzz inherited very little talent in arguably the toughest conference in the country.
On the flipside, our new football coach will be inheriting arguably the most talented team in what is the weakest division in college football. He will also luck out in getting Syracuse as the rotating cross-division opponent in Year 1.
Realistically there's no reason we shouldn't win at LEAST 8 games next season. I hope the new coach is targeting double digit wins and an ACC Coastal title in year 1-- there isn't a whole lot standing in the way.
I agree, but the new coach gets 2 years minimum, and maybe even 3 before people start to freak out.
Just because.
I don't think that's an unrealistic timeline at all. It's not like this team is a dumpster fire right now, it's a .500 team that many agree is probably more talented than their record and is poorly coached. The new coach is coming into a situation where, while a playoff appearance isn't expected out of the gate, a quick turn-around to ACC relevance in a year or two absolutely is.
With our resources and schedule situation, I think the new coach should absolutely be on the hotseat if he can't bring us at least very, very close to the ACCCG within 3 years. If we're still hovering at 6-8 wins in three years that is a problem.
Yes, if VT is 6-6 in three years, people won't be happy.
via GIPHY
Good luck to ya Bud
Didn't Illinois come after Bud a few years ago?
On the one hand I'm hesitant to put much stock in any coaching rumors (at VT or otherwise) until they're made official by the hiring school. Press conference and all. There have been so many rumors of done deals that my head is spinning.
On the other hand, I suspected there was a pretty darn good chance Bud would be gone after this year.
I also want to point out that the rumor is that he's a candidate. That means relatively nothing.
What's the saying? If you really love something let it go? Bud has done so much for Virginia Tech already, and if he won't get a shot at being head coach here he deserves to have one somewhere.
Nooooooooooooooooo!
Was clinging to hope that he'd stay on as DC......but deep down I knew he'd leave.....I would if I were snubbed after all these years
Big "what if" scenario: what if Bud does indeed become the Illinois HC (or a HC at any P5 school), and builds their program into a national power. On the flip side, we hire a dud of a coach and our program sinks even more than it is now. How awful would that feel to have a great coach in waiting but not give him the job? Then, to witness his success at another school while our program flounders. That's why I would give our job to bud. On top of that, he's earned the right to be our next coach by helping to build our program. That's something no other coach in the country can say. No one has earned it the way bud has
Whit would be looking for another dream job...
Pretty sure you just described what went down at UMd a few years back...
I would love to see Bud rock the BIG if he doesn't stay at VT
I'd be OK that, too, as long is it isn't the Terps.
Playing devil's advocate, what if we knew we could get a next big thing coach (i.e. Fuentes) and instead give Bud the nod as a lifetime achievement award only to see VT flounder as many suggested it may under Bud and then we see Fuentes be wildly successful at Miami or some other program in a similar place to VT.
If Bud finds a P5 HC job elsewhere and he is successful then kudos to him. I wish him nothing but the best should he stay at VT or pursue the rest of his career elsewhere. If the new HC isn't successful, Whit will take flak for it regardless of the back story.
I share your logic re: Bud Foster 100%.
If he goes, he goes
We are hiring a new staff. Can't blame him if he's ready to leave. Best of luck to him if it happens, and I'd be happy for him. I'd love the Frank Beamer coaching tree to start getting some legitimate branches.
Until I hear more, not going to believe it. He isn't even on their fanbase's radar.
Also, the Fighting Illini colors are too similar to #LOLUVA, I mean come on now, he would laugh every time he saw the uniforms.
Seriously, the University of Illinois? I mean they usually steal our professors, not our coaches. I see a big cultural disconnect between Bud Foster and University of Illinois.
I love and appreciate all that Coach Foster has done at VT, but if he wanted to become an HC, I think he could do better than the University of Illinois. Maybe try for USCe....
It is what it is. He's been a candidate before but hasn't played out.
If I'm Bud and don't get the HC job, of course I leave. I personally am of the the mind that Bud Foster has earned the chance. It would make me so sad to see him wearing another school's colors (UVA colors at that).
Alum is right, if he leaves he leaves, but damnit the man has stayed loyal while carrying this program. I'm confident Whit will do what's best for the team, but stories like this just drive home the fact that this truly is the end of an era.
True that fellow Hokie. It really is an end of an era for Virginia Tech.
Illinois. This Bud's not for you.
So are they the only #sauce?
That's how I read it. The question being, who is the #sauce for HokieHaven....
Foster went to HS in Illinois. IIRC, he always listed Illinois as one of his dream jobs (along with VT, and any P5 school in a college town in the southeast).
I gotta say, if the coaching scenario ends with Bud walking out the door the "this is home" and "family atmosphere" is bullshit. Just saying.
i'm only speculating, but my guess is that any head coach hired will offer Bud to stay on staff. at that point, it's up to Bud to weigh his options. if he leaves, i have no hard feelings at all. even if the new coach DOESN'T offer Bud a spot, I'm not sure how us hiring the best candidate for the HC job and allowing him to hire his own staff takes anything away from "This is Home"...
Being a great DC does not entitle you to be the next Head Coach. We've paid Bud well to do what he does. I would love to see it continue, but that's just not how life always works out...and that's ok.
Bud has done as much for VT as anybody. Not doing everything possible to retain him doesn't give me the feeling of a family atmosphere we have been preaching. My fingers are still crossed that he stays.
Because the head of that family is stepping away after a great career. At some point, you need to move on. I must be the only one on this website that won't be totally disappointed if Bud doesn't get the job. Who's to say he's going to be a good head coach?
Also maybe this is generational, but loyalty doesn't always serve its justice. I look at it from job experiences. Just because you're loyal with a company doesn't mean they have to automatically be loyal back.
Exactly....and it's not like Bud hasn't interviewed for other HC'ing jobs before. He has and just hasn't gotten them. He didn't want to make a lateral move which is understandable so he has stayed. He has stated that he doesn't want to take a lower teir program as well, where he would have probably been hired away to already if he did. That being the case I think the "loyalty" card is a bit overplayed with Bud. I love the guy and he's a great DC but I don't think he "deserves" the job because he has been here for so long. He has been here for so long because he hasn't gotten any of the HC jobs he has interviewed for. All that said, I do hope he stays and don't think any new HC wouldn't offer him a job. I mean that would seem to be a dumb move to not retain a guy who is by and large regarded as one of the best DC's in the country for someone who is not. I think if Bud leaves it's because he doesn't want to work under the new coach, not because the new coach didn't offer him to stay on as the DC.
You never left home when it was the best opportunity for you? Bud needs to do what's best for him, at the end of the day.
I'm not saying Bud shouldn't. But if whit feels we are going to lose Bud if he doesn't get the head coaching position, it drastically changes my mindset. I would much rather give him the shot than lose him and be back to square one with both the offense and the defense. After all, he has exactly one less year of head coaching experience than Morris, who is pretty much universally viewed as an acceptable hire. My hope is that he has told whit that his plan is to stay on in whatever capacity is best for the team, but we'll see.
As for the family atmosphere, I'm looking at it from a recruits perspective. If that's the mission statement, and we aren't fighting tooth and nail to keep the most accomplished and beloved coach on staff, it comes across as disingenuous to me.
Are you serious?
How so? The "family", the football staff, if you will, is breaking up. Beamer's retiring, the staff will not likely be retained, why not leave? I'm sure Bud will always be back here, and he'll likely call Claytor Lake his "home", but its not bullshit if Frank retires and everyone gets their walking papers.
I would love to see Foster on the sidelines again, but he came close to leaving last year, he has always wanted a HC job. If Illinois offers and Tech doesn't, it's on Whit, not Bud.
This is my point. I'm not saying Bud shouldn't chase his dreams. I do however think that any coaching change that doesn't retain bud on the sideline in some form could be a mistake. I will concede though that I haven't ever sat down in an interview with Bud like whit has. I trust that if Bud isn't offered the HC position, there are valid reasons. I would hope that whit has a comfortable feeling with where bud stands on his future, and if he is planning to walk out the door, I think that would be a strong motivational factor in considering offering Bud the big whistle. Otherwise, we're starting off clean on both sides of the ball, doubling the risk of a successful hires by needing to build on offense and defense.
I should probably amend my original comment to say that if whit doesn't fight as hard as possible to retain bud, then the premise of being a family doesn't have the same feel to it. I never intended it to mean that Bud shouldn't do what Bud thinks is best for himself.
Just saying... you are wrong. You cant hold a coaching search hostage with that phrase. It's Whits job to get the best coach he can for the school. And that's not going to happen by using that mantra conveniently because the guy you want isn't chosen.
If Foster does leave, are there any good DCs that we could get?
LSU DC likely to be available?
Torrian Gray
If Bud gets a HC job somewhere, I have to imagine TG is going with him to be the DC.
or Wiles
Bud has said several times Wiles would be his DC.
So TG stays here as DC?
Gray at DC/DBs, bring in JC Price to handle DL, maybe keep Cornell for LBs or find a new LB coach who is a killer recruiter.
If it is Fuente Barry Odom is his previous DC, Tood Grantham is another potential choice but we would have to pay him a lot
.
If Bud leaves I'd rather hire a guy at HC that's got tons of connections and a legit staff with P5 experience.
Been there done that instead of two recent years and tons of questions about recruiting,staff and can he hang with the big boys.
So we've got one of the greatest defensive minds in college football history on our staff, a guy that other schools want (Illinois is just one, I'm sure there are going to be others at many different levels), and we're just willing to watch him walk out the door without really giving him much consideration.
Alright, as long as everyone is comfortable with that.
I'm not. Losing bud would more than wipe out whatever offensive gains we hope to get with the next coach.
Believe it or not, there are other coaches on the planet who have fielded competent to good defenses.
With all due respect, I would put Bud Foster and his defensive staff as higher than
If we lose Bud, its not the end of the world, but he is an Elite DC.
false. Take off the O&M glasses. Bud is a great DC but he's not the only one to ever exist. VT will be fine.
There are other competent coaches for sure. But, the risk of nailing a competent offensive and defensive coach in this hire is greater than having to focus only on offense. We have been bad at offense for so long, we take for granted how good we have been on defense in that same time. We could easily end up tilting the scales but ending up with the same results in the W-L column.
Yeah because if we let Bud go, the likely scenario is to see us drop from a top defense to a bottom 1% defense, like the offense wallowed in for years.
If Bud goes, it'll stink, but we'll get by just fine.
To expand on this, college football programs all over the country have put an added emphasis on offense. Not defense. There are only a handful of teams left that put more emphasis on defense than offense. In the league we're in, offense is king. We need offense much more than we need defense. If we keep Bud and our defense remains top 15 that's cool but that scenario lends itself to us getting an OC on par with or slightly better than Scot Loeffler.
IF we get a new HC who is offensive minded and brings in a talented and intelligent offensive staff and a middle of the pack defense we will be much better off. We'll win a lot more games in the ACC by having a better offense than the other team than vice versa.
You need both to get to where we want to go. Stopping the opponent yields the same result as scoring on the opponent in the final score. What we need is to be more balanced. I agree that we can't win with only defense just like some of these high octane offenses can't win when they get punched in the mouth by a good defense.
Edit:
I wonder sometimes, what is better:
A. #1 defense and #100 offense
B. #100 defense and #1 offense
C. #50 defense and #50 offense
I did some research one time about national champions since the bcs era started. If memory serves, the winning formula averaged out to having a top 10 defense and top 25 offense. I'd have to check again to be sure.
If memory serves, the winning formula averaged out to having a top 10 defense and top 25 offense.
-------
I'd go along with this. I'd also go along with a top 10 offense and top 25 defense. Either of those is going to mean improved recruiting.
Both of those point to Bud as an excellent candidate for HC.
Do they?
He certainly has a grip on the defense, but is he that much more capable of attracting a top offensive coordinator than some of the other candidates being mentioned? He's been at the same school 29 years, so he may not be as well-connected as some of the other candidates.
I think Whit has to look at total packages. Hiring Bud has both pros and cons.
You're all assuming that Bud is going to be able to bring in a stud OC. I'm not so sure about that, TBH. I think our chances at drastically improving our offense are much greater if we hire a HC who is a proven offensive mind as opposed to hiring a DC and hoping he can find an OC who will turn this offense around.
The trouble with stud OCs is that once they're a known quantity they're not going to be looking for other OC jobs. They'll be looking for HC jobs. If Bud is hired he'll have to take a chance on an OC who is unproven and hoping he turns out to be a rockstar. Is that a risk you're willing to take with a defensive guru who has 0 years of HC experience?
Me personally; I'd much rather a guy who is a known offensive mind and has some HC experience. In my mind, he's much more likely to find a competent DC to pair with his offense than Bud is to find a competent OC to pair with his defense.
And before you make the argument "What kind of OC wouldn't want to come into a situation where Bud is the DC backing them up?..A good OC would be crazy NOT to want to work with Bud."
Well, I'll pose this counter point to that argument. 1. Why couldn't we snag that top flight OC 4 years ago when we made changes? 2. Why would a stud OC want to work for a HC who has no HC experience. He would be coming into a situation that is completely unknown. Being a DC/OC is much different than being HC. Just because you're good at DC/OC doesn't mean you're going to be good at HC. I think that is why HC experience is so important to Whit. If I were a stud OC I'd rather work for a guy with HC experience and a defense that is in the 20-50 range than a new HC with no experience who has produced top 10 defenses as a DC in his past. Much fewer question marks with the guy who has been around the block. And, if I'm a stud, I don't need a top 10 defense to back up my high flying offense.
Just playing devils advocate, but your comments don't address $$$ anywhere. Maybe the stud OC comes this time because we can pay him a lot more. Hiring Bud for HC with no HC experience could result in significant cost savings. After all, isn't it all about the money?
I think if Bud is hired as HC we will end up with a top 15-20 defense and a top 60 offense. That will get us pretty much to where we are right now plus about 3 wins.
If Bud is retained as DC and we bring in an offensive minded coach we could be looking at top 10-15 defense and top 25 offense. This will take us to the heights we want to be at. I also think this is the most unlikely scenario. I don't think Bud stays if he isn't HC.
If the new HC comes in and has to hire his own DC we could be looking at a top 25 offense and a top 50 defense. I think this is the most likely scenario and while it's not as good as retaining Bud, it's better than handing Bud the keys. A top 25 offense in the ACC will get us 10 wins pretty regularly. With an offense like that I have to believe we'll improve recruiting and that could go a long way towards making VT more of an elite program. We might not get a rock-star DC off the bat but in this scenario but we're not guaranteed to get a dud either. I think Whit is smart enough to realize he needs to hire a guy who understands defense is important. We're not going to turn into a big XII team where defense is optional. The next Coach will bring in a competent DC if he can't retain Bud. I have confidence in that.
I know that's mostly gut-feel opinion, but I'm inclined to agree with it.
Here is my old research post:
31/1 seems to be the magic mix here.
Every team on this list is a Big Boy Recruiter
THIS seems to be the magic mix.
A top 5 defense is awesome. If nobody can score on you, that's a huge plus, but people can score against a top 20 defense, so you'll be need a high-power offense to go along with it if you don't have something that's completely "lock-down".
I think if we bring in an Offensive Minded HC who also happens to be somewhat of a QB whisperer that will lead to exciting eye-popping numbers which will garner more of an audience and lead to the biggest up-tick in recruiting that is possible. Putting up 40 points per game is going to do more for recruiting than anything else. Hiring an offensive minded HC is the only way I really see that happening.
Offense first, then recruit to the defense to build that unit up. Build and build and become a contender.
Is that you, Whit?
I really don't understand how someone can make these hopelessly optimistic comments as
with little to no evidence and yet have zero optimism in Bud. If you recall, Bud has fielded single digit ranked defenses multiple years and Loeffler has not even sniffed that even with BCS talent at Auburn. Not to mention that you were high on LT3 and thought he would make it in the pros.
I'll admit that I said that and I'll admit that I was wrong. Loeffler was able to do everything except teach the fundamentals to the players. I didn't account for that in my estimation. I never thought someone in his position would struggle with teaching fundamentals to this degree. You're also conveniently excluding my quote about how our O-line was in such bad shape that it would be at least a 4-5 year rebuild. We won't get more into that. At this point all of this is moot. I think if there is anything we can all agree on, it's that Loeffler will not be in Blacksburg next season.
That being said, I never once said, or even implied, that I have "zero optimism in Bud." I think Bud is a terrific DC. I don't know if he will be retained. I would love for him to be but I don't know if it's realistic. And, to be quite honest, I think the best thing for Bud would be to move on to something different. I would love for him to follow his dream of becoming a Head Coach. He needs to start at a lower level, though, IMO. Frank started at Murray State before coming back to VT. And VT wasn't anywhere close to the same job it is now when Frank did it. I don't think VT would ever have considered a head coach with zero HC experience back in the 80's. They sure as heck aren't going to start now.
I meant you have zero optimism in Bud succeeding as the VT head coach if he were to get the job at this point in time. I agree that Loeffler won't be here next season. His coaching abilities were extremely suspect to me from the very start. Sorry for calling you out, one thing that has irked me is that the same people who thought Loeffler was a good hire seem to overlap with people thinking that Bud should not get a chance at head coach. I could go back to those threads and find plenty more quotes from others but I really don't understand the thought process behind why everyone unanimously agrees that Bud is a great DC, but needs to prove himself before getting a chance at being the VT head coach when Loeffler was the exact opposite of being proven. I mean, why would anyone have more faith in Loeffler than Bud, and if you do, you should reevaluate your views on coaches.
Seeing as Whit hasn't said a word about who is or isn't getting consideration, this seems like a bit of an overreaction.
Perhaps, but not to the "news" he's responding to.
I'm comfortable with it. Bud isn't the right person for HC at VT right now. We need offense and recruiting, not his strengths. If he wants to be a HC, he should go get that opportunity. He may come back to VT in a few years. If he wants to stay a DC, we should do our best to keep him. But if he is offered $1.5m to be a DC at UGA or LSU, he should go. We have other options. Gray is ready to be a DC, he's done a lot for VT as well.
But can we trust Gray to say hi to recruits moms?
I think it's safe to say we can now.
Hey this coaching search is kind of fun. We really needed change in a bad way.
Wait we actually are going to lose Bud over this. You mean we can't have our cake and eat it too?
Maybe this coaching search thing every 4 years isn't all it's cracked up to be. Thanks for all those years of stability Frank.
Once every 29 years might be the right thing, though. Even if it makes people really, really nervous.
Bud becomes Big 10 Champion and comes back to beat us...yikes...
On a more serious note, I would have thought that he might be interested in the UMD terps job considering that he is familiar with the recruiting territory already. It made a little more sense. If he does become the HC at UMD, it'll be in my backyard, i might actually go an support Bud
I don't think we face Illinois again until the Playoff, so we've got at least 14 games to prepare.
If he goes Illinois or UMD, he'll never make the playoffs unless he wins the Big 10 outright. I don't see it happening, which is why UMD won't be offering.
UMD is like VT, in that they sort of need a "splash" hire.
Non-sequitur
UMD doesn't care about football success. They never would have joined the B1G if they cared about winning. They whore'd themselves out to that league for more $$$ and they knew exactly what they were doing at the time. They're going to be irrelevant in CFB for years to come.
What?
They did whore themselves out for money, but they also convinced themselves that if they went to the Big 10, it would help with recruiting.
Their strategy was to join the Big 10, get their athletic programs profitable, invest in facilities, and eliminate sports that they don't have a chance of winning.
I think they were short-sighted, but it doesn't mean they don't very much want to have a successful football program. Their bankroll is Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, who played football at UMD.
That "bankroll" hasn't really given them that much money.
He's giving them $25 million for their new sports facilities.
http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/alumnus-kevin-plank-pledges-25-million-to-university-of-maryland
Correct but hardly any for things like keeping Div. 1 sports team afloat, increasing the budget for athletic dept hires or for helping pay coaching buyouts.
if you think UMD will ever compete with blue bloods like OSU and UM I don't know what to tell you. UMD is never going to win the B1G. Ever. They had to know that going in. They had a chance to win in the ACC. They might have even had a shot in the Big XII. But the B1G is a conference that UMD absolutely will never have a chance to win in football. I just don't think UMD takes football that seriously. I don't think they ever will. They're a basketball school.
I didn't say I think they'll be competitive.
I said THEY think they'll be competitive.
I think that they made a huge mistake, and don't understand the impact of tradition in both basketball and football.
I guess you and I are going to have to settle for laughing at UMD and their failures....LOL losers
I'm sort of hoping they fail, because I disagree at a core level with the cynicism they've shown by selling out.
None of the candidates I have heard of so far are worth losing Bud over. Whit, you have a big decision to make....
If the choice is "make him head coach or he's gone," then Whit may have to eliminate Bud from the process before he can even make a decision.
I doubt that's the case, luckily. I think he has a pretty wide range of choices, and Bud is one of them. I don't think we'll be waiting long past the UVA game for real news.
I interpreted "none of the candidates...worth losing bud over" and "whit has a big decision" as limiting Whit to one decision, and if it isn't Bud you chose poorly.
I think that contract he signed last year is a factor. If he is fired along with the rest of the staff then, he is owed money which makes me think that Whit wants him to stay. But if Bud leaves on his own for a HC job then no money is owed.
Reading some of the reactions here, it makes me glad Whit is in charge of this process. The knee jerk reactions is how you end up with a James Johnson disaster for a few years instead of doing a legitimate search.
I agree. I think deep down everyone here knew that there was a pretty good chance Bud would leave BBurg one day. That day is quickly approaching. I think we're going to be fine. Bud has put a lot into this program and I, for one, will be forever thankful to him for that. However, he's not the only DC in the world. It's not like VT is going to completely forget how to play defense when Bud leaves. We may not be the top 10 unit that we've come to expect every year but hopefully, with an offense that shouldn't be in the basement anymore, we'll be okay with a middle of the pack D.
I want Bud to get a shot at HC somewhere else. I think it would be good for him. He needs the experience and as much as he loves VT I think he'll benefit from not working in the shadow of his predecessor. The best experiences typically come to those who get out of their comfort zones a little bit. Bud needs to get out of Blacksburg to flourish at the next level. Let the man advance his career in the best way possible. It's the least we can do for him after all he's done for VT.
We should be excited for Bud to get his shot as a HC.
With all due respect, comparing Foster to JJ is a bit of an insult. A Bud Foster hire as HC would not only be a well thought out decision, I still think its one of the best we could make.
He's not comparing Bud to JJ at all. He's saying the knee-jerk reaction of fans to the news that Bud is possibly leaving us is the same type of knee-jerk reaction that can result in a poor hire. In essence, we're glad that none of us are employed by VT as the AD.
There are more similarities than differences
And I disagree with promoting Bud being a well thought out decision.
Agreed. What some people seem to be missing is that if you promote Bud based on his merits, it's a well thought out decision. If you promote Bud because you're afraid of losing him, it's not.
His merits stand for themselves. Hiring Bud as HC would never be for any other reason.
Exactly.
I understand how you can see it that way but we have never won ACC championships in basketball. Johnson didn't have the tenure or the track record of any type of success. I agree THAT decision was poor.
This would make me sad. I wish beyond all wishes that Bud would stay on as our DC with whoever the new coach ends up being, and at this point I'm (totally un)sure that it won't be Bud.
Having said that, it'll be a bittersweet departure if he does go. We have spent all this time saying goodbye to Frank, but haven't focused much at all on Foster. Sad times.
Please stay Bud!!! :(
You have to do what's best for the program, not what's best for Bud. With our current struggles on offense and in recruiting, I really don't think he's the right guy (at this point in time) for the job. That sucks because he's been loyal here for so long but the success of the program has to be valued over rewarding loyalty.
If he leaves and has success elsewhere, so be it. But I think this team will be in a better place with an offensive-minded HC and Gray or Wiles potentially at DC than with Bud and whatever OC he would get to come here.
Foster has been a candidate for many head coaching jobs and it is not likely that this is the only opening he is being considered a candidate for. For example, he is a candidate for our head coaching vacancy as well ;)
Torrian Gray if he doesnt leave with Bud.
Odom at Mizzou, excellent defense, great speed.
Shane Beamer? He's actually solid defensive coach, and South Carolina had some stacked defenses in his time there as a DB coach.
Ted Roof, not sure where he's at now, Ga Tech?
If we get an offensive minded coach, he's got to pair well with a defensive coach, not a great defense, but solid. Example, we score 60 and give up 50, but always winning. This might be where the Kirby Smart interest comes into play.
Let's get one thing straight. Tech will not have a better defense with Bud leaving. If he's not our next HC, he should go try to be a HC elsewhere. If he doesn't get hired, Whit should do whatever necessary to retain him. If the new HC doesn't try to retain Bud and his staff, they are fools.
Thank You, Leg!
Looking at this from the other side, I am not really sure the Illinois job is something I would willingly sign up for. They are in the wake of firing a coach and an athletic director over a scandal. Foster would have no way of knowing what he was truly signing up for without an established Athletic director.
The fact that Bud's name is out there though I think probably tells us a lot about what is ultimately going to happen with Virginia Tech's staff. I'm not sure this is the job I would take but we know that before this is all said and done we could be looking at 30 open coaching positions. If there ever was a year to take the leap into a Head Coaching position this is the year. Best of luck to him when he likely makes the jump. Going to spin this in a positive way for him because I'm not ready to emotionally process that on top of Beamer hanging it up.
Shane as DC? you cray cray.
Right now its just Illi-Noise. Hopefully nothing comes of it
Nice.
Bud a candidate for UVA job too. Don't forget that suckass scenario
I thought this had been addressed a while back when there was a perceived "coach-in-waiting" status with Bud and he came out and said he didn't want the position.
What?
That never happened. Beamer has said he doesn't like the coach in waiting title but Bud has never said he doesn't want the VT coaching job. In fact he's stated openly that he does want it.
I think, as some have said above, that if Bud leaves we'll be fine. I think it would be fairly easy to get a very good DC to come to VT with the reputation VT defense has. It's not a rebuilding of a defense but more of a sustaining / improving situation at a school that has a reputation for fielding strong defenses. Even when they aren't up to par with VT standards, VT defenses are still pretty good. I think a young DC or good DC at a lower program would love the chance to become the DC at VT and keep the tradition of the lunch pail defense going.
Love your optimism. I think you're smoking banana peels though.
If Bud leaves, I hope that the new coach keeps Charles Wiles... maybe even as DC. The fact that he is a great coach notwithstanding, it would be worth it just for the great interview quotes alone.
I'm honestly surprised this is the first rumor/leak we have heard of Bud being looked at by other schools this season. I don't know if he's my #1 pick for HC but he sure is one hell of a coach.
Report: With no AD and no head coach, Illinois is currently in "considerable turmoil"
Not the job I would want
Better than UCF, no coach, no AD, no school president.
The Fightin Illini...the NEW DBU
What is this tweet referring to?
I thought it was referring to Illinois not having an AD.
As mentione by wade, Illini are really struggling. This could be good or bad for a new coach, good in the sense that it may buy more time to turn things around.
The report says he is a candidate, as we have seen, tomorrow it could be someone else. Didn't read this as he is gone at all.
I was thinking that this might have been leaked to let Whit know Bud is serious about pursuing a head coaching job and dispel the notion that he would want to continue on as a DC at Tech
Looks like illinois is going to sign their interim coach to a two year contract until they get their other issues in order. So a no go for Bud.