Just saw this report and thought it was some play on how Fuente's Belk Bowl miracle sparked a meltdown in Fayetteville. Incorrect. Per USA Today, there's "smoke" leading to Fuente taking over where Chad Morris left off. (link)
Personally feel like Fu taking this gig would be career suicide. Arkansas wants to win on day 1 and that's just not gonna happen. That's a four year rebuild, at a minimum, and that might tarnish a guy's reputation. The article has some grumblings about family in Oklahoma, but I just don't buy that.
Selfishly, for as much as I bashed Fu in September, he's righted the ship in Blacksburg this year, and I want to see what he can do with all the experience coming back next year.
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This is not what we should be worried about right now bud..
you can post that again!
This is not what we should be worries about right now bud..
I saw the same thing, and I've also heard they're interested in a few other coaches at the moment. It's just that time of year, man.
DRINK!
We've been too hard on him after Frank left and the answer is....the SEC?
Someone is taking the piss.
Exactly. Our fan base is too harsh, so it makes sense to go to a no-win situation in the SEC with a school that fired their coach 1.5 years in? Move along here, nothing to see.
Not to say I disagree with you, but Morris should've been fired from Ark. No part of that program had improved from when he took over. Even Willie Taggart had FSU in a better spot than when he got there. Even Lefty left the VT offense in a better spot than he found it. Just about every phase of the program has been on the decline since Chad took over, the locker room was divided, and I don't think they have a win over a P5 program in his time there. That's not acceptable.
I had to look that up because it sounded hilariously bad, and you are not wrong.
In 2018, they went 0-8 against the SEC, 1-2 against G5 teams, and 1-0 against their lone FCS opponent.
In their 10 games in 2019 before Morris was fired, they were 0-6 against the SEC, 1-2 against the G5, and 1-0 against their lone FCS opponent. He was fired immediately after a 45-19 loss to Western Kentucky.
While I don't blame them for pulling the trigger, two years seems like such a short time, but when your predecessor was fired after a 4-8 season in which he went 3-0 against G5/FCS and earned a conference win and you follow it up with a 4-4 record against G5/FCS and 0-14 in the conference, it's pretty clear that you aren't getting the job done.
Lefty did not leave VT in a better spot. Our offense under him was terrible. some of the worst offenses VT has had. Stoney had much better offenses. Stiney never had a 0 point regulation game.
I wouldn't say that. While most people weren't a big fan of him, look at the players on the roster when he arrived vs when he left, specifically at wide receiver.
Arrived: Top 3 of Josh Stanford, Willie Byrn, and Demitri Knowles
Left: Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Bucky Hodges
Based on facts, this is not an accurate statement. We had ballers all over the field, and Lefty knew how to evaluate recruit tape. These same players were able to plug and play right into the CornFu system, which made 2016 and 2017 very competitive years for us.
I think your post is more about why Lefty wasn't successful with this talent. His system is/was complex, and required some solid decision makers at QB. Logan Thomas took the team to 8-4 his first year, and a couple of boneheaded plays against UMD and Duke cost us close games.
Our recruiting woes caught up to us in 14/15, and we were starting true freshmen, who should have redshirted. Those freshmen could have stayed in 2017 during Fuente's second year.
Yeah, this is a terrible take.
The talent level on offense at the start of 2016 was better than it was at the end of 2012. We improved at WR, QB, and OL,
Lefty was arguably the best recruiter while he was here - for all the recruiting arguments on here it is quickly forgotten. What would VT have done without Isaiah Ford as an example? Lefty wasn't a great coordinator for us, but he was a contributor that helped the end of the Frank era not fall off a cliff.
We can thank Mack Brown retiring for Ford. Had Mack Brown stayed at Texas, Ford wouldn't have been a Hokie. Thank you Mack!
Our QB room under Leoffler was terrible.
Wyatt Teller was great but came to us as a DT. Kudos to the offense for stealing him.
We had 3 recievers(count Hodges as wr) in 2016 with zero depth. Our 4th reciever was Sam Roger's. That's not normal.
McMillan was solid for the style of football he played. But we didnt really have any other running backs in 2016.
We had a roster in 2016 that no one got injured and had tons of talent in the starters except for QB, which we had to go get a JuCO.
Not accurate. Ford would have gone to Louisville possibly with Charlie Strong, but when he left VT was able to lock up Isaiah.
I think what's he's getting at is that Charlie Strong left Louisville for Texas because Mack Brown resigned, resulting in Ford choosing VT over Louisville.
I do disagree that Mack Brown retired rather than essentially being forced out though.
I'm pretty sure Mack Brown "resigned" because he was going to be canned.
I would also like to remind everyone that he had just had a newborn between his first & second year here and considering how demanding it is to be a new dad and his job as OC of a P5 program, how in the holy heck is that man still alive? Ever since I became a father, I always regretted not giving Lefty more slack about his time commitment, that man was literally walking in his sleep.
Personally, just my opinion, he's got VT right where he wants us, loaded with his guys, on an upward trajectory, got damn near the entire team returning next year...why would he want to toss all that aside? Maybe Arkansas can pay better, I dunno, I do know that Fuente isn't exactly going pay-check to pay-check in Blacksburg? But like you said, they are gonna want results immediately.
Plus who the fuck would rather live in Fayetteville Akansas over Blacksburg Virginia?
I'm with you. I understand coaches who want to take on challenges and that's what prompts them to take jobs like the Arky job, but Fuente has just endured a helluva turnaround here. Why would he leave before he gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor?
I personally wouldn't choose Fayettville, AR over Blacksburg, but I'm just a teensy bit biased.
However... objectively, if you're going to move to Arkansas, I would recommend Fayetteville. It's pretty nice.
Maybe my comment was directed more at Arkansas as a whole than just Fayetteville.
Virginia is ranked the 7th best state (18th in health care, 7th in education, 25th in economy, 35th in infrastructure, 9th in "opportunity", 8th in fiscal stability, 9th in crime & corrections, and 18th in natural environment according to US News)...on the flip side, Arkansas is ranked 45 (49th in health care, 42nd in education, 43rd in infrastructure, 47th in "opportunity", 32nd in fiscal stability, 21st in crime & corrections, and 19th in natural environment)
Virginia is easily a better place to raise a family.
Does any of that of that matter if you're making >$3M/year? Maybe that matters to the staff and by extension to the head coach, but Alabama is pretty shitty state, and that doesn't stop anyone from taking a job at Bama or Auburn.
Yes, but when you're making $4-5 mil per year, general rankings like health care, education, opportunity, etc. matter much less than they do for the general population
I get what you are saying, but you can't really compare the entire state of Virginia to Arkansas and come up with the conclusion that "Virginia is easily a better place to raise a family". Meaning, someone isn't living in the entire state, they live in an area of the state. If you compared all of those statistics (health care, education, crime, etc.) between NW Arkansas and SW Virginia, I believe most of those rankings would be reversed. US News and World Report just this year ranked NW Arkansas the 4th best place to live.
https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live
I don't have any fear of him going to Arkansas, but if he was looking at a place to raise his family then NW Arkansas is certainly an ideal place to do it as it is thriving and the economic opportunities for family are abundant with 3 of the largest companies in the world all within 10 minutes of each other (Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, JB Hunt)
Those might be large companies but those are warehouse jobs for the most part. Not exactly breaking the bank
Um not in Arkansas. Walmart is based there and there executives live there. Those are not warehouse jobs.
That is the silliest take ever. Any vendor that wants to be in Walmart has an office here (I live in NW Arkansas). Literally think of any big company in America and they have a large presence here. Literally think of any brand that you buy in Walmart and I guarantee 99% of those brands have an office or second headquarters in Arkansas. Before the recession in 2008 it was required to have an operation here if you were going to be A Walmart vendor. I have friends that work for all kinds of Fortune 500 companies that deal directly with Wal-Mart. JB hunt is the largest trucking company in America and all of the accounts that they handle are handled from here. Same with Tyson foods. Yes, there are a lot of "warehouse" jobs from these companies as well, but that is the same anywhere they have a presence, which is everywhere.
I'm with you until your last sentence. I think if you look at Buzz. He waited until his team was gone before he left (no jokes about him being gone before the NCAA). CJF has most of his guys back next year. If we were graduating 10 starters, I could see him considering an exit a little more seriously.
Fayetteville is a beautiful place, only thing you got wrong.
Honestly, Fayetteville is an amazingly fun place. I was incredibly surprised when I visited.
I'm not worried.
meh!!!
The way I see it, he's been working to get Virginia Tech lined up exactly where it is for the past four years.
Would be a dumb time to leave, and Fuente isn't dumb.
Fuente is an Oklahoma boy, and would take the Sooners or Cowboys in a hearbeat, I would bet. But not sure about Arkansas. Yeah it is midwest, but that is a dysfunctional program.
I worry about those 2 and TCU. After that its tough to offer what VT offersfor a coach at Fuentes level. First losing season in 20+ years and not fired. Bret Bilema was a successful coach, he was terrible at arkansas. Bret was well more decorated that fuente is.
For what Fuente needs to accomplish next VT is one of the best jobs. He can build the program, win 10 games a year with relative ease (10 wins isnt easy anywhere). And work at beating clemson.
I'm not really worried about this. You would have to be willing to go from a team you just spent 4 years rebuilding to another team requiring a4 year rebuild. thats 8 years of your career basically struggling to get where you already are. move doesn't make sense. not worried. And arkansas is a terrible job. SEC west? Maybe when Saban retires.
Arkansas is a tough rebuild, not just a rebuild. yes, VT has some challenges, but at least our closest prime recruiting territory isn't in OU, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU's back yard. It would be tough to recruit there. They may be able to pay better, that's about the only upgrade.
He's surfaced as a "potential target" for Arkansas' search.
That really means nothing to us - nothing
I've never understood the folks' point of view who've been ready to shoo Fu out the door. Beamer wasn't Beamer right off the bat, either. You hire a good coach, you give him the tools you can, and you give him an honest chance to make things work. The whole thing about VT for a long time is that we give folks time unless a true dumpster fire breaks out and we have little choice. In the long run, it is what attracts a certain type of coach, and I think we'll see that Fuente can be that kind of a coach if we'll let him. Yeah, criticize away, say what you don't like and what you want to see or hear from the program, I do the same. But to call for the dude to go back to Memphis before we see what he actually can do here struck me as short sighted.
Deciding to bring Kill in was a huge perception change for me. He acknowledged he had a problem and brought help in from the outside to help the team. I'd like to see him take a similar approach with recruiting and take a good hard look at play calling, but Kill made me like him a lot more
Chad Morris was at Tech for the Pitt game. I'm sure he could have filled Fuente in, if needed.
Was he really?
His son was on an OV so very possible
sauces ;-)
Mr. Heuple is correct. They were in on an official visit.
Random oddity: The players/families were all taken into Merryman (or somewhere that direction) for a meal/watch the rest of the game in the third quarter.
Another random: One of Tennessee's defensive coaches was at our Duke game. Turns out his son plays for Duke.
Because of the weather?
yes. they obviously didn't force anyone to go but the option was thrown out there. I chose to stay in the seats. because I'm already a hokie and hokies don't let a little cold rain bother us. some of the kids I had with me watched from the book store in lane to stay dry(er) and warm(er) and I witnessed some folks head back over to merryman with the "recruit girls"
Even though we're likely not making any OC changes after the season, I would love for him to come on for at least a year as an offensive analyst if he would be agreeable. Could use some of the money we will likely save at DC.
I think I speak for a large portion of the TKP community when I say:
Great meme. And I would leg you, buttttt... 25.
Where there's smoke there's fire, and the fire here is that Arkansas is looking for a new coach. Everybody who is anybody will smell smoke. USC and FSU are already open, MSU will likely open so might BC. This is going to be a wild coaching cycle everybody is going to smell like firewood by next Monday.
Does this mean that Bud is coming out of retirement to be the new head coach next year?
Arkansas? Isnt that like the Rutgers of the SEC?
Also, when a lot of media folks were questioning whether Fuentes seat was hot, his AD came out and definitively stated "No." Their AD fired the head coach in the middle of the year.
I'm sure things are different at that level, but us normies are usually leaving management when we quit, not the job. Fuente has good management.
Fuente to Arkansas in the offseason??? Talk about fans overlooking the upcoming opponent!
In all seriousness, I like Arkansas. I stopped in Fayetteville on a cross country road trip back in spring of '08. Gorgeous campus, pretty sweet football stadium, some attractive coeds, the guys on campus are as redneck as Tennessee fans but were actually fun to hang out with, there's a bar downtown that sells 40s and has skiball, Fayetteville is in the middle of nowhere and has a lot of outdoors opportunities, much like Blacksburg, and there was one random student walking around in a VT sweatshirt that I stopped and talked to for 20 minutes. Huge Hokie fan.
I can see the appeal here.
I would be more worried about Oklahoma if Jerry Jones backs up a brinks truck for Lincoln Riley than Arkansas.
Anybody who even remotely believes this is true...
EDIT: Let me amend this, if anybody thinks that this is even remotely a possibility...
What, that Fuente is Arkansas' "top target"? Because that's literally all the article says.
Yeah, and I can write an article online that says I am going to win a $1 million tomorrow too and that won't make it true. The entirety of the Fuente part of the article is based off of the opinion of one talking head. Doesn't even say that the guy has any sources. This is just the same clickbait nonsense that comes out every offseason.
I mean, he may very well be their "top target", even if he wouldn't actually take the job. Kind of almost makes sense, considering that he came in and immediately had success, and seems to have completed a second turnaround after the disaster that was 2018, but it's still pretty funny that they're going after someone who was firmly on the hot seat less than 2 months ago.
2018 was a rebuild not a disaster and he was never on the hot seat
2018 was a "rebuild" after a disastrous offseason. My point stands.
Also, if our dramatic post-Duke turnaround didn't happen, we'd all be sitting here at 5-6 wondering who we could possibly afford to hire after paying Fuente his $12.5m buyout. Whit may have publicly announced his confidence in Fuente, but at some point the donors would have won out and gotten the decision they seriously started pushing for 2 months ago. That's the very definition of being on the hot seat.
If Fuente is going to leave, you would think it would be at the end of next year.
We're coming back with 21/22 starters with emerging stars literally all over the depth chart. A cakewalk non conference schedule (outside of a home game against PSU) and a manageable conference schedule that sidesteps Clemson. Sure you don't have Bud but you have a boatload of experienced upperclassmen on defense to carry the load.
If Fuente wanted to leave, his stock would never be higher if gets us back to back ACCCGs with no pressure to beat Clemson in either one. If he somehow goes 1/2 in ACCCGs, he's on the short list for every blue blood program and becomes the obvious choice to replace Riley if he leaves for the NFL.
Not to mention, Fuente has a high tier QB prospect already committed to his 2021 class that he can easily move with him to another program.
Dude.
Come on man, even Beamer was on the verge of leaving Virginia Tech for another program (UNC).
This is the state of college football, there's no almost loyalty to anyone. You have to prepare for every scenario.
Beamer was in line for the UNC job the year after we went to the national championship, as I recall.
Fuente is just on the verge of having VT football ready to do some decent stuff. This is not the time for him to go.
Particularly to freaking Arkansas, where he'd have to start from nothing with a bunch of angry fans.
Beamer was pissed off. His assistant coaches needed to be fairly paid for the level of accomplishment and he wasn't being taken seriously enough. He loved VT, and didn't want to go, but he stood up for himself and his guys. What a different world we almost lived in.
According to his book, he was interested in the UNC job. He'd accepted it. But he was emotionally tied to VT.
I do think he looked out for his staff, but I don't remember his interest in UNC being just about that. I'd have to go back and check to be sure.
I'm sure it wasn't just that, but I also feel like he felt like he needed more say so in the future of the program which he wasn't feelin like he was getting. Obviously he wanted to stay or he'd have gone. The talk at the time was that the assistant thing was definitely a part of the rift.
Either way, mox nix. He stayed and we benefited from it, I think.
I think this is spot on. The jury is still out on Fuente across the CFB community, but 3 ACCCG appearances in 6 seasons would be easy for blue bloods to jump on. Course we are getting way ahead of ourselves...
Not happening. Rumors are out there linking Foal Mendenhall also (lol).
Rumors about Kiffin too but he has been trolling Arky on Twitter all day.
Arky wants Malzahn or Miles.
I thought the magic undies protected against that.
Sportswriters should have their reporting/prediction records posted to gauge their credibility. Most would fare worse than the average message board speculation as well as the drunk at the barstool next to you.
I'm sure they would love to have him coach there
And if he was still at Memphis I'm sure that would be mutual. But, they're a few years late on this
Saw one of the Ark boards did a poll of their fans, it was like 50/50. While that seems low, they said it still put him 5th on the list of 16 that they tested.
I read some mixed reviews, some folks think he would be a safe fit with a lot of upside, while others think it would be flat.
This kind of goes with what some others said, if you can't take the heat at VT, then not sure you would want to be at an SEC school, especially one that has already shown it's cards on two recent top coaches.
Link to an Arkansas' blog post at SB Nation:
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2019/11/26/20984211/hogs-of-the-round-tabl...
I thought that was a good take on Fuente.
Lol, what an amazing turn around for the fan base's view of Fuente. If this news came out after the Duke loss, many would have been begging Arkansas to take him.
He won't go though.
VT is probably in one of the best possible situations for a coach. We are nestled in the ACC Coastal where the biggest competition is Miami. Our cross divisional rivals aren't great programs. We also have the best fan support and home field advantage in our division.
Compare that to schools like MSU, NC State, Texas A&M, South Carolina who are usually going to have 2 losses built into their schedule most years. Even though VT isn't a blue blood, we are the best program in our division - similar to Wisconsin. We are set up for success and have a great path to the playoff if things fall right.
Beyond the logistics of playing in the coastal, VT also has a track record of having patience with coaches and I hope we never lose this quality. Pair that with a fan base that has reasonably realistic expectations and is generally happy with winning ACC championships/10 games and you've got yourself a great place to coach.
Why would he want to leave for a program that has to play Auburn, Alabama, LSU every year? We'll see how that works out for Jimbo in a few years.
I agree with all of this; however, if you or I were in Fuentes seat I doubt we would be as positive about the fanbase and their "reasonable" expectations. VT fans can be a little quick with the pitchforks. Also, while all of this is true about VT and while we all love Blacksburg it isn't in a setting (SWVA) and doesn't have a bustling metropolis or the cash a lot of other programs have. Those factors can be just as valuable (or more valuable) to a coach.
But the pitchforks were coming out as we were closer to 6 win seasons than 10 wins.
It's not like we're ready to fire a coach after 8 straight 10 win seasons because we hadn't one the big one.
I'm not saying we are the worst I'm just saying we probably aren't as fun to work for as we would like to think we are, especially on the heels of Beamer.
Agreed. It turns out we're probably a pretty average fanbase in regards to temperament and rationality. If we close out strong Fuente will have better offers than Arkansas dangled in front of him. We've been treating it like a business, shouldn't be surprised if he acts in kind.
Why is Arkansas considered a bad job? They got a national championship in their history and many conference titles. Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz had them going to major bowls all the time, and Petrino had them in a premier bowl as late as 2010 and 2011.
They got a southern footprint through the SEC and ancestral ties to the state of Texas through the old SWC. I still think the SEC West is the best division in college football and kids want to play against big time teams in historic stadiums. Ya got boosters like Jerry Jones who, I'd imagine, have no problems breaking out the checkbook.
I think a guy like Gus Malzahn could do some good things in Fayetteville. I don't know if Malzahn would go there, but Bielema left an awesome Wisconsin to coach at Arkansas, so who knows?
I agree with this sentiment. Some coaches, not all, are like some recruits.....they want to prove it against the best. I believe that is why Beilema left Wisconsin in part. I don't think Fuente falls in this category. For as god awful as Arkansas has been the last 7 years, they pulled in a really good recruiting class last year and before the mass exodus once Morris was fired, they had a really good class lined up this year as well.
From my understanding, that was a part of it along with compensation (both him and his staff) and academic stuff.
Per my Wisconsin buddy, Beilema had basically worn out his welcome in Madison. He clashed quite a bit with their AD (Barry Alvarez) who is the real power (i.e. Head Coach) in that program. Add in the pay raise and Bielema was gonzo. I don't know how to spell his last name so I spelled it two different ways in order to get it right at least once.
Nailed it on 2nd try
If this year happened at arky, he would have been fired after the Duke game. No doubts about it, he would have been gone.
For that reason, I highly doubt he bolts now. He's gotten over the hump at a major football school. Now is the time to see where this goes.
A&M moving to the SEC was bad news for Ark. Prior to that round of realignment, if you were a Texas recruit and wanted to play in the SEC, your closest options were Ark or LSU. Now, Texas A&M is an option in the prestigious SEC- this really cuts into Arkansas's recruiting.
Beyond that, Arkansas is in the same DIVISION as FOUR of the most lucrative athletic departments in the country (Bama, Auburn, LSU, TAMU). Could Arkansas become a crafty school outdo one or two of these division rivals in a given season? Sure. Can they outperform ALL FOUR of those programs in a given year? I doubt it.
I honestly don't see a situation where Arkansas could win their division more often than once every 15 years.
I do agree that A&M made things more difficult for Arkansas, but everything is cyclical. Heck, 15 years ago, Alabama wasn't good at all. A lot depends on coaching (for both Arkansas and the other schools) and when that is close, it can come down to things like unbalanced schedules. When Mizzou joined the SEC, everyone thought they would be buried in the SEC East (where at best they are 4th in resources, after Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee) and they won the division in year 2 and year 3. Not saying Arkansas will be a perennial power or anything, but if they get the right coach, I don't see a reason they can't compete for the division more often than you think. Even moreso if Bama and Auburn don't make the right HC hire next go round.
Bielema left because he was told to for hitting on just about every woman involved in the university of Wisconsin and showing up to countless booster meetings hammered off his ass. He wasnt a popular guy in Madison
Everyone in Wisky drinks. Apparently, Bert had an issue holding his own. I'm sure the locals were drinking him under table.
Bret Bielema, introducing himself to boosters:
(tips cap he's not wearing) "Bert Blyleven"
I'm sorry, but if you look like Bret and you're married to someone like he is (was?), why the hell would you be hitting on anyone else?
Ask the Tech fan who was dating Britney Spers why he cheated.
My guess is because she is crazy AS FUCK?
Crazy you say?
In 1964, and not even by the AP or Coaches Polls.
None since 1989, and all in a defunct conference.
Kind of ironic since Fuente ruined Arkansas at the Belk Bowl. They haven't been the same since that game (7 wins in nearly 3 years).
I don't buy this for one second. Program is a powderkeg of potential and they've already shown a ton of improvement this year. It's gotta be right where a coach would want a program.
Waste of digital ink!
Too busy hatin' on Hoos to care about this blasphemy.
hehehe no.
I just have to laugh considering the 180 this fanbase has made.
Wow. Look at all the fans now want Fuente to stay? Hmm...
It's almost as if their opinions changed when presented with new data. Fascinating.
If the difference from 3.9 years and 4.0 years of data changed your mind completely, you're probably not "using data" correctly.
via GIPHY
That's understating the issues we've experienced as well as the turnaround we're currently experiencing. Either way, this calling out other fans thing because it makes you seem like the better fan or whatever is super old and annoying.
Considering fans were calling me out / arguing with me when I was providing rational facts means I don't care if it's annoying or not. Truth is truth and I don't care if it bothers you
You can just sit there and eat your crow and like it.
First of all you don't know what my stance was on Fuente. I've never called for his job and I'm not ready to put his banner up in the stadium now.
Second, fine then. Not sure why you're so overly combative in all posts related to it but I won't make this mistake again. Good day.
Mostly it just shows that a lot of people overreact to everything, good and bad.
I love you guys, but damn...
Truer words have not been spoken.
via GIPHY
Dont get our Hope's up like that!
Post '17 season, he was named a potential candidate for FSU/LSU, and was given a seven year extension worth, $30.5 mil.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that if Fuente gets to another ACCCG, and has rumblings of Arky/etc, he would stand to receive another extension/raise?
We should probably relax.
Look, a down year can he expected and explained.
However, what bothered most people about Fu was a disastrous off season between the 17 and 18 seasons, followed by a wreck of an '18 season where it was aired in the summer that he had lost the locker room and you had a mutiny of players that wanted to lose.
Factor that in with 4 poorly played games to start the season and questions regarding development of QB along with the news of a retiring Foster and it's only understandable that fans and alum would be questioning keeping him around for another season.
Were this be a business, chances are the board of directors and share holders would be looking for a replacement.
Incredibly, Fu not only righted the ship, against all odds, but has it full steam ahead.
Much or all of this is needlessly ugly and petty.
You rationale for why fans were up in arms is blatantly wrong at best. You and others are part of the peanut gallery who think they know how to turn around a program as if it's a Madden game. That's not how real life works.
The fact is CFB is a business but if you were looking for a quick turn around after where Frank left the program then you probably shouldn't be talking as if you know what's going on. This required some time for Fuente to correct and it still amazes me how thick fans are with regards to this.
Where have I said that I knew how to turn around a program? I don't know anything about coaching. Many people did state, though, that the trend was bad and the perception of the program was also bad. And this wasn't even from fans, per se, but from long time media personalities.
Like I said, he made some big changes, I'm happy for that, I hope he stays. I don't understand why there's a need to rub people's faces in it and be nasty.
It's not. I think there was plenty of evidence to suggest he wasn't working out and a change needed to be made after that Duke game.
For what it's worth, it wasn't just this site either. Go back and listen to PAPN the week after that game. Godfrey, who is as in tune with coaching situations nationally as anyone, thought that was the beginning of the end for JF.
He righted the ship. I'm not sure how it happened and to be honest I don't know that I care so much as long as it's sustainable. He's well off the hot seat at this point and should be off it going into next year unless something really disastrous happens in our remaining 2/3 games.
That said, he still has yet to win a "signature" game IMO. The FSU and WVU wins were nice but both of those teams showed to be average to poor P5 teams those years. He also still doesn't have a conference title or NY6 appearance on his resume. Both of those things are still on the table this year, but I'm just saying.
All this bickering is silly. Those criticizing Fuente after Duke were justified. Those defending him weren't wrong either, clearly. At the end of the day the business of being a P5 football coach is results driven. He wasn't producing results to the level which a lot of this fanbase thought he should have. Now he his. I hope it keeps up. But until he has multiple conference titles, NY6 appearances, and "signature" wins, the temperature of his seat will always remain in "what have you done for me lately" mode.
This.
The idea that we're an irrational fanbase after the reaction to disastrous 2018, the horrific offseasons, and the way 2019 started is a huge stretch. No fanbase used to winning games would be sitting around doing the "The is fine" routine after the Duke game. To think otherwise is crazy.
Fuente has righted the ship and we should all be happy about that. But I think saying Fuente would leave because the fans were worried during a *legitimately worrying time* is nuts.
And you said something very salient.
If this was a true systemic change then Fuente made genius adjustments that will be SUSTAINED long term.
As others have stated, I honestly do not see Fuente leaving Blacksburg. He has the Hokies on the cusp of another ACC championship berth, pending beating UVA, and after righting the ship After Duke, the team is playing far better than they did in September.
I think this is a crazy rumor. Fuente has way too much talent returning next year to leave VT for an Arkansas job where it would take a miracle to even get to the SEC championship anytime in the next decade. Fuente is set up now to contend for an ACC title for the next several years. I would be surprised if he left to go anywhere now and really surprised if that destination was Arkansas.
We had our dark days and have come out of them in better shape. Fuente would be a fool to leave now (barring his dream job), and if he is such a fool then Hokie nation will survive. Full speed ahead and enough of this kinda talk.
Smells like a UVA-backed "report" to add some distraction this week. I don't see it happening but who knows
[Run on sentence alert!]
Maybe I'm repeating what someone else has already written in this lengthy thread, but....this smells to me like a certain VT head football coach's agent has planted a story with certain gullible media about said head coach being a lead target for the open Arkansas job to get gullible members of the VT fanbase riled up enough to put pressure on an otherwise not gullible Whit Babcock to give said VT football coach a contract extension and pay raise or he'll leave for a crappy SEC job at an SEC salary (which will likely lead to said VT head coach being the head coach of a G5 program again at a G5 salary in 3-4 years).
Of course, this all gives said VT head coach plausible deniability in case he is questioned about his interest in the Arkansas job by any media members (many of which likely already suspect this all just a ruse).
He already got a 7 year, $30.5 million extension last year.....
And this is this year.
So you think that a guy that's already in the top 25 in coaching salary, and just signed a 7 year extension with a big kicker, and has a $15mil buyout currently is angling to get MOAR money, longer terms, and thinks he's holding the cards? Hmmmm.
In the SEC, they call that "pulling a Malzahn".
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2019/10/22/auburn-footba...
Yes I do. I didn't say it was real or will be successful, but it's one of the easiest plays in the sports agent playbook.
Sports agents are always angling for more money and/or security for their clients. The sports agent business is ruthless. It's what they do and don't forget, they get a percentage of that increase/addition years - which is what they care about more than anything. Fuente has gone from the hot seat to one of the hot names again in a span of 6 weeks and you think it's a coincidence his name is suddenly being floated by unnamed sources as the leading contender for a job he almost certainly has no actual interest in? The point isn't the Arkansas job; it's to remind VT (and Hokie Nation) that Fuente has options.
In the end, it's a business and all of the players in the game know it. Fuente's agent negotiated a 5 yr extension - all while keeping Fuente's small buyout intact - less than a year before Fuente took the VT job. See ya, nice to know ya.
There are very few Frank Beamers out there (and even he was nearly a mercenary). If one thinks otherwise, they are naive.
A buddy of mine here in Arkansas has a few solid #sauces and he's hearing that Arkansas is getting Matt Campbell and the deal is about done.
Meh. Thousands of Tennessee fans were convinced Jon Gruden was a done deal.
Coaching rumors aren't worth the storage space they occupy on the internet these days until they are official.
All hail the Mike Leach mutual interest
Leach or Kiffin would be best two options for that program right now. "Fit" probably isn't the right word, but it sure would be interesting to watch. I'm sure either one would pull some upsets somewhere along the line