Let's pretend Fuente wasn't an option in 2015 to replace CFB.
After the 2015 season, there were 29 FBS coaching changes. (Link Here). In 2016, there were 21 FBS coaching changes (Link Here).
Those are the coaches that were "on the market" to replace CFB. With the benefit of hindsight, which of those coaches would you have wanted? Just some thoughts:
1) You still need an "offensive guy" in order to retain Bud Foster at DC. (Sorry Barry Odom and Kirby Smart)
2) There are guys on this list who would leave VT for other jobs because of hometown ties (Herman to Texas, Frost to Nebraska)
3) There are guys who would cause our fanbase to riot (Lane Kiffin)
4) There are guys that it seemed like possible replacements that were not on either list (Chad Morris & Dan Mullen were the ones I could dig up).
If you tease out the list, the names that jump out to me are not awe inspiring: PJ Fleck, Matt Rhule, Dino Babers and Matt Campbell.
Dan Mullen seemed like a real candidate but he wanted too much money.
Is one of those guys your choice? Another guy on those lists? Another guy not on the list (Foster?)
I bring this up because I've been a Fuente defender and apologist over the past 18 months. I gave him a pass last year because of how weird everything was (losing our four best defensive players and our starting QB before the meat of conference play, Bud going through a divorce, Fuente having to fire his best friend and co-DC etc.).
Two weeks ago, almost everyone on TKP wanted Fuente's head on a spear a la Lord of the Flies. I was close to having my own heel turn. A QB change and two wins later, it seems things have calmed down.
I still think Fuente is a good coach. I still think Fuente was the right hire and 2018 happened because a lot of exogenous shit happened all at once. This year, BC sucked and Duke was even worse. But honestly, even with 20/20 hindsight, there aren't a lot of guys on the two lists above that I believe are standard deviations better than Fuente.
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