Email to Whit Babcock/Hokie Club on Fuente Buyout

I've come to the fact that I think VT needs a new head coach to move forward or we risk losing this program to fan apathy. I wrote an email to Whit Babcock, as well as Dave Everett and Terry Bolt from Hokie Club, that I'd be willing to increase my donation if the decision was made to let go of Justin Fuente.

It's a small gesture since I'm not a major donor or have any real influence. I do know others feel the same way and if this message comes from a lot in the fanbase it could influence thoughts in Merryman.

Below are the thoughts I sent regarding the on field product, off the field, and recruiting:

To: HokieAD@vt.edu
Cc: daeveret@vt.edu, tbolt@vt.edu
Subject: Donation for Fuente Buyout


Hokie Hi,

I'm a proud VT '06 alum, Hokie Club member, football season ticket holder, and big fan of the football program. I wanted to let it be known that I will increase my donation for a buyout if the decision was made to go a different direction than Justin Fuente as head coach of VT.

I think it's the right decision to let Fuente go as on the field we have consistently suffered embarrassing losses as a very inconsistent football program and off the field Justin Fuente has been awful for fan engagement. If we had a winning product it would be easy to excuse the more NFL/Patriots like secrecy but with the product on the field it creates even more apathy as there isn't as much openness with the media with the players and thus less stories. When there has been stories that have been able to get information on what's going on in the program it's shown a negative light, the Sports Illustrated article on the reasoning of transfers out of the program comes to mind. When Fuente has been in front of the media he has come off as aloof or defensive.

On the field the losses and the trajectory of the program speaks for itself. It seems like it's a flip of the coin proposition whether this team will start the game with the right amount of energy to match it's opponent; it certainly didn't against Wake Forest or Liberty this year. It seems to me that the confident Justin Fuente from 2016 isn't the same as he is now and from the stories from after the Duke game last year it seems he has been second guessing himself. It doesn't seem as if there is a light at the end of the tunnel as recruiting has kept getting worse especially in the state of Virginia where it seems like Justin Fuente isn't as interested in building relationships.

I'll always love my Hokies but I'm ready for a change at head coach as I know a lot of my friends are. Justin Fuente hasn't created a connection with me as a fan and has produced an inconsistent product with major losses and lack of signature victory. I hope that the athletic department makes the right decision to go in a different direction.

Regards,