As Fan Unrest Grows, Justin Fuente Says He 'Can't Control the Perception of Other People'

Calls for Fuente's job are growing, but the head Hokie says he hasn't listened.

[Mark Umansky]

The calls for Justin Fuente's job have become downright deafening in the wake of the beatdown the Hokies suffered against Pitt this week. With a few weeks left in the season, Justin Fuente says he isn't listening.

"I haven't listened to one thing," Fuente said Monday, when asked by reporters if he'd heard any of the noise coming from the fan base. "I don't know anything."

That being said, Fuente said he is cognizant that it's "nice to coach at a place that values football, and there's a lot that comes with that." Working somewhere like Blacksburg where football is the main event will generate high expectations, and discontent when the team underperforms, as the Hokies have this year.

So Fuente allows that "nobody's happy with the record," which at 4-5 leaves Tech needing wins against Clemson and UVA just to get back over .500 on the year. And he says "nobody likes what we're doing" right now, particularly after looking inept on offense and defense alike against a Panthers team the Hokies were favored to beat.

But Fuente isn't willing to engage yet in a more robust reckoning with the fact that large swaths of the Hokies' faithful have lost confidence in the current regime.

"I can't control the perception of other people," Fuente said. "What I can do is do the best job i can do for all of our players...Our staff is working diligently, our players are working hard under very difficult circumstances."

Indeed, much as he did in the immediate aftermath of the Pitt game, Fuente emphasized the difficulty of becoming too frustrated about this year's results given the challenges thrust upon the team during the pandemic. He dubbed 2020 the "hardest year to have a team improve," given the lack of bye weeks until now, the challenges assembling a full squad to practice due to Covid concerns and the all-conference schedule the team's played (Liberty excluded).

"The young people that touch our program, the precautions they're having to take, the stress of not knowing whether they'll get to play and we'll be able to play, combined with all the things going on in the last nine months in our country, you can't help but be more understanding," Fuente said.

Still, Fuente doesn't want to throw out all of what he's seen this season as some sort of Covid-inspired aberration. Sounding very much like a man who expects he'll still have a job next year, Fuente said he hopes to learn some lessons from this strange season.

"We'll take a great look at how we tried to practice, how we tried to adapt to it, what we do meeting-wise and schematically," Fuente said. "Some of it we'll hopefully throw away and never use again...But I don't think it would be wise to just wipe it off the board. Emotionally, we'd like to wipe it off the board. But in terms of your routine and practicing, I think it would be wise to take a look at it all."

Fuente said he's already directed his staff to use the open date to review "every single play, every single scheme that we've run, all the film" and provide a report back to him about a path forward later this week. But he doesn't want to put too much pressure on the players ahead of Thanksgiving, holding only a handful of practices this week β€” and he's not giving them strict orders to stay in Blacksburg for the holiday, despite moves by other coaches to do the same.

"I'm not going to lock them up...I'm going to encourage them to understand the importance of how they act or what they're around, but I'm not going to force them to stay here or go home," Fuente said. "In my mind, they have sacrificed plenty, and they deserve an opportunity to go home if they're in the region and can do it safely."

Opting Out Worries?

It's difficult enough to keep players engaged in a lost season in non-Covid times. But with the pandemic throwing even bowl season into doubt, Fuente admits that it will be a challenge to keep the team motivated.

Thus far, however, he said there have not been an elevated number of players interested in opting out of the season. It should be noted that several players appeared to dispute his assertion on Twitter after the press conference concluded, but Fuente said he had not seen an influx of requests to skip the remaining two games after last week's disappointing result.

"I'm sure there's several guys on our team who wished they played more or played better, but our guys have done a great job thus far," Fuente said. "We have had that conversation with a few guys before. The first question is: is this Covid-related or playing time related? And making sure if it is Covid-related that we do a good job of addressing their concerns and diagnosing it, having those conversations with their families too."

Ordinarily, Fuente would be able to point to Tech's long bowl streak as a reason for the team to rally and try to pull off the unthinkable, as the Hokies would have to knock off Clemson to ensure a six-win season and a bowl trip. But the NCAA has said it's waiving that standard this year, so there's no telling just how the various bowls will hand out invites after the season (or even what those games will look like, safety-wise).

"We really haven't talked about it all," Fuente said. "We just don't have much control over it."

A QP Clarification

Among the more puzzling moments against Pitt (in a game full of them) was when Quincy Patterson came in for Hendon Hooker immediately on the heels of Tech's biggest offensive play of the day thus far, a 38-yard pass to James Mitchell.

Despite the excitement surrounding the long pass, the drive sputtered just on the edge of field goal range. Patterson completed a single pass, but was otherwise ineffective, leaving fans scratching their heads about why Hooker didn't stay in the game.

Fuente said there's a simple explanation: the starter hurt his elbow on the previous play. While he did say the coaching staff wanted to play Patterson more as a general rule, he said Hooker was simply unable to stay in the game on that drive.

"He had an issue with his hand, hit his funny bone or something, I think that's why that ball was so low (to Mitchell)," Fuente said. "It took some time to get his fingers back feeling good."

Comments

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

We put the K in Kwality

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

We put the K in Kwality

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Jet Sweep

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Jet Sweep

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

I told him I’d crawl on my hands and knees to be the DL coach at Virginia Tech. Now, all of a sudden, I’m sitting in this chair and I told him I’d still crawl on my hands and knees to work here. I just want to be here.
JC Price

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Jet Sweep

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Even when you get skunked; fishing never lets you down. 🎣

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

We put the K in Kwality

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Warning- Filter lost.

"Look at this... This is just spectacular.... These people are losing their minds"

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"Take care of the little things and the big things will come."

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"Take care of the little things and the big things will come."

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Even when you get skunked; fishing never lets you down. 🎣

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"He'll get after ya"- Frank Beamer, repeatedly.

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

We put the K in Kwality

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"Take care of the little things and the big things will come."

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Five star get after it 100 percent Juice Key-Playing. MAN

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

This is my school
This is home

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

I just sit on my couch and b*tch. - HokieChemE2016

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

This is my school
This is home

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

I used to believe in my team. Now I believe that I can believe again.

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"Nope, launch him into the sun and fart on him on the way up"
-gobble gobble chumps

"11-0, bro"
-Hunter Carpenter (probably)

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Even when you get skunked; fishing never lets you down. 🎣

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

If it ain't orange, it better be maroon...and if it ain't maroon, it better be soon!

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Directions from Blacksburg to whoville, go north till you smell it then go east until you step in it

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Directions from Blacksburg to whoville, go north till you smell it then go east until you step in it

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Even when you get skunked; fishing never lets you down. 🎣

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Hokie Club member since 2017, TriumphNIL subscriber since 2023

Football school, Women’s basketball school

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

"Nope, launch him into the sun and fart on him on the way up"
-gobble gobble chumps

"11-0, bro"
-Hunter Carpenter (probably)

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Hokie Club member since 2017, TriumphNIL subscriber since 2023

Football school, Women’s basketball school

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

This is my school
This is home

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

Recovering scientist working in business consulting

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas

Please join The Key Players Club to read or post comments.

VT '10--US Citizen; (804) Virginian By Birth; (210) Texan By the Grace of God.

Rick Monday... You Made a Great Play...

I also root for: The Keydets, Army, TexAggies, NY Giants, NY Rangers, ATL Braves, and SA Brahmas