Virginia Tech fired Justin Fuente on Tuesday, ending six years with the show.
Fuente is a strong candidate to replace Frank Beamer in 2016 following his success at Memphis, and the tenure began well with an ACC championship in his first season with the Hokies. Virginia Tech, however, dropped to sixth in the ACC Coastal Division last season and was unable to compete in the ACC this season despite a nasty opening night with North Carolina.
Fuente left Virginia Tech with a 43-31 record, including a 28-20 record in the ACC game. It’s still a solid ACC job that should attract some interesting candidates.
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Who are some of them? Sporting News takes a closer look:
Bill O’Brien, Alabama offensive coordinator
The Nick Saban Clinic opens another door. O’Brien spent time as an assistant coach at Maryland, Duke and Georgia Tech, and went 15-9 at Penn State amid the horrors following the firing of Joe Paterno. O’Brien can draw lessons from his one-year stint with Saban and success in the ACC, unless, of course, he’s looking to return to the NFL. The college game could be better for O’Brien, and Virginia Tech is a match. This will be a great opportunity for the Hokies.
Billy Napier, Louisiana Coach
Napier, 42, will soon get the Power 5 job. Virginia Tech would be the right level for the Louisiana coach, who is starting a third straight season with double-digit wins. He was 37-12 years old for four years in Louisiana. Napier has experience in Alabama and Clemson, two of the most successful programs of the CFP era. He can bring those lessons to change in Blacksburg.
Jamey Chadwell, Coach Coastal Carolina
Chadwell, 44, is another Sun Belt trainer to consider long-term. The 44-year-old has turned Coastal Carolina into an attacking machine over the past two seasons and that style could become a hit with Hokies fans. He’s guided Chants to the top 25 each for the past two years, and the show has only been around since 2017. It was a showdown between Chadwell and Napier, but the difference is that Chadwell has no experience with the Power program. 5. .
Bill Clark, UAB . Coach
This is the third door for a group of 5 coaches looking to go up. Clark has done wonders in bringing back the UAB football program. He guided the Blazers to five consecutive winning seasons after the show’s two-year hiatus. SEC programs are not willing to do this hire. Would an ACC program try it? Clark has been in Alabama for most of his coaching career, so this will require him to step out of his comfort zone.
Tony Elliott, Clemson Offensive Coordinator
Is it the right time for Elliott to leave Clemson and take his job as head coach? Elliott’s name appears every year. The 41-year-old, who has been with Clemson since 2011, is an excellent recruiter and caller, and he understands ACC better than the rest of the candidates on this list. Elliott has turned down other jobs in the past. Is he ready to switch to ACC Coastal?
Hugh Freeze, Liberty Coach
We learn of his careless departure at Ole Miss, where he was fired after a personal misconduct incident that included calling an escort service while on recruitment trips. However, Liberty beat Virginia Tech last season and there is no doubt that Freeze knows how to attack, develop midfield and how to win at the Power 5 level. He was 39-25 at Ole Miss and win a Sugar Bowl. Freeze will bring Flames to the third bowl shape. At some point, the 52-year-old will get another shot at Power 5. Is this better than taking another shot on a Team of 5 coach?
Shane Beamer, South Carolina coach
It’s at least worth the call, right? Beamer is the son of legendary Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, and he served as an assistant to the Hokies from 2011-15. He worked as an assistant coach through exams with Georgia and Oklahoma, and he rebuilt at South Carolina east of the SEC. He had a better-than-expected debut 5-5, including a landslide victory over Florida. Is Beamer ready to return to Blacksburg after Year 1? Is that what Virginia Tech wants? The answers to those questions are not the wrong answers.
