After plenty of reports out of Blacksburg about the future of Frank Beamer, the official word came down that the head coach will retire at the conclusion of the 2015 season. Beamer has been the one consistent at the program he has helped turn around since he arrived at Virginia Tech all the way back in 1987. On the heels of more than 200 wins, four ACC titles, two Big East titles and a national championship game appearance, the biggest question for the program at this point is who will be his successor? Here is a look at the top four potential candidates for the head coaching job at Virginia Tech.
Justin Fuente
Head Coach, Memphis Tigers
The favorite to land pretty much every single head coaching job opening in college football this season is Fuente, who has led Memphis to a perfect 8-0 start. His Tigers have the third-longest winning streak in the nation behind only the Ohio State Buckeyes and the TCU Horned Frogs. That’s made him the hottest coach on the market right now. Fuente will have plenty of options when it comes to where he eventually ends up and Virginia Tech could make for a strong option when you consider they play in a winnable division and in a solid recruiting ground. Fuente’s biggest strength would be a major asset in finding underrated players and coaching them up to their potential. The Hokies have long been a defensive team under Beamer but if they hire Fuente, it would represent a completely fresh start and the chance to become a more offensive-minded football program.
There are a lot of options that are going to be on the table for Fuente but Virginia Tech offers him and out-of-the-limelight primetime job. Going somewhere like Miami will mean he’ll have to deliver immediately and consistently. Virginia Tech is a soft spot where he can still be respected and find success, but not face as much scrutiny.
Matt Rhule
Head Coach, Temple Owls
Rhule is coming off his biggest game as the head coach at Temple while it was a loss, it’s clear that Rhule has remade Temple. They used to be a doormat but they’ve dramatically improved each year since he took over. They could very well be 8-0 right not if it wasn’t for a very close loss to Notre Dame. The Owls are ranked among the top 20 pass offenses in college football and they rank in the top 10 in scoring defense this season. Rhule has done an excellent job coaching up his players on both sides of the football and he would make for a quality successor to Beamer at Virginia Tech. He’s due for a promotion.
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Rich Rodriguez
Head Caoch, Arizona Wildcats
There is no denying that Arizona has taken a step back this season and while Rodriguez has done some great things for the program, he could ultimately decide that the Hokies are a better fit for his future if they ask him to take over the program. The obvious link is there since Virginia Tech’s athletic director Whit Babcock is a former administrator at West Virginia where Rodriguez was the head coach. Arizona has improved under Rodriguez but they’ve also kind of plateaued. He might opt to jump ship if he feels the one in Arizona is a sinking one.
Bud Foster
Defensive Coordinator, Virginia Tech Hokies
Each of the first three candidates on this list are from outside of the program but Virginia Tech could very well decide that they want to stay in-house when it comes to finding Beamer’s successor. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster would be an excellent option. Foster has been with Beamer since the very beginning and he has expressed interest in becoming a head coach one day and he’s very likely deserved of the opportunity. He’s produced so many strong defenses in his time as well as plenty of NFL first-round picks. The obvious fit is there if they decide they want to go in that direction.
