Babcock praises Justin Fuente's loyalty to Virginia Tech

A brief worrying game for Virginia Tech was resolved yesterday morning when head coach Justin Fuente solidified that he'd be the coach in Blacksburg rather than entertaining overtures from Baylor University.

Hokies athletic director Whit Babcock certainly had moments to worry about in the process, but ultimately Fuente remained steadfast - through even an informal interview with the Bears - and will enter his fifth year as head coach at Virginia Tech.

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After receiving interest from Baylor Tuesday, Fuente met with administrators near Blacksburg Wednesday morning, before informing Babcock Wednesday evening that he'd turned down the opportunity to be further considered for the position (since filled by former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda).

"He's a little more private than most, but when you know the Justin that I know, then you know how much of a Hokie that he is," Babcock said. "I had faith in Justin; I knew how much he likes being here. You don't have to go to Virginia Tech to be a Hokie, and he's shown me that.

That's not to say that Fuente's connections to the Big 12 region didn't pop up in Babcock's mind. Fuente is a native of Oklahoma who started his college career art Oklahoma State before transferring to Murray State in Kentucky. He then played semi-pro ball in Oklahoma before beginning his career in the coaching ranks - and even there, he broke into the FBS scene as an assistant at TCU.

While there's certainly a pull to get closer to home, the pull to remain true to the Hokies was even stronger for Fuente.

"I believe he really wanted to be a Hokie," Babcock said. "Sometimes, when you're from that neck of the woods and the money is incredible and they're going to come to your house and talk to you, you might let them do that, too, even if it was your profession. He was straight up in my book. No problem with it whatsoever."

What could have made it even more worrying, had Babcock's faith in Fuente not been so steadfast (and clearly, in hindsight, justified) is that the Baylor position was the first that Fuente even bothered to give the slightest attention.

"To Justin's credit, there have been a lot of jobs since he's been here that, when they have called, he has simply turned down," Babcock explained. "Baylor is the first one that he listened to, and I would like for you guys and our fans to know the difference between interviewing for a job versus letting someone come talk to you in your hometown [in Blacksburg].

"Justin is from out that way and spent a lot of time in the Big 12. Of course, you never love it when your coach is talking to other people, but he has turned down a number of other opportunities, a lot of money, and his loyalty is probably not as widely known as it should be."

Babcock indicated that Fuente didn't make any demands - financially for himself or of investment in the football program - before indicating that he would remain a Hokie. However, in addition to ongoing projects at the Jamerson Athletics Center and other areas within the athletic facilities, Babcock let his head coach know that there will always be a desire to do whatever possible to help the coaching staff find success on the field.

With 22 returning starters from a team that had its share of heartbreaking close losses last year, the future may be bright even before any of those are complete. And it's bright with Fuente remaining at the helm.