Fuente hire already reaping benefits on recruiting trail

It’s never easy replacing a longtime beloved football coach – especially one who still has another game left.

Frank Beamer, of course, is stepping away after a stellar 29-year run in Blacksburg, where he built the Hokies from a marginal Division I team without a conference into one of the nation’s most consistently successful programs, and a steady player in the ACC from the outset. 

But following the upcoming Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, Beamer will be stepping away in favor of Justin Fuente, who did a remarkable job at Memphis leading up to his opportunity to replace the Hokie legend. 

Fuente’s hire, and the news that Bud Foster would be staying in Blacksburg as the school’s defensive coordinator, proved to have a calming effect as November faded into December. [hr]