Virginia Tech hires Memphis' Justin Fuente to succeed Beamer

Posted November 29, 2015 6:00 am

By HANK KURZ Jr.

Virginia Tech has hired Memphis' Justin Fuente to be its next football coach.

The school made the announcement Sunday, bringing a quick end to its search to replace the retiring Frank Beamer after 29 seasons. The school also said longtime Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster, thought to be a candidate for the job, will remain in that position at Fuente's request.

Fuente, 39, has spent the past four seasons at Memphis, turning a struggling program into a winner. The Tigers, who compete in the American Athletic Conference, were 10-3 last season, including a 55-48, double-overtime victory against BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl.

They are 9-3 this season, including a 63-0 victory against SMU on Saturday in Fuente's final game.

Virginia Tech will introduce Fuente at a news conference Monday.

___

AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.