Coaching Candidates: Bud Foster

Well we've all seen Clemson play VT, and get manhandled by Bud Foster's defenses, so we all know how good a Defensive Coordinator he is. In 2006 we didnt think we could be stopped, but he put 8 in the box and forced us to pass, and we couldnt. We could hardly block after one of our starting linemen went down. Last year, we were similarly throttled in a horrible loss.



Recently it appears he has been contacted about the head job at Clemson, as reported by Rivals.

A few weeks ago he said this when asked about interest in the Clemson vacancy.

"I'd be...stupid" not to be interested, Foster said. "You guys have all asked me for the last five years, six years. Who wouldn't be (interested)? ... That'd be one I'd be jumping through hoops to try to get. "

But have you heard his name? I can't recall when he's been a frontrunner for a job anywhere. He has said that he only wants a BCS-conference job. Foster has come up in searches for jobs elsewhere in the past, and had this to say...

"I've had some opportunities; it just hasn't worked out," Foster said. "That's a goal of mine. But at the same time, that's one of those deals I can't control. Hopefully I get an opportunity at one of these places to at least show who I am."

(source)

His agent, Bob Lattinville has said the guy's primary difficulty is that he doesnt promote himself. He believes the top programs see your record and will come for you based on that.

He is a 2006 Frank Broyles award winner (nations top assistant) and has been with Frank Beamer his whole career. He was with him at Murray State as a player, and followed him up the ranks to his now 13th season at VT as Defensive Coordinator, 22 overall. Under Foster, the Hokies have been one of the nation's top five defenses in eight of 12 years. Without him, considering how pitiful VT's offense has been in recent years, where would VT be? Probably in the tank. Other VT fanblogs are worried about losing him, as are many sports writers in The Washington Post and local Virginia papers.

For as long as I can remember aggressive, rattling, stout defense has been the one constant of Hokie football. Our defense has been the major reason for all of our post M Vick I successes. The wizard behind it all has been Coach Bud Foster and every Hokie’s nightmare is the day he decides to take a head coaching job outside of Blacksburg. I hate to say it, but that day is approaching soon.

(source)

It could also be a good bet that UVA will go after him if they decide to finally fire Al Groh. They offered him before when they hired Groh. Frank Beamer will not stay forever at VT either, and he could get a 'coach-in-waiting' deal like Jimbo Fisher did at FSU. West Virginia would eventually go after him if UVA didn't, in my opinion.

He keeps a comprehensive plan for how he would run his own program, so detailed it includes how he would respond to a medical emergency during practice and what food he would serve in the team cafeteria. He has also outlined what assistant coaches he would hire and what his academic policy would entail.

(same source)

He also runs his own website, Lunch Pail Defense.

Hes a good recruiter, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. What VT does now is what Clemson used to do under Ford, in that they go out and recruit speed and athletes and put them on the defensive side of the ball. This hampers their offense of course, but it keeps the best players on the defense. VT's ties are in the Virginia area, Maryland, and North Carolina. There are tons of athletes in the "Tidewater" area where VT gets their best players from. Clemson used to make inroads there, but VT has since closed it off to all comers, and his ties in NC would be great to getting us back ownership of that state or at least to challenge.

Like many defensive coaches, expect him to try to keep a balanced offense or a ball-control like VT. The latter might not sit as well today, but if the man wins I dont care what he runs.

In my opinion Foster would be a solid coach, and he already has his plan for a team ready to go.