Fuente, Hokies embrace challenges Virginia Tech coach eager to develop a young roster still learning how to win
As Virginia Tech goes through spring practice, third-year coach Justin Fuente knows the Hokies face a challenging offseason.
The roster is young and thin at some positions, including receiver. The defense is coping with key departures due to graduation or NFL opportunities. But while some see problems, Fuente sees a chance to mold young players. were so young around him that we weren’t mature enough to help inflate his numbers if you will, or his production because we just weren’t good enough around him. I think that played a role, and then part of it is he’s got to get better. And he knows that.” part of that is player driven, and to me, you can start to get a sense of your accountability level in the summer. That’s as important enough time of team building, or team unity, or team buy-in, as anything. Guys having great summers, making decisions, they’re going to have a great summer or a great winter. That’s more than just showing up to lift. It’s what you eat, the rest you get, those sorts of things. I think it shows the maturity of your team.” be able to keep every coach. For me to manage the staff the way that I would like to manage them, then they have to be like the guys that we currently have. Does that make sense? If they were different guys, I would have to treat them differently. But because they are the type of people that they are, I get to treat them, the way I would really like to manage. For me, that’s awesome. I think it’s great for our coaches. I think it’s great for our players to have the same voice in their teaching. I think it’s great for recruiting to have the same people in those areas continue to peck away. I think it speaks volumes to our place, to our leadership, and to the direction of our program. I think our guys understand how good we can be, and what we’re doing.”
“This is my concern. We’re not the only ones that did that. All we’re doing is pushing the calendar forward more. All I’m saying is, I think we should give pause before we continue to push the calendar forward. I don’t know when kids decide where they’re going to go to school if they don’t play football, but I don’t that it’s in 10th grade. I want to make sure we’re not pushing this thing so far forward.”