Virginia Tech reportedly makes decision on status of Justin Fuente for 2021
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The future of Justin Fuente at Virginia Tech had been called into question after the Hokies struggled to a 5-6 season and an 8th-place finish in the ACC.
However, according to reports, the 5th-year head coach is safe, and he will return to Blacksburg in 2021. Stadium college football reporter Brett McMurphy was among those who broke the story.
Fuente’s record is 38-26, including a 25-17 record in ACC play. He led the Hokies to a 1st-place finish in the ACC Coastal Division in his first year and a victory in the Belk Bowl, followed by a 9-4 mark and a 2nd-place finish in the division.
However, he has been unable to build on that momentum. Since 2018, the Hokies are 19-18 (14-12 ACC) despite a 2nd-place ACC Coastal Division finish in 2019. They have also lost 4 bowl games in a row.
With the NCAA opening up its bowl eligibility qualifications for 2020, there is a possibility that Virginia Tech could qualify for a 28th-straight bowl appearance to extend the longest streak in the country. However, Fuente has mentioned that if invited, he would leave it to his players to decide if they wanted to play.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
