Defensive Coordinator Spot
Have it marked right now. The year of 2020 will be the first year in Virginia Tech Football history since 1994 where someone other than Bud Foster will be taking the Defensive Coordinator spot. Instead, fans must get used to the name Justin Hamilton.
For those of you following, Justin Hamilton will be replacing Bud Foster for the Defensive Coordinator role at Virginia Tech. Before the move, Hamilton had worked exclusively as the Hokie’s Safeties Coach and worked on the recruiting trail as well. Now, the former player turned coach has been passed the torch by the coach he once played under. It is even being confirmed that Bud Foster had decided on Hamilton to be his replacement some time ago and let Head Coach Justin Fuente know.
Bud Foster must trust his former player and newly brought on coach to take his reputable spot. Well you might ask yourself, what has led up to Hamilton getting this spot? Hamilton started off at Virginia Tech and graduated from the University in 2005 to follow his career in football. After his NFL tenure came to an end, Hamilton landed at UVA-Wise as their Defensive Coordinator for some time. From there, Justin Hamilton was brought onto staff at Virginia Tech in February of 2019. It is history from there as to how Hamilton made his way to his current spot.
Supporting Staff Spots
It is very common to see supporting staff members either brought on after a major hiring or supporting members let go of. In the case of the Hokies, they lose Running Backs Coach Zohn Burden, Cornerbacks Coach Brian Mitchell, and Defensive Line Coach Charley Wiles.
Many look at this group and just are fathomed by why any of them were let go. First off, the departure of Brian Mitchell wasn’t seen well to many fans. Mitchell had brought up players in his position groups such as Caleb Farley and Jermaine Waller to top talent. In fact, we saw the rise of Farley from a player who hadn’t played the position to an All-ACC Player.
The two other moves were looked at under a microscope by the fan base. Running Backs Coach Zohn Burden was let go earlier this week. This move was made even more of an issue among fans when Adam Lechtenberg was promoted to the spot. To sum that up real quick, a recruiting favorite among the 757 players was replaced by a friend of Fuente. Top recruit Tony Grimes, a 5-Star Cornerback out of the 757, is seeming to slip away from the program as his father has openly spoken out agains the Burden move.
Lastly, the departure of fan-favorite and Foster-loyalist Charley Wiles was pushed from the staff. Out of all of the supporting staff that were let go of, this one seemed to cause the most anger among fans. Wiles had worked with the Defensive Linemen on staff since 1996. It has been speculated that the move was also not a respected one by Wiles, who has been removed from all Virginia Tech pages by the University.
What’s Next?
Fans of the program have made it clear: no more excuses. The Hokies have built themselves a high ceiling for the 2020 season, with fans expecting nothing short of 9 wins minimum. This is what happens when you overhaul a loved staff and build it into what you want. The Hokies have the talent to get to the top, but will the coaching staff attribute to that?
