Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 1 | August 2019

inside.hokiesports.com 9 by Jimmy Robertson By all accounts, he enjoyed an incredible and productive summer. His list of offseason accomplishments included getting married, taking a trip to Cincinnati to watch his beloved Reds play, cruising around Claytor Lake near his home, playing with his grandkids, and hiking to the Cascades for the first time in his more than three decades in the area. For Bud Foster, life is simply good, and most of Hokie Nation can make that same claim—well, could have, at least until Aug. 1. Foster, the Hokies’ beloved defensive coordinator, delivered some stunning news on this day, announcing his plans to put away his headset, hang up his whistle, hand off his laminated list of calls that hangs to his side during games, and retire at the end of this season. Then Foster will begin to formulate his next game plan—one with nothing to do with football, but rather the next phase of his life. Most (maybe all?) Tech fans took the news somberly—an understandable perspective given Foster’s undeniable contributions to Virginia Tech over the past 33 years. He worked the last 23 years as the defensive coordinator, and his schemes, combined with hard-working, blue-collar talent and Frank Beamer’s steady leadership, sparked a football renaissance not seen often over the history of college football. The numbers are staggering and the wins legendary. On 13 occasions, Foster’s defense finished in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense, and 11 times, the defense finished in the top 10 nationally in total defense. He and his defense made Texas look silly in the 1995 Sugar Bowl. Miami and Syracuse floundered against his bunch during the 1999 season. LSU scored just eight points against the Hokies in 2002. Texas A&M mustered only a field goal that same year. The Hokies baffled Miami in the de facto 2004 ACC title game (in Miami). Tennessee looked befuddled in the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl; and Ohio State totally bewildered in 2014 — at the Horseshoe. But Foster decided his run needs to end after this season. Typical of his nature, he told the players first, graciously thanked a few people at Tech’s Media Day and politely refused to answer any questions. He desired that the focus be elsewhere, specifically the players and this team. It was, in a way, typical Foster—intense and laser-focused on the task at hand, which to him, means launching this 2019 unit back toward the direction of the program’s historical lofty standards. “I just told the team, whatever greatness is, I’m going to push them as hard as they can,” he said. “I’m going to give them every ounce of energy that I have, and I’m going to expect that in return. That’s really what it comes down to. “I love our players, I love this team, I love their focus, and our focus is going to be on this team and their season. We’ve got some great kids, and we’ve got an opportunity to do some special things. I really feel good about them, and I can promise you I’m going to give them my very best for these next 120 days.” Foster’s retirement certainly provides added motivation for this squad. Not that the Hokies needed any after suffering the program’s first losing season since 1992 last fall. Looking forward, Tech certainly needs to be mature in how its handles this announcement. Emotion only propels teams so far. After all, BC, Pittsburgh, Duke and others care nothing about sending Foster out a winner. Reggie Floyd, Ryan Willis, Divine Deablo and a few other veteran leaders understand that winning games requires not just emotion, but also hard work, attention to detail, discipline, and execution. Can this young team follow their lead? “We can’t get caught up in the emotions at all,” Deablo agreed. “We’ve got to do all the little things right and keep working to get better.” Perhaps Tech head coach Justin Fuente captured this point most eloquently when he compared Foster’s final season to a book. The Hokies know the ending, yes, but they also get to pen the final chapter. In most cases, coaches retire after a season—too late for a team to write the final pages—so Foster’s preseason announcement presents an opportunity for this squad. “I don’t think that point was lost on our players,” Fuente said. “I think they understand that we have an awesome opportunity to celebrate, through our play and through our work, a fine, fine man and fantastic coach.” Without question, Foster has enjoyed a hall of fame career. Hopefully, before he heads to the lake for fishing, boating, and wake surfing, the Hokies can send him out in a hall of fame way. For sure, it would be the perfect sunset for a legendary career. G&H Appliance, a winning team for 50 years. Since 1969, Nobody Does it Better!!! 1290 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 • 540-382-7500 • www.gandhappliance.com Find us at G&H Appliance Hokies ready to send Foster out a winner, but know victories require more than emotion