Justin Fuente is out at Virginia Tech. Would TCU football be interested in a reunion?
Justin Fuente became another football coach candidate Tuesday morning after being let go by Virginia Tech, but don’t expect TCU to have much interest in bringing him back as its head coach.
A high-ranking TCU official said the school is focused on other candidates at this point in the search, and it seems far-fetched for Fuente to be a late addition to the short list.
SMU’s Sonny Dykes and Louisiana’s Billy Napier appear to be the front-runners for the job with Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott still in the mix. Jackson State’s Deion Sanders hasn’t been scratched off the list yet, but TCU is focused on the other candidates for now.
Fuente, 45, spent five seasons on Gary Patterson’s staff at TCU from 2007-11. He joined as the running backs coach in 2007 and then was promoted to offensive coordinator the final three seasons. He is credited with the growth and development of quarterback Andy Dalton during that time, highlighted by the 2010 season when TCU went 13-0, won the Rose Bowl and finished No. 2 in the country.
After TCU, Fuente served as head coach at Memphis from 2012-15 and then at Virginia Tech from 2016 until his dismissal on Tuesday.
The Hokies went 43-31 in Fuente’s six seasons at Tech. In four seasons at Memphis, Fuente had a 26-23 record.
TCU and Patterson parted ways on Oct. 31, amid a three-game losing streak. Patterson ended his tenure as the school’s all-time winningest coach with a 181-79 record.
TCU is expected to have its next coach in place by early December with the early signing period starting Dec. 15.
This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 10:07 AM.
