Foster Pursued, Hokies Pony Up

So by now most of you must have heard: Bud Foster isn’t going to Georgia. Or any other school to be a defensive coordinator. Not this offseason. Probably never.

Foster said after practice tonight that the Hokies had sweetened his deal and he was staying in Blacksburg. And the guy who has seemed desperate for a head-coaching gig even said it would be hard for him to accept Cincinnati’s vacancy if the Bearcats offered.

This deal is that sweet, apparently. No one is saying how much it’s worth, but I’m guessing it is a very, very large amount. Not just a dangling carrot, but a vault full of carrots, piled high and waiting at the end of a five-year stretch during which Hokies fans can expect continued defensive dominance.

Unless some really, really good head-coaching offer comes Foster’s way, it sure sounds like he’ll be at Virginia Tech for quite a while. Quite possibly until current head coach (and Foster father-figure) Frank Beamer retires and opens that dream job up for him.

It sure sounds like Beamer and athletic director Jim Weaver made a very smart, creative and effective move to stabilize their program’s future. And they didn’t have to work one of those ill-fated coach-in-waiting deals.

Here’s what Weaver had to say about the situation tonight. He was en route to a Hokie Club meeting in Roanoke when I reached him. I’m sure those folks, like you, will be in a good mood.

More later tonight from Foster himself and players’ reaction to the news ...

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JIM WEAVER

ON BUD FOSTER’S NEW DEAL: “Well, here’s the deal: Obviously, if Bud Foster is going to continue to be a defensive coordinator, we want him to continue to do so at Virginia Tech rather than relocating. Having said that, the situation is a five-year term. If he is here for five years, he will get a stipulated amount of money as annuity at the end of that term. We still have some things to work out on that, so we won’t be releasing the details until we get that all done after the holidays.”

ON THIS BASICALLY BEING A REALLY NICE CARROT TO DANGLE IN FRONT OF FOSTER: “Correct. In other words, Bud’s salary next year will be what it normally would be. And the year after and the year after. But after he’s here five more years, there will be an annuity that he will take possession of.”

ON WHOSE IDEA THIS WAS: “Well, Coach Beamer and I started talking actually in New York last week. And then we visited again Thursday and Friday when we were back here, as things were heating up with Bud getting involved or getting calls from a couple people in the SEC.”

ON OTHER TEAMS BESIDES GEORGIA BEING INVOLVED: “To my knowledge, yes.”

ON NOT WANTING TO ADDRESS ANY OTHER COORDINATOR OPENINGS THAT MIGHT COME UP IN FUTURE SEASONS: “That’s one segment of doing what we’re doing. But it’s not the only thing. We’ve gone through this with Bud maybe three times ... maybe four. I remember going down to Nashville when Steve Spurrier was trying to hire him at Florida in ’98 and trying to make sure that we kept him at Virginia Tech. And then it happened at least two more times. ... But we just felt very strongly that if Bud’s going to be a defensive coordinator, there’s no need for him to be a defensive coordinator any place other than here at Virginia Tech.”

ON WHAT FOSTER’S CONTRACT STATUS IS NOW: “This is an addendum to his contract.”

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