Fuente’s 33 wins in his first four seasons in Blacksburg are the most of any VT head football coach in program history and he accomplished 43-31 record (28-20 ACC) in six seasons; however, that early success did not end well.
On Tuesday, Virginia Tech announced the school has parted ways with its head football coach.
[WATCH: Whit Babcock discusses Justin Fuente’s departure from Virginia Tech]
Here’s a look back at 30 points in time starting from Frank Beamer announcing his retirement to Tuesday’s news of Virginia Tech announcing its parting ways with Fuente:
- Nov. 1, 2015 – After 29 years leading the Hokies, Frank Beamer announced his retirement and coached the remainder of the 2015 season
- Nov. 29, 2015 – Justin Fuente announced as Tech’s head football coach
- Dec. 1, 2015 – Fuente introduced at halftime of the Tech-Northwestern basketball game
- Sept. 3, 2016 – Fuente coaches his first game, leading the Hokies to a 36-13 victory over Liberty University
- Nov. 26, 2016 – Virginia Tech wins ACC Coastal Division after beating UVA 52-10
- Dec. 29, 2016 – Fuente and the Hokies finish the season 10-4, losing in the ACC Championship, but beating Arkansas 35-24 in the Belk Bowl
- Sept. 3, 2017 – Hokies win Black Diamond Trophy, defeating West Virginia 31-24 at FedEx Field
- Dec. 28, 2017 – Hokies finish 9-4, losing the Camping World Bowl against #17 Oklahoma State, 30-21
- Sept. 3, 2018 – Hokies open the season with a road win against #19 Florida State, 24-3
- Sept. 22, 2018 – Fuente and Virginia Tech lose on the road to Old Dominion, 49-35
- Nov. 23, 2018 – Tech keeps its Commonwealth Clash streak alive, beating Virginia in overtime, 34-31
- Dec. 31, 2018 – Hokies fall in the Military Bowl to Cincinnati, 35-31, and finish the season with a 6-7 record
- Aug. 1, 2019 – Longtime Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster announces that the 2019 season will be his last
- Aug. 31, 2019 – Hokies open the season with a loss on the road against Boston College, 35-28
- Sept. 27, 2019 – At Lane Stadium, Duke blows out Virginia Tech, 45-10
- Oct. 19, 2019 – Virginia Tech and UNC battle in a six overtime Hokie win, 43-41
- Nov. 29, 2019 – Justin Fuente and the Hokies lost to Virginia 39-30, breaking Virginia Tech’s 15-game win streak against UVA.
- Dec. 31, 2019 – Virginia Tech loses to Kentucky in the Belk Bowl, finishing the season with an 8-5 record
- Jan. 16, 2020 – Justin Fuente puts rumors of him being Baylor University’s next football coach to rest
- Sept. 26, 2020 – Hokies open their attendance-restricted COVID-19 season with a 45-24 win against N.C. State in Blacksburg
- Nov. 7, 2020 – Virginia Tech loses at home to #25 Liberty University, 38-35
- Dec. 12, 2020 – Tech’s season ends with a 33-15 win against UVA.
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- Tech’s 27-consecutive season bowl appearance streak, the longest active bowl streak in the nation, comes to an end
- Hokies finished the season 5-6
- Dec. 15, 2020 – Fuente’s contract buyout price dropped from $12.5 million to $10 million
- Dec. 17, 2020 – Hokies starting quarterback Hendon Hooker enters the transfer portal and goes on to play for the University of Tennessee
- Sept. 3, 2021 – Virginia Tech opens the season beating #10 UNC at home, 17-10
- Sept. 18, 2021 – Hokies fall in Morgantown to West Virginia, 27-21
- Oct. 9, 2021 – Virginia Tech loses to #14 Notre Dame, 32-29, allowing the Fighting Irish to score 11 points in the game’s final two-and-a-half minutes
- Oct. 23, 2021 – Hokies lose to Syracuse, 41-36, allowing the Orange to score 14 points in the game’s final two-and-a-half minutes
- Nov. 13, 2021 – Virginia Tech beats Duke, 48-17
- Nov. 16, 2021 – Fuente and Virginia Tech agree to mutually part ways. Fuente will receive an $8.75 million buyout.
Source: WSLS News 10