A bunch of us hacks braved the bitter cold (21 degrees with the wind chill right now in Blacksburg) and chatted with Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster after today’s practice, Tech’s first in preparation for the Jan. 3 Orange Bowl against Kansas. Foster said he turned down Steve Spurrier’s offer to become South Carolina’s defensive coordinator and plans to be back in Blacksburg next season.

But ... remember that West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is interviewing for the Michigan job (according to reports), so if Rodriguez leaves, Morgantown could be an intriguing next step for Foster.

In the meantime, here are a couple things Foster and some players said that I couldn’t fit into my story that will appear in tomorrow’s print edition ...

“I’m staying here. It’s flattering to be offered a position, but I’ve got a great job here. I work for the best head coach in the country. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished here. As good as it’s been, I think we can continue to get better. We’ve got enough challenges right here, let alone for me to go someplace else and tackle some other challenges. I’m excited about being here.“

On how far he got in the process with Spurrier—“You get to a point in your career: Do I need to take another job to be a head coach, to spread my roots a little bit? I don’t know. I went through a lot of scenarios. Obviously, the money was a factor, but at the same time, money’s not everything. The people you work with, the people you work for. You tend to think the grass is greener on the other side, but it’s pretty green where you have it.“

“I talked to him [Spurrier] today. I told him thanks. He said, ‘Bud, I appreciate it. I didn’t think I was going to get you anyway. You don’t need to make a lateral move. But I was going to throw it out there and see.‘ I told him I appreciate him considering me. I told him I was flattered and honored to be offered, but thanks but no thanks.“

On whether he was interested in the Northern Illinois job (it’s close to his hometown of Nokomis, Ill.)—“Nah. It’s home, but I like competing at the highest level. That’s what I want to do. I think I’ve got the abilities to lead a program at that level. I feel like I don’t need to take a step back to take a step forward. That’s my personal opinion. I’ve been doing it too long. I feel like I’m ready, whenever that opportunity comes.“

On him getting a raise at Tech, which seems like it will happen after Foster met with head coach Frank Beamer and athletic director Jim Weaver on Friday—“In today’s day in age, the head coaches are getting paid, and the assistants, our salaries are better than they’ve ever been, but there’s still a big discrepancy between the head coaches and the assistants. I think when you start seeing the Jimbo Fishers and some of these guys getting paid what they are, I think it’s fair that you get paid your fair market value. That’s just the nature of the beast.“ (Fisher, of course, recently got a sweet deal from Florida State to stick around as its offensive coordinator and the heir apparent to Bobby Bowden.)

On whether his career would be incomplete if he was never a head coach—“No. I would like to do that. But I’m not going to cry myself to sleep. I’m going to my fifth BCS game. There are Hall of Fame coaches that have never done that. If that door opens for me, I’m going to step in it. But if not, so be it.“

DE ORION MARTIN ON FOSTER ...

“I couldn’t see him anywhere else. He’s the face of this defense.”

FS D.J. PARKER ON FOSTER ...

“He’s everything to Virginia Tech. We’re hard-nosed. The defense plays nasty and everything. I think without Bud Foster, they would lose a little bit of that swagger that Bud brings.”