Who knows how much of this will actually get in the paper tomorrow. But I won’t shortchange you here, gang ...

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said he probably will know in the next three weeks if he will be offered Clemson’s head-coaching position. Foster, 49, interviewed for the job Friday in Roanoke with Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips.

“I was a nervous wreck going in, and I felt good coming out,“ Foster said. “Whether I feel or good or not doesn’t mean anything. I don’t know anything else. I’m telling you the truth.“

Foster said he hasn’t officially expressed interest in any other head-coaching vacancies. He certainly would listen if Tennessee called, though he probably won’t be a leading candidate. Syracuse’s job opened yesterday, though Foster doesn’t seem attracted to it. “It would be a tough job,“ he said.

Foster, who in 2006 won the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant, has long expressed his desire to become a head coach. He applied for the West Virginia job after last season, when he also turned down an offer to become South Carolina’s defensive coordinator. After the 1999 season, Foster turned down offers to become the head coach at Murray State, his alma mater, and the defensive coordinator at Florida. Since then, Foster has been contacted for head-coaching openings at East Carolina, Indiana, Temple and Virginia. He has applied for jobs at North Carolina State and Illinois.

After he turned down South Carolina last December, Foster received a $50,000 raise. His base salary this season is $350,000, making him Tech’s highest-paid assistant. He has been at Tech since 1987 and has coordinated the Hokies’ defense since 1995. He played at Murray State from 1977-80. Tech head coach Frank Beamer was the defensive coordinator there from 1979-80 and the head coach from 1981-86. He gave Foster his first coaching job, a graduate assistant position at Murray State in 1981. Foster became a full-time assistant in 1983 and came with Beamer to Tech in 1987.

Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden resigned under pressure in October. Wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney was promoted to interim head coach and will be considered for the full-time job. Other coaches who have reportedly interviewed are Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables and former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin.

“I’ve worked hard my adult lifetime for this kind of position,“ Foster said. “So if it happens, great. If not, I’m not going to lose sleep over it.“

Posted by Darryl Slater in • College Sports • Virginia Tech
(0) Comments | Permalink