By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster announced his plan to retire at the conclusion of this season, and he really hasn't spent much time thinking about it since that early August announcement.
He'll be reminded of his pending retirement Saturday when the Virginia Tech Athletics Department honors him before the Hokies take on Wake Forest. There are several things planned, though the administrations wants to keep things under the vest.
Foster, however, views Saturday as just another gameday.
"I haven't thought about it a whole lot," Foster said of retirement at a news conference Tuesday morning. "They asked me to say a couple things, and it kind of hit. Saying some things to a camera that I guess might be put in public, who knows? This game is about the players."
2019 VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL TICKETS
(The Virginia Tech Athletics Department has individual football game tickets on sale. Fans interested in purchasing a ticket to any of the Hokies' final two home games may do so by clicking here.)
Foster came to Tech with then-head coach Frank Beamer in 1987 after first playing for Beamer at Murray State and then joining his coaching staff. This season marks his 33rd as an assistant coach at Tech, including the past 23 as the Hokies' defensive coordinator.
Foster's defenses have finished in the top 10 in total defense a whopping 11 times during his tenure as the coordinator. Twenty-one of his players earned All-America honors during their careers. Forty-five of his players have been drafted by NFL teams since 1996. Eleven of those went in the first or second round. He won the Broyles Award as the best assistant in college football in 2006 and was a finalist on numerous other occasions.
All those accomplishments, and more importantly, his impact on Tech's student-athletes, are the reasons why the athletics department wanted to celebrate his era.
"I've been very fortunate and blessed to be at one place as long as I've been," Foster said. "In this profession, you wear a lot of different hats. I'm seen as a coach, but I'd like to think former players and players now see me as more than that. Hopefully, I've helped them grow and develop on the field, but most importantly off the field.
"The game has never been about me – it's been about the players. I've been a facilitator, a helper, a mentor to help these guys achieve success. That's what I'm most proud of and the relationships it has created. I want this game to recognize the longevity and consistency we've played with around here and the culture we've built. I have not taken one snap. I've played a lot of snaps emotionally with these players, every one defensively, but I've never played one physically. This thing is a celebration of me, but it's a celebration of every player I've coached."
Here are a few more notes from Tuesday's news conference:
CONNER HOPING TO BE READY SATURDAY
Tech nickel/whip linebacker Chamarri Conner missed much of the Notre Dame game with a hamstring problem, which resulted in Foster playing Khalil Ladler extensive reps. Ladler finished with five solo tackles and played solidly on the back end. Foster hopes to get Conner back for an already banged up secondary.
"He just didn't feel like he could turn it loose completely, and that is unfortunate," Foster said of Conner. "Khalil Ladler came in and played a good football game. Hopefully, Chamarri will be back because he can do some things coverage-wise from a speed standpoint that is a plus for us. [Khalil] Ladler can do some certain things, but there are certain coverages that you might want to play and have the freedom to play a little bit more. He just didn't feel like he could turn it loose. I don't know if it was the cold weather, but he's working really hard to get back to full speed to play like we need him to. He did some things today. We're just kind of limiting what we want him to do and not put him at risk. Getting him better every day and hopefully he'll be ready for Saturday."
ASHBY HAVING GREAT SEASON
Tech linebacker Rayshard Ashby was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week for the fourth time this season after a 13-tackle performance against Notre Dame. Three of his tackles were for a loss, and he leads the ACC with 10.5 tackles per game.
Overall, Ashby leads the Hokies with 85 tackles – a number that ranks third in the ACC.
"He's just a phenomenal football player," Foster said. "I love what he's about. He's never been on any list. He comes to work every day, he's great in the classroom, [and] he competes in the weight room. He's out there making every call. I don't care what it is. He calls the formation, the backfield. He's so alert and into it, just a complete guy.
"He is getting recognized for his body of work. That's how he approaches every day. That is something he's earned and deserved for his work and preparation. I'm excited for him. He is rubbing off on some other guys. I've got a good room defensively, specifically at linebacker, and he's the leader of that group."
