Bud Foster

Coaching Highlights

COACHING HIGHLIGHTS

• Respected as one of the nation’s top coaching minds and one of college football’s most decorated defensive coordinators, enters his 33rd season at Virginia Tech.

• The architect of Tech’s famed Lunch Pail Defense, Foster  is the longest continually tenured FBS assistant coach at the same school with those 33 years of service, a mark that is seven seasons longer than the next two individuals on that list. 

• Elevated to the post of associate head coach by current Tech head coach Justin Fuente after enjoying a historic 29-season run under Frank Beamer that began in 1987. Interestingly, both Fuente and Foster played at Murray State more than a decade apart. 

• Has held the distinction of serving as Tech’s defensive signal caller since 1995 (as co-coordinator) before taking over sole possession of defensive coordinator duties in 1996.  

• Has been a key component in helping the Hokies register the nation’s longest active bowl streak recognized by the NCAA, a 26-year stretch that began in 1993. 

• Beginning in 1995, the Hokies began a stretch where the program produced 13 seasons with 10 or more victories during a 17-season span. 

• Won the 2006 Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in the country, and was a finalist on three other occasions (1999, 2001, 2005).

• Named the Division I-A Defensive Coordinator of the Year by American Football Coach magazine after helping the Hokies to the 1999 national championship game on the strength of a defense that led the nation in scoring defense at 10.5 ppg. 

• His defenses have led the nation in a major defensive statistical category nine times and have placed in the top five 44 different times. 

• Dating back to the start of the 2000 season, only Alabama (27) has pitched more shutouts than Tech (22). 

• Foster’s 2017 defense led the nation in opponent completion percentage (48.60%), was second on third downs (26.2), fourth in scoring defense (14.8 ppg) and were fifth in first downs allowed (290). 

• Virginia Tech has finished in the top five in scoring defense on seven different occasions under Foster. In addition to ranking fourth in 2017, Tech led the nation in both 1999 and 2006, while ranking second in 2001, 2004 and 2005. The Hokies registered six straight top 10 finishes in scoring defense from 2004-09. 

• The Hokies led the nation in total defense in both 2005 and 2006, while ranking second in 2001. 

• His 2006 defense was arguably one of Virginia Tech’s finest as the Hokies led the nation in scoring defense (11.0 ppg), total defense (219.5 ypg) and pass defense (128.2 ypg). 

• Since Foster took over sole reins as Tech’s defensive coordinator in 1996, the Hokies lead all FBS programs in sacks (856.0), sack yardage (-5,839), interceptions (380) and third-down percentage (31.2).    

• Over that same span, only Alabama (16.3 ppg) and Ohio State (17.0 ppg) have been better in scoring than Virginia Tech (18.1). Tech, Ohio State and Florida State are the only three programs during that time frame to own over 800.0 sacks and over 350 INTs. 

• Since the start of the 1996 season the Hokies are tied for second with Ohio State with 47 INT return TDs. Only Florida (50) owns more over that period. 

• Thanks to his opportunistic defenses, Virginia Tech owns an unbelievable +127 turnover differential (615 takes/492 gives) dating back to 1996, while 53 different defensive players have scored a total of 81 touchdowns. 

• Blacksburg has truly become a no-passing zone under his direction. Since the start of the 1996 campaign, Tech has permitted the lowest completion percentage (50.8) of any FBS team, while owning the second-best INT percentage (4.3) of any Power Five squad and the fourth-best TD/INT differential (0.82) over that span. 

• Only Florida (106.4) and Ohio State (107.7) have held opponents to a lower composite passer rating than VT (108.0) since 1996. 

• Going back to 1996 NFL Draft, 45 of his defensive pupils have been drafted including 11 players picked in the first or second rounds. Seven of those 11 first or second-round selections have been defensive backs, including a trio of first rounders in CBs Kyle Fuller (D1-14, Chicago), DeAngelo Hall (D1-04, Atlanta) and S Terrell Edmunds (D1-18, Pittsburgh).  

• Coached three of the four Fuller brothers?—?Vinnie, Kyle and Kendall?—?part of the only quartet of brothers in NFL history to all be drafted and all attend the same college. 

• Kyle Fuller authored an exceptional campaign in 2018, earning All-Pro honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl after tying for the NFL lead with seven INTs and helping guide Chicago to an NFC North title. Meanwhile, younger brother Kendall was an instrumental part of a Chiefs squad that reached the AFC Championship Game. 

• Coached two of the three Edmunds brothers?—?Tremaine and Terrell?—?the only pair of brothers to both be selected in the first round of the same NFL Draft. 

• Both Edmunds brothers earned starting roles as NFL rookies in 2018. Tremaine led Buffalo with 121 total tackles and become the youngest player in league history to register an interception, while Terrell had one INT and 78 tackles for Pittsburgh. 

• Hall earned three Pro Bowl berths during his pro career, while fifth-round pick Kam Chancellor has earned a Super Bowl ring, appeared in two Super Bowls and been named to four Pro Bowl squads with Seattle.  

• Three of Foster’s players - DT Tim Settle, CB Greg Stroman and CB Adonis Alexander - were drafted by Washington in 2018. 

• Postseason honors have become synonymous with the Hokies’ defense with at least one defensive player earning All-America honors of some form in 18 different seasons.  

• Under Foster, Virginia Tech produced its first Lombardi Award winner and its first Nagurski Trophy winner in Corey Moore. 

• The Hokies have also two BIG EAST defensive players of the year during Foster’s tenure?—?Moore, who earned the honor in both 1998 and 1999, and Cornell Brown, who won it in 1995. Brown would later earn a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens. 

• Began his career as a GA at Murray State (1981-82) before eventually making the move with Beamer to Blacksburg in 1987.

Prominent Pupils 

LB        Xavier Adibi    D4-2008 – Houston
Texans, Vikings, Titans (2008-12)
LB        James Anderson          D3-2006 – Carolina
Panthers, Patriots, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Titans, Saints (2006-15)     
S          Cory Bird         D3-2001 – Indianapolis
Colts (2001-04)
CB        Ike Charlton    D2-2000 – Seattle
Seahawks, Jaguars, Giants (2000-03)
S          Chuck Clark     D6-2017 – Baltimore
Played in 15 games for Ravens as a rookie in 2017.
S          Kam Chancellor           D5-2010 – Seattle
Seahawks (2010-present); Super Bowl XLVIII champion
S          Terrell Edmunds         D1-2018 – Pittsburgh
Selected 28th overall in 2018 NFL Draft.
LB        Tremaine Edmunds    D1-2018 – Buffalo
Selected 16th overall in 2018 NFL Draft.
DT       John Engelberger       D2-2000 – San Francisco
49ers (2000-04); Broncos (2005-08)
CB        Antone Exum, Jr.        D6-2014 – Minnesota
Vikings (2014-17); 49ers (2017)         
CB        Brandon Flowers        D2-2008 – Kansas City
Chiefs (2008-13); Chargers (2014-16)           
CB        Kendall Fuller D3-2016 – Washington
Traded to KC after playing in 29 games for Redskins
CB        Kyle Fuller       D1-2014 – Chicago
Bears (2014-present); Signed new contract in 2018.
S          Vincent Fuller D4-2005 – Tennessee
Titans (2005-10); Lions (2011)
S          Torrian Gray   D2-1997 – Minnesota
Vikings (1997-98)
LB        Cody Grimm   D7-2010 – Tampa Bay
Buccaneers (2010-12)
CB        DeAngelo Hall D1-2004 – Atlanta
Falcons (2004-07); Raiders (2008); Redskins (2008-17)
CB        Jayron Hosley D3-2012 – N.Y. Giants
Giants (2012-15)
LB        Corey Moore  D3-2000 – Buffalo
Bills, Dolphins (2000-01)
DT        Tim Settle       D5-2018 – Washington
Four sacks in two seasons at Tech
S          Nick Sorensen FA-2001 – St. Louis
Rams (2001-02: Jaguars (2003-06); Browns (2007-10)    
CB        Greg Stroman D7-2018 – Washington
Nine career INTs, four punt return TDs at Tech
DE       Darryl Tapp     D2-2006 – Seattle 
Seahawks, Eagles, Redskins, Lions, Saints (2006-17)
LB        Ben Taylor      D4-2002 – Cleveland
Browns, Packers (2002-06)
DB       Jimmy Williams          D2-2006 – Atlanta
Falcons (2006-07)
LB        Jason Worilds D2-2010 – Pittsburgh
Steelers (2010-14)