ACC Football 2018 Preview: Can anyone stop Clemson?
Coach of the Year – Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
The popular choice here would be to go with Swinney. That’s a fair selection since the Tigers are legitimate national title contenders. However, Fuente has a real chance to win the award because he can lead Virginia Tech to a season that can exceed preseason expectations.
In all honesty, not many prognosticators picked the Hokies to go 9-4 last season. Even more impressively, he managed to guide his program to a 5-3 record in the ACC. There’s a lot of optimism in Blacksburg that Fuente can do even bigger things in his third season at the helm.
That’s a pretty rational thought. It usually takes new coaches a few seasons to really get the type of players they like into the program. Fuente is a very different coach than his predecessor, Frank Beamer. Specifically, he runs a much more dynamic offense. It’s that side of the ball where Virginia Tech might take a giant leap this season.
The Hokies will find out just how good they are in Week 1 when they travel to Tallahassee. Their primetime matchup against the Seminoles on September 3rd may go a long way towards determining who wins the Coastal Division. Don’t be surprised if Fuente takes his squad into Doak Campbell Stadium and emerges with a massive victory for his program. Even if he doesn’t, count on him to guide Virginia Tech to a season where they can credibly contend for an ACC title.