Virginia Tech football: 5 top replacements for Justin Fuente in Blacksburg

3. Charles Huff, Marshall

Charles Huff spent the previous two seasons as an assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide. College football fans saw just how well the Crimson Tide running backs did in those two years, especially the performance of Najee Harris in their National Championship-winning campaign in 2020.

Huff took on the Marshall head coaching job this season, his first as head coach. He currently holds a 4-3 record as of this writing.

2. Hugh Freeze, Liberty

After his stint as head coach of Ole Miss came to an end after five years, Hugh Freeze immediately pivoted to being the sideline boss for the Liberty Flames in 2019. The success has been there thus far.

In 2019, Liberty went 8-5 on the year, culminating in a 23-16 Cure Bowl win over Georgia Southern. Last year, Freeze coached the Flames to a 10-1 record and their second-consecutive Cure Bowl victory, this time at the expense of Coastal Carolina. This year, Freeze has Liberty sitting at a 5-1 record as of this writing.

The Liberty football program has been in the NCAA for four years, and Freeze had led them to early success in three of them. That could very well net him another job if he so chooses.

1. Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina

It should come as no shock that Jamey Chadwell would make the candidates list. What he has done with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers has been downright impressive.

Chadwell took over as head coach to start the 2019 season, where the Chanticleers finished with a 5-7 record. This past year, Coastal Carolina went 11-1 on the season, with their only loss coming in the Cure Bowl against 37-34 to Liberty. In 2021, Coastal Carolina is 6-0.

Considering what Chadwell has done, imagine what he can do with Virginia Tech?

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