Bud Foster

Robert Eugene "Bud" Foster Jr.[1] (born July 28, 1959) is a retired American college football coach and former player. Following the 2006 season, he received the Frank Broyles Award, which is annually given to the top assistant coach in college football.[2] Foster's 2005 and 2006 Hokie defenses led the nation in total defense. Foster is regarded as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football.[3] On August 1, 2019, Foster announced he was retiring at the end of the 2019 season.[4]

This article is about the American football coach. For the basketball player and coach, see Harold E. Foster.
Bud Foster
Biographical details
Born (1959-07-28) July 28, 1959
Somerset, Kentucky
Playing career
1977–1980Murray State
Position(s)Strong safety, linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1981–1982Murray State (GA)
1983–1985Murray State (OLB)
1986Murray State (LB/ST)
1987Virginia Tech (ILB)
1988–1992Virginia Tech (OLB)
1993Virginia Tech (LB/ST)
1994Virginia Tech (ILB/ST)
1995–2015Virginia Tech (DC/ILB)
2016–2019Virginia Tech (AHC/DC/LB)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
Frank Broyles Award (2006)
AFCA Defensive Coordinator of the Year (2000)

Since taking on his first coaching position at Virginia Tech in 1987, Foster coached over 50 players that were drafted in the NFL including first-round draft picks DeAngelo Hall, Kyle Fuller, Tremaine Edmunds and Terrell Edmunds; Pro Bowlers Hall, Brandon Flowers and Kam Chancellor and Super Bowl champions Chancellor, Roger Brown, Tyronne Drakeford, Cornell Brown, Pierson Prioleau and Kendall Fuller. Foster also coached former All-Americans John Engelberger, Anthony Midget, Corey Moore, Ben Taylor, Ronyell Whitaker, David Pugh, Willie Pile, Darryl Tapp, Jimmy Williams and Xavier Adibi.

Playing career

Foster went to high school in Nokomis, Illinois. A 1981 graduate of Murray State University, Foster played strong safety and outside linebacker for the Murray State Racers from 1977 to 1980.

Coaching career

Murray State

Foster began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Murray State in 1981, Frank Beamer's first season as the head coach. After two years as a graduate assistant, Foster was elevated to a full-time staff position. He coached outside linebackers for three seasons before taking over the inside linebackers as well in 1986. He also served as the Racers' recruiting coordinator and worked with special teams.

Virginia Tech

Foster moved with head coach Beamer to Virginia Tech in 1987 and became the inside linebackers coach. He then coached the outside linebackers for the next five seasons. Foster assumed responsibility for both sets of linebackers prior to the 1993 season and also took over special-teams coaching that year. The following year, he coached the inside linebackers and special teams. Foster assumed the position of co-defensive coordinator in 1995 and took over as the sole defensive coordinator in 1996.

After helping Tech to the national championship game (Sugar Bowl) in 1999, Foster was recognized as the 2000 American Football Coaches Association Defensive Coordinator of the Year.[5] Tech's 1999 defensive unit led Division I-A in scoring defense and ranked third in both total and rushing defense.

Under Foster's coaching, the Hokies' 2001 defense proved to be one of the nation's best, ranking among the top eight teams in Division I-A in six different categories and leading the way in shutouts with four. In 2000, Foster took a defense that returned just three starters and turned it into a unit that led the Big East Conference in rushing defense, placed 16th nationally against the run and tied for third nationally in interceptions.

"Lunch pail defense"
Virginia Tech lunch pail during the 2018 season

Since the 1995 season, a battered metal lunch pail has been the symbol of Virginia Tech's blue-collar mentality on defense. Each week a list of goals is put in the lunch pail and a player is chosen to have the honor of carrying the lunch pail onto the sidelines.[6][7][8] The Lunch Pail Defense Foundation was founded to fund academic scholarships for students from the area near Blacksburg, Virginia.[9]

Statistics

Foster's defenses consistently rank among the top in the nation. Below are Virginia Tech's defensive statistics since 1995.

Season Rushing defense Passing defense Total defense ‡ Scoring defense
  Actual †Ranking (Conf) Actual †Ranking (Conf) Actual †Ranking (Conf) Actual †Ranking (Conf)
1995[10] 77.4 #1 (#1 BE) 208.5 N/A 285.9 #10 (#1 BE) 14.1 #5 (#1 BE)
1996[11] 112.0 #19 (#3 BE) 204.1 N/A 316.1 #24 (#4 BE) 15.3 #9 (#2 BE)
1997[12] 118.9 #30 (#2 BE) 208.0 N/A 326.9 #26 (#2 BE) 16.8 #13 (#2 BE)
1998[13] 102.2 #11 (#1 BE) 182.7 N/A 284.9 #7 (#1 BE) 12.9 #4 (#1 BE)
1999[14] 75.9 #3 (#1 BE) 171.4 #8 (#1 BE) 247.3 #3 (#1 BE) 10.5 #1 (#1 BE)
2000[15] 99.27 #16 (#1 BE) 224.36 #77 (#6 BE) 323.64 #27 (#2 BE) 22.64 #45 (#4 BE)
2001[16] 71.64 #2 (#1 BE) 166.27 #8 (#4 BE) 237.91 #2 (#2 BE) 13.36 #2 (#2 BE)
2002[17] 121.43 #29 (#3 BE) 213.64 #56 (#7 BE) 335.07 #32 (#4 BE) 18.79 #21 (#2 BE)
2003[18] 136.00 #39 (#4 BE) 231.46 #76 (#7 BE) 367.46 #51 (#4 BE) 23.00 #45 (#3 BE)
2004[19] 115.23 #21 (#4 ACC) 152.77 #4 (#2 ACC) 268.00 #4 (#2 ACC) 12.85 #2 (#1 ACC)
2005[20] 93.38 #8 (#2 ACC) 154.23 #3 (#2 ACC) 247.62 #1 (#1 ACC) 12.92 #2 (#1 ACC)
2006[21] 91.23 #11 (#2 ACC) 128.23 #1 (#1 ACC) 219.46 #1 (#1 ACC) 11.00 #1 (#1 ACC)
2007[22] 86.64 #5 (#2 ACC) 210.29 #31 (#4 ACC) 296.93 #4 (#1 ACC) 16.07 #3 (#1 ACC)
2008[23] 104.43 #14 (#2 ACC) 175.00 #16 (#5 ACC) 279.43 #7 (#2 ACC) 16.71 #9 (#1 ACC)
2009[24] 128.38 #40 (#4 ACC) 167.08 #11 (#2 ACC) 295.46 #12 (#2 ACC) 15.62 #9 (#1 ACC)
2010[25] 155.93 #64 (#7 ACC) 205.57 #40 (#5 ACC) 361.50 #52 (#8 ACC) 20.57 #26 (#4 ACC)
2011[26] 104.07 #14 (#2 ACC) 200.57 #31 (#4 ACC) 304.64 #10 (#2 ACC) 17.64 #7 (#2 ACC)
2012[27] 134.08 #29 (#3 ACC) 199.08 #24 (#2 ACC) 333.15 #18 (#2 ACC) 22.85 #32 (#2 ACC)
2013[28] 110.9 #10 (#1 ACC) 172.7 #8 (#2 ACC) 283.6 #4 (#2 ACC) 19.3 #11 (#2 ACC)
2014[29] 144.8 #39 (#7 ACC) 199.0 #25 (#5 ACC) 343.8 #21 (#5 ACC) 20.2 #14 (#2 ACC)
2015[30] 180.7 #75 (#11 ACC) 189.2 #19 (#4 ACC) 369.8 #44 (#9 ACC) 26.3 #59 (#11 ACC)
2016[31] 140.5 #32 (#8 ACC) 200.2 #26 (#3 ACC) 340.7 #18 (#4 ACC) 22.8 #28 (#5 ACC)
2017[32] 119.5 #15 (#2 ACC) 199.8 #33 (#6 ACC) 319.3 #13 (#2 ACC) 14.8 #4 (#2 ACC)
2018[33] 210.3 #106 (#12 ACC) 228.4 #63 (#8 ACC) 438.7 #98 (#11 ACC) 31.0 #85 (#10 ACC)
2019[34] 139.3 #46 (#5 ACC) 224.0 #63 (#5 ACC) 363.3 #42 (#4 ACC) 24.7 #46 (#5 ACC)
All statistics from the NCAA.

† National rankings are among the teams in the football bowl subdivision (formerly called Division I-A), which currently consists of 127 teams.
The Big East Conference had 8 teams. The ACC had 11 teams in 2004, 12 teams from 2005 to 2012, and 14 teams from 2013 to present.

‡ Scoring defense also includes touchdowns allowed by the offense and special teams.

References
  1. "House Joint Resolution No. 233: Commending Robert Eugene Foster, Jr". Virginia's Legislative Information System. February 24, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. "Foster honored as top assistant coach". press release. Virginia Tech Athletic Department. Archived from the original on 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  3. "Bud Foster named Top Defensive Coordinator in College Football".
  4. Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster to Step Down
  5. Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "National Publication Honors Bud Foster", Hokiesports.com. June 1, 2000. Accessed September 30, 2008.
  6. "Sports: Virginia Tech defense carries tradition with its lunch pail". www.sptimes.com.
  7. "Storied traditions: Virginia Tech".
  8. "Schlabach: Hokies find unique ways to honor victims". ESPN.com. August 30, 2007.
  9. "Lunch Pail Defense Scholarship Fund". LPD Scholarship Foundation.
  10. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 1995" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  11. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  12. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 1997" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  13. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 1998" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  14. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 1999" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  15. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2000 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  16. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2001 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  17. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2002 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  18. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2003 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  19. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2004 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  20. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2005 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  21. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2006 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  22. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2007 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  23. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2008 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  24. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2009 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  25. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2010 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  26. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2011 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  27. NCAA. "Virginia Tech 2012 National Ranking Summary". Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  28. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2013". Retrieved 2014-12-22.
  29. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2014". Retrieved 2015-01-24.
  30. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2015". Retrieved 2016-01-07.
  31. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2016". Retrieved 2017-10-03.
  32. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2017". Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  33. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2018". Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  34. NCAA. "NCAA Statistics - Teams - 2019". Retrieved 2020-07-30.
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