Texas A&M had its sights set on Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster in December.
Foster told the Roanoke Times Wednesday that he was having regular conversations with Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin in anticipation of possibly taking the same post with the Aggies.
"The rumors were there, but they were real," Foster said. "... It was probably as close as I’ve ever been to leaving this place."
A&M was looking for a new defensive coordinator after two poor defensive years. The team parted ways with DC Mark Snyder after the final regular-season game of the 2014 season and the search began.
Foster got a new contract at Virginia Tech and stayed with the Hokies. A&M hired John Chavis, who left LSU after the season and is now embroiled in a legal battle with his former employer over his contract.
Foster has been at Virginia Tech for the past 28 seasons. In 2014, Virginia Tech was the only team that defeated eventual national champion Ohio State and the Hokies did it on the road thanks to Foster's defense. However, the Hokies faded from the national consciousness as the season went on and had to beat Virginia in the final game of the season to become bowl-eligible.
He told the Times he was intrigued by A&M's recruiting ability and the offense the Aggies have had under Sumlin. A&M scored 35 points per game in 2014. But the Aggies gave up 28. Contrast that with Virginia Tech's offense in 2014, which scored 24 points per game and was involved in a double-overtime 6-3 barnburner with Wake Forest that ended regulation 0-0.
"My wife, she was ready to go," Foster said. "And there have been other jobs that I’ve had an opportunity to take and she wasn’t ready to go. And some of those jobs, it’s not just about me. It’s about if my wife’s not going to be happy, I’m not going to be happy and things. But we thought long and hard about it."
Ultimately, though, Foster said to the Times he liked the commitment shown by Virginia Tech. The Hokies have been to a bowl in 23-straight seasons, though the team's last major bowl appearance was the 2012 Sugar Bowl.
"I feel like we can win at the highest level here and I liked how proactive [athletic director Whit Babcock] was with me," Foster said. "That made it comforting to know that you felt appreciated and wanted here in the end. Even though it wasn’t going to be the same money, there’s a lot more important things than just money in my eyes. So just like I’ve said, it’s good that it came around that way."
For more Virginia Tech news, visit HokieHaven.com.
- - - - - - -
Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
