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Coaching Highlights

• Respected as one of the nation’s top coaching minds and one of college football’s most decorated defensive coordinators, enters his 31st season at Virginia Tech.
• 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.
• Architect of Tech’s famed “Lunch Pail Defense,” Foster  is the longest continually tenured FBS assistant coach at the same school, holding that position with the Hokies since 1995 (as co-coordinator) and taking over sole possession of that role in 1996.
• Has been a key component in helping the Hokies register the nation’s longest active bowl streak recognized by the NCAA, a 24-year stretch that began in 1993.
• Beginning when he was named co-defensive coordinator in 1995, the Hokies began a stretch where the club 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 eight times and have placed in the top five 40 different times.
• Virginia Tech has finished in the top five in scoring defense on six different occasions under Foster, leading 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 (781.0), sack yardage (-5,377), interceptions (360) and third-down percentage (31.4).  
• Over that same span, only Alabama (16.4 ppg) and Ohio State (16.5 ppg) have been better in scoring than Virginia Tech (17.7).
• Since the start of the 1996 season the Hokies are second among FBS squads in pass defense (188.4 ypg) and takeaways (577), while ranking third in total defense (305.0 ypg) and sixth in rushing defense (116.6 ypg). 
• Thanks to his opportunistic defenses, Virginia Tech owns an unbelievable +119 turnover differential (577 takes/458 gives) dating back to 1996, while 50 different defensive players have scored a total of 78 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 (50.5) of any FBS team, while owning the nation’s highest INT percentage (4.5) and the third-best TD/INT differential (0.77) over that span.
• During that same timeframe, only Florida (105.4) has held opponents to a lower composite passer rating than Virginia Tech (106.3).
• Going back to 1996 NFL Draft, 41 of his defensive pupils have been drafted including nine players picked in the first or second rounds. Six of those nine first or second-round selections have been defensive backs, including a pair of first rounders in CBs Kyle Fuller (D1-14, Chicago) and DeAngelo Hall (D1-08, Atlanta).
• 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.
• Hall has gone on to earn three Pro Bowl berths during his professional 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. 
• Postseason honors have become synomyous 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.
• Originally came to Tech as inside linebackers coach in 1987 before serving as outside linebackers coach from 1988-92. Added special teams duties to his responsibilities in 1993 before becoming co-defensive coordinator in 1995 and taking over sole responsibility for those chores in 1996.
• Began his career as a graduate assistant at Murray State in 1981-82 before assuming a full-time role with the Racers from 1983-86 before 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)

CB Ike Charlton - D2-2000 – Seattle
Seahawks, Jaguars, Giants (2000-03)

S Kam Chancellor - D5-2010 – Seattle
Seahawks (2010-present)
Super Bowl XLVIII champion

DT John Engelberger - D2-2000 – San Francisco
49ers (2000-04); Broncos (2005-08)

CB Antone Exum, Jr. - D6-2014 – Minnesota
Vikings (2014-present)

CB Brandon Flowers - D2-2008 – Kansas City
Chiefs (2008-13); Chargers (2014-present)

CB Kendall Fuller - D3-2016 – Washington
119 tackles, 8 INTs and 3.5 sacks for Hokies

CB Kyle Fuller - D1-2014 – Chicago
Bears (2014-present)

S Torrian Gray - D2-1997 – Minnesota
Vikings (1997-98)

CB DeAngelo Hall - D1-2004 – Atlanta
Falcons (2004-07); Raiders (2008); Redskins (2008-present)

LB Corey Moore - D3-2000 – Buffalo
Bills, Dolphins (2000-01)

DE Darryl Tapp - D2-2006 – Seattle
Seahawks, Eagles, Redskins, Lions (2006-present)

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)