Indiana adds former Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente to coaching staff

Tom Allen has added a former Power Five head coach to his staff at Indiana.

Ex-Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente has joined the Hoosiers’ staff as an analyst, a source tells On3.

The news was first reported by Sports Illustrated.

The addition comes a week after Indiana’s firing of offensive coordinator Walt Bell. Bell was fired Oct. 1 and replaced by former Temple head coach Rod Carey, who had been on the Hoosiers’ staff since last year.

Prior to this new role at Indiana, Fuente’s last known coaching job was at Virginia Tech, where he served as the Hokies’ head coach for six seasons until being fired in 2021 following a 5-5 start to the season.

Fuente was just 50-46 his final four years at Virginia Tech after going 10-4 in his first season as head coach in 2016 and then 9-4 in 2017. He was the ACC Coach of the Year in 2016.

Before Virginia Tech, Fuente was the head coach for three seasons at Memphis, where he led a significant turnaround after a 3-9 finish to his first season as the Tigers’ head coach in 2012. Memphis posted a 10-3 mark in 2013, then a 9-3 record in 2014 prior to Fuente being hired by Virginia Tech.

Fuente, a former Oklahoma and Murray State quarterback, was co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at TCU before getting that first head coaching opportunity at Memphis.

Indiana, which is in its seventh season with Allen as its head coach, is off to a 2-3 start to this season, including an 0-2 start in Big Ten play. Prior to a bye this week, the Hoosiers fell 44-17 to Maryland Sept. 30. Indiana has scored 17 points or fewer in each of its first three games against Power Five opponents — a 23-3 loss to Ohio State, a 21-14 loss to Louisville and the loss to Maryland. The Hoosiers were also held to 17 points in regulation during a 29-27 four overtime victory over Akron Sept. 23.

After going a combined 14-7 in 2019 and 2020, including 6-2 in 2020, Indiana is just 8-21 the last three years, including a 2-18 mark against Big Ten competition.