ROANOKE, Va. – Coach Justin Fuente is entering his third season leading the Virginia Tech Hokies, but it feels like just yesterday that he came to Blacksburg. I had the opportunity to sit down with Coach Fuente's wife Jenny and their girls about how they've gotten aquainted to Blacksburg.
"Fantastic, excited to be here. I didn't know they'd be rolling out the red carpet for us but that's really nice," said Justin Fuente.
Nearly three years ago, Blacksburg's new first family touched down in southwest Virginia. Tech fans immediately fell in love with the Fuente family.
"The welcome was great, Hokie fans showing us love, and we were excited to be here and knowing that it was a football school was a pretty neat experience too," said Jenny Fuente.
"Well there are a lot of reasons (we chose Virginia Tech), some had to do with football. Some were personal reasons in terms of getting to live in a town like Blacksburg and raise my girls here," said Coach Fuente.
Entering his third season at the helm of Virginia Tech, Fuente has led the Hokies to two bowl games. Win or lose, the Fuente family -- wife Jenny and daughters Cecilia, Caroline and Charlotte -- are his biggest fans. They too have adapted to southwest Virginia, including embracing the maroon and orange.
"At first I thought, how do you put those together? And then we went to a basketball game when we got here and I thought 'Well everyone in Blacksburg wears it, you're crazy if you're not wearing it, it's in all the stores.' So it just seems OK," said Jenny Fuente.
Success on the field ... check. Dress like a proper Hokie ... check. The Fuentes have certainly become a vital part of the Blacksburg family.