Virginia Tech next football coach odds: Jamey Chadwell, Billy Napier, Mike Elko, Dave Clawson favorites to replace fired Justin Fuente

A sixth Power 5 head coaching job in college football has come open as Virginia Tech fired Justin Fuente on Tuesday with the Hokies at 5-5 this year and 43-31 in Fuente's six seasons in Blacksburg. Tech is the lone ACC school with a current opening but joins Washington, Washington State, TCU, USC and LSU as Power 5 availabilities – and there are going to be more. Perhaps that's why Virginia Tech did this now instead of waiting. SportsLine offers odds on the next full-time head coach at the school.

How much did Virginia Tech want to get a head start in looking for Fuente's replacement? Had it waited until Dec. 15, Fuente's buyout would have been $7.5 million. Instead, Tech will owe an $8.75 million buyout to Fuente after it was negotiated down from $10 million. Defensive line coach J.C. Price will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, but he's not a candidate for the full-time job.

The Hokies were 10-4 in Fuente's first season in 2016 after coming over from Memphis and reached the ACC title game, but it really never came close to being that good again as Fuente struggled to develop quarterbacks and several left via transfer. Tech opened this year with an upset of then-No. 10 North Carolina but that was fool's gold in retrospect. The Hokies haven't beaten a quality team in 2021, although they did just stomp Duke on Saturday in the home finale.

If we are ranking current Power 5 openings and their "allure," Virginia Tech is probably fifth and ahead of only Washington State. It's quite possible that more attractive jobs at the likes of Florida and Miami (Fla.) also open soon. That said, Tech is a very good job in a football-focused athletic program and in a very winnable ACC Coastal Division.

The first call from Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock might be to South Carolina first-year coach Shane Beamer, son of legendary Hokies coach Frank Beamer and a former player at Tech. However, Shane Beamer also has plenty of ties to South Carolina and it seems highly unlikely he would leave after one season much less downgrade conferences (although obviously easier to win in the ACC).

Virginia Tech would be a step up for Sonny Dykes at SMU, but he's a Texas guy through and through and if he leaves SMU, it most likely would be for TCU.

The betting favorite is Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell as he obviously has ties to the region, spending most of his career two states down the East Coast in South Carolina with the Chants and Division II North Greenville and FCS Charleston Southern before that. The lone drawback is that Chadwell has never coached a Power 5 program.

Louisiana's Billy Napier began his coaching career not far away from Tech at South Carolina State and served as a Clemson assistant from 2006-2010. Napier could be a fallback option at LSU if the Tigers can't land a Big Fish like Jimbo Fisher.

Speaking of Fisher, Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. He has ACC ties from his days as a defensive coordinator at Wake Forest. Deacons coach Dave Clawson is a possibility if he's willing to simply switch ACC divisions. He knows the state of Virginia from his days as Richmond's head coach from 2004-2007. Elko coached under Clawson at Richmond in addition to at Wake.

Joe Moorhead's head coaching stint at Mississippi State didn't work out, but he's a Broyles Award candidate (nation's top assistant coach) as offensive coordinator at Oregon. Moorhead has been mentioned at Washington but is from the East Coast. 

Just about anytime a Power 5 job opens, both Clemson coordinators – OC Tony Elliott and DC Brent Venables – are mentioned, although neither has shown an inclination to leave. Elliott's stock is probably a bit down now with Clemson's offensive struggles.

Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien may have just a one-year stay in Tuscaloosa. Some Power 5 program is going to give Hugh Freeze another shot sooner or later with his success at Liberty. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman like Elko is a rising star but is only 35. Former TCU coach Gary Patterson is available ... but also 61. 

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Who is the next full-time Virginia Tech football coach?

• Jamey Chadwell +400
• Billy Napier +500
• Mike Elko +600
• Dave Clawson +700
• Brent Venables/Tony Elliott +800
• Joe Moorhead +1000
• Bill O'Brien +1200
• Sonny Dykes +1300
• Hugh Freeze +1500
• Shane Beamer +1800
• Gary Patterson +2000
• Marcus Freeman +2000

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