On defense, nobody does it better than Clemson and Virginia Tech coordinators

It’s fitting that Brent Venables and Bud Foster, two of the best defensive coordinators in the country, met at the Broyles Award Ceremony in 2006 and stayed in touch.

The Broyles Award is given each year to the best assistant coach in college football, and Venables and Foster have been as good as any for more than a decade.

From 2008-2016, five of Foster’s nine units finished in the top 15 nationally in scoring defense, including three in the top 10. Virginia Tech currently ranks No. 6 in scoring defense.

During those same nine years, Venables also produced three top 10 defenses, with the first one being at Oklahoma and the last two at Clemson. This season the Tigers rank No. 3.

“I think their background speaks for itself,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “They’re certainly two of the best, if not the best. I think consistency is what you look for. To be great at something, you’ve got to do it for a long period of time and be very consistent, and Brent is the epitome of that and so is Bud. Two outstanding coaches.”

Foster has been with the Hokies since 1987 and has been running the defense at Virginia Tech since 1995.

Venables began his coaching career as a grad assistant at Kansas State in 1993 and got his first opportunity as a co-defensive coordinator in 1999 with Oklahoma.

He served as the sole defensive coordinator for the Sooners from 2004-11 before taking over Clemson’s defense in 2012.

Along the way, Venables watched Foster’s units play.

“Since coming to the ACC, I’ve followed him and always looked at how they’re playing people and the things that they’re doing. I’m always looking for new ideas,” Venables said. “I think his track record of sustaining success, stopping people, he’s got incredible credibility. Nobody’s done it better, for longer and more consistently than Bud Foster and all of the varieties and styles of play on offense.”

Foster also had plenty of praise for Venables.

“I really don’t know why he is not a head football coach right now,” Foster said. “With his track record and what he’s done at Oklahoma, what he’s done and built at Clemson … I personally think he’s the best defensive guy in the business right now.”

Venables laughed at that notion and added that he still has a ways to go to reach Foster’s level.

“I haven’t had nearly the kind of success he has,” Venables said. “He’s done it longer than anybody. He’s as good as there’s ever been in college football. He set the standard to how to play great football. I have a great admiration for them.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 7:02 PM with the headline "On defense, nobody does it better than Clemson and Virginia Tech coordinators."