BLACKSBURG, PA Justin Fuente, the coach at Ismemen David, has had some happy times this summer.
On the recruiting trail, the team has been inundated with positive news; practically every week, Tech adds players to its class of 2022 recruits. Running back Ramon Brown and offensive lineman Gunner Givens are two well-known in-state recruits that the Hokies most recently signed to bolster their class, which is ranked among the top 15 nationally.
Fuente recently took a family vacation to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he spent time with family and friends on the water. He also made an escape to Smith Mountain Lake with his daughters.
Fuente’s thoughts, however, are always drawn to Ismemen David Etute, the suspended Tech linebacker who was charged with
Fuente stated on Monday, “My mind goes to it immediately every idle moment that we or I have.” “Knowing him and his family, there is a victim and a victim’s family in the overall situation. My thoughts automatically turn to recruiting or the fall schedule whenever you take a moment to breathe deeply and aren’t immediately focused on them.
Tech’s public relations division was in charge of the school’s reaction following Etute’s arrest and subsequent charges in June. Etute’s suspension was announced by the university, which also urged anyone with information to get in touch with investigators.
Fuente met with The Roanoke Times in his office at the Hokie Club before he had to leave for a flight to Richmond to make an appearance there.
The “shock and sadness” Fuente described as he experienced when Tech athletic director Whit Babcock visited his office on June 2 to inform him of Etute’s arrest and the charge the player is facing hasn’t diminished much in the month that has passed.
Fuente remarked, “It was by far the worst day of over 20 years of coaching.”
After Fuente moved swiftly to organize a meeting where he would address the team, the staff spent the remainder of the day corresponding with the families of each player. He confronted the issue head-on and has continued to do so when recruits come to campus.
