Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock announced Thursday that in recognition of Jeff Veatch's continued long history of generosity and service to his alma mater, the corridor on the main level of the Merryman Center and includes the assistant football coaches offices will now be known as the Veatch Coaches Corridor (contingent upon Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approval). Per Veatch's wishes, this space will be dedicated to longtime defensive coordinator, Bud Foster.
Veatch co-founded Apex Systems, an information technology services company, in 1995 with fellow Tech alums Brian Callaghan and Win Sheridan.
Foster coached at Tech for 33 seasons and helped lead the Hokies to 27 consecutive bowl berths. He was the architect of Tech squads that ranked in the nation's top five in scoring defense on seven different occasions. The winner of the 2006 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach, Foster's defenses pitched 34 shutouts during his career and posted 894.0 sacks from 1996-2019, college football's best total over that span. The Nokomis, Illinois native retired following the 2019 season and currently serves as a special assistant to Babcock in the Tech Athletics department.
"Jeff epitomizes the Virginia Tech spirit of Ut Prosim in so many ways," Babcock said. "We certainly appreciate his long history and sustained financial support of Virginia Tech Athletics. In addition, Virginia Tech's Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has made a profound impact on the lives and career trajectories of many students on our campus. We also appreciate Jeff's service on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors and respect the many decisions he makes to help ensure the future of our university remains strong."
As an active philanthropic investor, Veatch formed the Veatch Charitable Fund which focuses on education, healthcare, and the community. Virginia Tech has been one of many benefactors of Veatch's generosity.
"Anyone who knows me understands the love I have for Virginia Tech, as well as how much I appreciate the many ways that Coach Beamer helped transform our university and our football program," Veatch said. "But I've long believed that Bud Foster played a very critical role in that process, as well. Whether it was his Lunch Pail Defense, his knack for getting the best out of our players, or the way he continues to serve as a fabulous representative of what we hold near and dear as Hokies, you can't write the story of Virginia Tech without Bud. That's why I believe dedicating the Veatch Coaches Corridor in honor of Bud is the perfect way to permanently cement his legacy on our campus and help support a new era of Tech Football under Brent Pry."
Foster's lineage of coaches who served with him in Blacksburg include current Tech head coach, Brent Pry, who worked as a graduate assistant for Foster in 1995-96. Current VT defensive line coach J.C. Price played for Foster in the 1990s and then later returned as a grad assistant for Foster from 2002-03. Pierson Prioleau also played on Foster's defenses in the 1990s and enters his first campaign as Tech's safeties coach in 2021. The illustrious list of players who honed their skills under Foster at Tech included four first-round picks in the NFL Draft: CB DeAngelo Hall (2004), CB Kyle Fuller (2014), LB Tremaine Edmunds (2018) and S Terrell Edmunds (2018).
"I'm deeply honored and appreciative that Jeff and Tech Athletics have sought to honor me in this way," Foster said. "There have so many great players and so many talented coaches that have walked down that hallway, so it means a great deal to have my name associated with the Veatch Coaches Corridor. Jeff is a wonderful friend, but even more importantly, he's a great Hokie. I know how much Virginia Tech means to him and I can't express how grateful I am for everything he's done to support his alma mater and Tech Football."