Assistant coaches are accustomed to anonymity. Some of them even prefer it. Let the head coach stand in front of the cameras. Let him serve as an online dartboard. But until Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster announced this summer that the 2019 season would be his last, it never dawned on me how American sports willfully refuses to honor the skills and contributions of men and women who are worthy of recognition.
In the 68 years since the College Football Hall of Fame first recognized the best players and coaches in the sport, not one single coordinator, not one line coach, not one assistant coach at any position, in any conference, in any era, has completed a career deemed worthy of election.