The College Football Playoff has named former Virginia Tech and Memphis head coach Justin Fuente its senior adviser for football, a new role created to bring a coach's perspective to the policies and procedures of the CFP.
Fuente, who will report directly to CFP executive director Rich Clark, will be responsible for providing guidance on operational matters, including consulting with the FBS conference offices, the NCAA and its national coordinator of football officiating, and the CFP's chief medical officer. Fuente will also work with the CFP staff on the implementation of playoff policies and best practices related to game operations, officiating, technology and other policy considerations.
"We are excited to have Justin joining the CFP," Clark said. "He is well respected among his peers in college football, has an impressive knowledge of the game and understands the perspective of coaches and players. He will be a great fit for our team."
Fuente told ESPN the conversations with Clark and his executive team began about a month ago, and the idea initially intrigued him because he wanted to find a way to get more involved in the game without returning to coaching.
Since leaving Virginia Tech, Fuente settled in the Dallas area and focused on spending time with his wife and three daughters. He will be able to commute to the CFP offices in Dallas for meetings. He began this season on the TCU radio broadcast team but will leave that job later this month to focus full-time on his new CFP role.
"I really felt like it was a chance for me to be around the game, but still be involved in the things that are going on in my home without having to live the lifestyle of a coach," Fuente said. "I've been on a team since I was 6 years old, and aside from my family the last couple of years, I haven't been a part of a group or a team with a mission, and I missed that."
As for whether he would want to get back into coaching, Fuente said, "I would never say never. I just don't want to live that life right now."
Fuente comes to the CFP after a 21-year coaching career at the collegiate level, serving most recently as the head coach at Virginia Tech (2016-21) and Memphis (2012-15). His 2014 Memphis Tigers won a share of the American Conference championship, and Fuente earned conference coach of the year honors in both 2014 (American) and 2016 (ACC).
Prior to his head coaching stops at Virginia Tech and Memphis, Fuente spent 11 seasons in a variety of offensive assistant coaching roles at Illinois State (2001-06) and TCU (2007-11). A standout high school quarterback at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Fuente attended Oklahoma before transferring to Murray State. After graduation, he played for the Oklahoma Wranglers of the Arena Football League in 2000 and 2001 before transitioning into coaching.
ESPN senior writer Andrea Adelson contributed to this report.