After turning the Memphis program from the bottom of the FBS ranks, to a conference contender capable of double-digit wins, Justin Fuente was offered the opportunity to talk to a number of programs the past several years.
Waiting for the right opportunity, Fuente says that he turned down each of those opportunities.
Then Virginia Tech opened up with the retirement of Frank Beamer, and one of those rare opportunities came along Fuente that Fuente was forced to consider.
"I turned down 12 other opportunities, you know what I mean?" Fuente told Local Memphis 24.
"Every other one that called, in all honesty, I turned down every other - not that they didn't offer the job - but every other opportunity to talk".
Fuente went on to note that the results at Memphis were a "reaffirmation of what we do, and the way we do things works. The first two years we had to take our rewards in a different manner. We had to measure success in a different way. The last two years we've been able to measure it in one way, and one way only: Did we win or not?"
Head here to listen to his whole interview with the local station.