The Virginia Tech Coaching Files: Fontel Mines

Hold on, Hokies — spring football will be here before you know it.

Before practices begin, I'm introducing (or re-introducing) Virginia Tech's 2026 coaching staff. Each part of The Virginia Tech Coaching Files highlights one coach, delving into their background and what they bring to the table. Thus far, I've highlighted quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien and running backs coach Norval McKenzie.

This week's coach is a familiar face — wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator Fontel Mines.

Mines' Background

Age: 40 | Hometown: Richmond, VA

Before he was a Hoo, Mines starred at Hermitage High School in the Commonwealth's capital city. Mines ended his high school career as a first-team AAA All-State selection, enrolling at Virginia the following summer.

Mines played in 42 games at Virginia, catching 68 passes for 737 yards and five touchdowns over the course of his career. Mines was part of the 2003 team that knocked off Virginia Tech, kicking off a 15-game winning streak for Virginia Tech in the series.

After college, Mines went undrafted before signing to the Chicago Bears' practice squad. He remained there until the beginning of the 2009 season, when he was placed on injured reserve. Mines was released the following spring.

Coaching Experience

Mines' coaching career began in 2011 at Division II Chowan University, where Mines led the wide receivers room. Mines moved up to Division I the following year and coached in his hometown.

After grinding in FCS for several years, Mines finally received an FBS opportunity when Mike Houston brought him from Harrisonburg to Greenville. Mines was poached by Ricky Rahne after the 2020 season, as Rahne continued to rebuild his program after the Monarchs canceled their 2020 season.

Mines quickly garnered attention as a capable recruiter and was tapped by Brent Pry, Rahne's friend and former co-worker from Penn State, to join the Hokies. Mines received significant interest from James Franklin at Penn State after the 2023 season, but ultimately decided to stay in Blacksburg with a raise and better job title.

In 2015, Mines was selected for the Washington Redskins' minority internship.

What Does Mines Bring to the Table?

First and foremost, Mines is a familiar face that understands Virginia Tech and the surrounding areas. He also has significant ties to James Franklin's staff.

• James Franklin — Franklin attempted to hire Mines after the 2023 season.
• Brent Pry — Mines coached under Pry for the entirety of Pry's tenure as head coach. Pry made Mines the Assistant Head Coach before the 2024 season.
• Matt Moore — Moore and Mines coached together last season.
• Vic Hall — While both are UVA graduates, Mines finished his career the season before Hall arrived on campus. The two undoubtedly met during Hall's recruitment.
• Danny Rocco — Upon taking over at Richmond, Rocco hired Mines to his staff. Mines coached under Rocco for four seasons before moving to Delaware.
• David Rocco — Danny's son coached alongside Mines as an assistant at Richmond.
• Derrick Tangelo — Mines was on the Delaware coaching staff that recruited Tangelo before the latter signed with Duke.

Mines' prior connections with this staff, as well as his experience recruiting the eastern half of the Commonwealth, should make this transition pretty smooth.

In fact, Mines' recruiting is likely what led to Franklin retaining him. Mines led Virginia Tech's recruiting efforts in the 757 (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Hampton, etc.), rebuilding an initiative that had fallen far behind under Justin Fuente and Zohn Burden. After a couple of less fruitful recruiting cycles, Mines began consistently pulling low-level four-star prospects from the Tidewater region. Keylen Adams, Shamarius Peterkin, and Chanz Wiggins are just a couple of examples.

Mines also recruited Ayden Greene, Virginia Tech's top receiver in 2025 and a likely starter in 2026.

While Mines has proven to be an asset on the recruiting trail, his coaching abilities aren't quite as clear. The aforementioned Adams and Wiggins have yet to make a significant impact in two seasons, and neither has a clean route to regular playing time in 2026. Peterkin flashed on occasion as a freshman, but could also find himself on the outside looking in.

How much of that can be laid at the feet of Mines? It's no secret that Virginia Tech's passing attack has been anemic for quite some time. The Hokies haven't finished a season with a top-50 passing offense since 2018 — well before Mines' arrival in Blacksburg. Tech hasn't had the quarterback position figured out since the early days of Fuente, and the Hokies' offensive line has lagged in pass protection for just as long.

Receivers play a critical role in the pass game, but so does the rest of the offense. When two of those three units are letting the team down, it's hard to evaluate the third fairly.

Is Mines a Good Hire?

Franklin has coveted Mines for a long time, so it came as no surprise when Franklin retained him this winter. Keeping Mines helps Virginia Tech build upon the progress made in recruiting in the 757 and maintain some level of continuity between the previous regime and the new one. Mines seems well-liked by players and staff alike, and he's earned the opportunity to coach in an offense with a competent play caller and quarterback.

As I've written previously, I hoped that James Franklin, a notorious recruiter, would surround himself with coaches experienced in developing talent. Franklin can attract talent, and his coaches should be able to coach them up.

Can Mines do both? That remains to be seen, but he deserves a chance to work with a better coaching staff and better talent, two things Virginia Tech fans expect to see in 2026.