Bunting's three solutions sat to his left on Saturday, crowded behind a single table at the press room in the Smith Center.
Bunting formally introduced new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Gary Tranquill, defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta and strength coach Jeff Connors on Saturday prior to the men's basketball game against Marquette.
The three men displayed through their appearance and demeanor the type of no-nonsense approach that makes them a perfect fit for Bunting. No ties. No frills. Just stern looks and piercing determination.
"I wanted someone to smack me right in the face and say 'I'm your guy,'" said Bunting, who coached for five years at Division III Rowan College.
"That's what Tranquill did. That's what Tenuta did, and that's what Connors did."
The press conference made the hiring of Tranquill official and gave reporters the first chance to speak with Connors and Tenuta. Tranquill, who has 38 years of college and professional coaching experience, had been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Virginia for the last two seasons.
Tranquill considered following Cavaliers coach George Welsh into retirement, but he joked that he wasn't smart enough to do anything else.
"I'm not sure I can get this football out of my blood," Tranquill said. "There's still that excitement, there's still the butterflies in the belly."
Bunting had previously said he wanted to abandon four-wideout sets, but Tranquill acknowledged that he likes to use such formations. While they may differ on offensive philosophies, Bunting thought Tranquill was the right choice because he could take care of two big concerns: protecting quarterback Ronald Curry and making him comfortable in his third offense in four years.