The administration has been great to me and we just finished up three days of going to the major cities in Virginia and having Hokie club meetings and they're enthusiastic. I really like my players and I like my coaching staff. I've got good people here, I've got good players and not only from a talent standpoint but from a character standpoint. My only concern is that things go so well they realize they didn't need me. I've got a staff that has been around me for a while. I was in the press box for the bowl game but my son (Shane, associate head coach) took over and they did a great job. Q: Before you had throat surgery, was there any consideration to step away from coaching and take care of your health or did it ever come to that point?Ī: I didn't consider it serious enough at the time. I know the fans want it and our players want it. We need to get back to that type of success. We went eight straight years with at least 10 wins a year. There's a sense of urgency to get back to where we were. You want your expectations high and your fans thinking big things. What used to be OK is not OK and that's all right. Now, if we don't go to certain bowls, that's a problem and certainly just a winning season is not a 10-win season. To go to any bowl was a highlight moment. What used to be what we strived for when I was first came here was to go to a bowl and have a winning season. This is such a 'what happens lately' profession. Do you still feel that after so many years as the program's head coach?Īnswer: Any of us are naive to think everything is as solid as it can be. Question: It appeared the underlying theme from ACC media day is that you're under pressure to restore the program to those 10-win seasons. In this Q&A with the Journal and Courier, Beamer discusses the pressures, why he's made special teams a priority, how he dealt with the shooting on Virginia Tech's campus in 2007 and the highly anticipated opener against Ohio State. What was more than good enough when Beamer returned to his alma mater in 1987 is no longer acceptable, even for the winningest active coach in FBS and 22 consecutive bowl appearances. The core values remain – strong defense and exceptional special teams – but Beamer knows he set his own bar for the program with 10-win seasons and major bowl games. The Hokies are just 22-17 the last three years, a dip that has made the fan base uneasy.
Beamer watched from the press box as the Hokies won the Military Bowl.Īlthough Beamer is set to begin his 29th season at Virginia Tech, he's not immune to the pressures. His health is improving after throat surgery in December forced Beamer to turn last year's bowl preparations over to his experienced coaching staff. He's an icon in the sport and an easy selection to the College Football Hall of Fame when it's time to retire.
His contract runs through the 2018 season. This is a one-time event for Purdue fans to see Beamer's program up close. Ross-Ade Stadium has hosted several of the game's legendary coaches, and Beamer is the latest. It still serves its purpose."īeamer brings Virginia Tech to West Lafayette on Sept. "It looks like it's been run over by a truck a couple of times. That's the only way we want to do it," Beamer said. It's a symbol that's very serious around here and says what our program is all about. We take it to practice, we take it to games. The lunch pail tradition started in 1995 when co-defensive coordinators Rod Sharpless and Bud Foster brought it back from New Jersey. From 2004 through 2011, Virginia Tech was an impressive 84-24 and appeared in five BCS bowl games. The mindset is one reason why the Hokies won 10 or more games in eight consecutive seasons, thrusting the program into the national spotlight. Those traits define Beamer, the Hokies and their passionate fan base. Blue-collar approach, no shortcuts, hard work and understanding the ingredients to become successful. This is the symbol of Beamer and his program. As Frank Beamer works to bring Virginia Tech's program back to the standard he established, the 68-year old brought a trusted companion to last week's ACC media days in North Carolina.
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