Collegiate Times

Two days after making the first change to its football coaching staff in five years, Virginia Tech seems to be at it again.

Tech head coach Frank Beamer announced Wednesday that former Tech All-American defensive lineman Cornell Brown will become the Hokies’ outside linebackers coach while also assisting with the defensive line.

Longtime assistant Jim Cavanaugh, who was the former outside linebackers and strong safeties coach, will become director of recruiting and high school relations, a newly created administrative position.

"Jim Cavanaugh is the most capable, hard-working recruiter that I know," Beamer said in a press release from the athletic department. "Under his direction, I expect us to be even more successful and efficient as a staff. I think sharing his expertise and knowledge can help us be the very best that we can be."

Cavanaugh joined Beamer’s staff in 1996 and was also recruiting coordinator for the past nine seasons. He has been an integral part on the recruiting trail for the Hokies, and helped land top-talent including Michael Vick, Victor “Macho” Harris, Bryan Randall, Marcus Vick and Xavier Adibi. Additionally, Cavanaugh helped develop several successful NFL prospects, such as Pierson Prioleau, James Anderson, Aaron Rouse and Cody Grimm.

On Monday, Beamer added his son, Shane Beamer, to the staff as Tech’s running backs coach. Longtime assistant Billy Hite was elevated to an administrative role.

"I would like to thank Coach Frank Beamer for the opportunity to coach at Virginia Tech the last 15 years," Cavanaugh said in the release. "I will always be indebted to Billy Hite and Ralph Friedgen for recommending me to Coach Beamer.

"Coach Beamer has asked me to come off the field and the road to become director of recruiting and high school relations. Having coached for 41 years, I do believe I have experience in these areas. I will rely on John Ballein's expertise as an administrator to help me through any new learning situations I encounter."

Brown, who was an All-American with the Hokies in 1995 and 1996, was a six-year NFL veteran who played on the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl championship team in 2000-01.

He spent the past two seasons coaching the defensive line with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.

He began his coaching career in 2005, as an intern with the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe. He then spent the next two years coaching the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFLE in the spring and working as a graduate assistant with the Hokies in the fall.

"I've always said that Cornell was the recruit who got us going because he was an instate recruit that could go anywhere in the country," Beamer said in the release. "He chose Virginia Tech at a time when our record wasn't very successful, and I really felt that a lot of recruits said, 'He chose Virginia Tech, I need to look at it.'”

Brown spends his off-seasons living in Blacksburg, and was recently honored at the ACC’s Legends Banquet in December.

"I've had a lot of great days and great experiences at Virginia Tech, but this is the biggest day and biggest accomplishment to date for me," Brown said in the release. "It's extremely exciting to be able to say I'm a part of this program as a coach and will be able to help carry on the legacy that coach Beamer and this staff have built. It is just a great honor and privilege to say I'm coming home to help build on a great tradition."

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.