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Regarding recent sentiments held by many students around campus about our current coaching staff and whether we should “clean house,” I support the stance that this is a horrible idea.
However sensible it may sound to get rid of head coach Frank Beamer and replace him with a new coach and staff who don’t call stupid plays and not give certain players time on the field, the continuity Virginia Tech has held for the past 25 years would all wash down the drain. If you ask me, continuity is a good thing; currently Beamer is the winningest active coach in college football.
Beamer’s tenure here at Tech has overall been a good one, with benefits seen by Tech both on and off the field. Since Beamer has been here, we have seen Tech’s academic rankings skyrocket largely in part of the football team’s success.
Not only has Tech seen upward trends in the college rankings, the New River Valley has become one of the fastest growing regions in Virginia, with not only the growth of Tech, but Blacksburg and the surrounding region, with the football program’s success as an indirect result.
A crucial part of Tech’s reputation nationwide is the football program, which we cannot afford to compromise by taking a measure as drastic as firing Beamer and all his staff. This would leave us in shambles for a few seasons, in attempts to “rebuild” an already above-average program. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
One thing that has really aggravated me with this talk around Blacksburg to let go of Beamer is our reasoning behind doing so. Tech has had nothing but a tradition of integrity and honesty in a college football program. These are traits that are often hard to come by; and we are ready to fire our beloved head coach after a few rough seasons. On the other side of the spectrum, Joe Paterno covered up child abuse at Penn State because he prioritized the reputation of a storied football program over the welfare of at-risk youths.
What this says to me is that we need to prioritize, and take a step back and look at what we are really saying here, that we want to fire one of the most well-revered, honest football coaches in the NCAA over a few seasons when we didn’t do as well as we wanted?
That is what I call lazy fans, those who only want to pull for a team when they are doing well, and not be there through thick and thin like the Hokie Nation is said to epitomize. “Strong Together”, not “Strong Sometimes” or “Strong only when we’re winning.”
The contempt and vitriol that seeps in to our opinions on players sickens me. The attitude and shortsightedness we have with our program and its administration should not reflect on the players who are playing their hardest on the field. Many “fans” on websites make remarks about how “bad” our players are, when oftentimes a few dumb decisions made by the staff are to blame.
As a community of what I would like to assume as rational, educated individuals here at Tech, let’s not be rash and act on our emotions only to do something we would regret later in the future, because I can guarantee you almost any program would take a great coach like Frank Beamer.
A version of this article appeared in the Oct 26 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Nobody wants to throw Beamer under the bus after everything he's done, but when he shows no concern for accountability among his coaching staff, even after years of mediocrity on offense, it's not a rash decision to hold him accountable for mismanagement. Much like we should judge Michael Vick on his entire body of work, not just the negatives, Beamer must be judged on his whole career, not just the positives. His loyalty to Stinespring, Newsome, and O'Cain is holding the program back and tarnishing his legacy.
Think about this: players on the offensive side of the ball have not been given a fair chance to demonstrate their talents under our current system. Is that fair to them? Potential future recruits are sure to start taking notice, diminishing VT's ability to serve as a proving ground for local athletes to showcase their abilities. Is that the legacy Beamer wants to leave behind? Better to burn out than fade away.
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I don't think anyone truly advocates firing Beamer as the solution. Generally, people that bring this up do so as a last resort to the resistance to change the offensive staff. It is WELL past time for a change on that side of it. Much like how Bowden remained too loyal to his family and staff during poor performance, the same thing appears to be happening at VT. In reality, the change is not needed at the head coach position. But if the head coach is actively denying or resisting the changes that are needed for the program, then one has to consider it.
I think we all will be forever grateful to Beamer for what he built here at VT. But at the same time, nobody wants to see all that torn down because of sheer stubbornness to embrace change.
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I agree with the comment above me. Beamer isnt the sole reason, people bring firing beamer up because he will NOT fire Stinespring or Mike Ocain, which is ridiculous.
Also I think in your argument you made a ridiculous comparison to the Joe Paterno.......The whole Paterno situation is absoultely NO reason why VT should keep Beamer, its absolutely ludicrous that you even hinted at that. Just because Beamer isn't covering up sexual abuse doesnt mean he should be free from ever being fired....get real
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I don't see one logical defense for beamer in your argument.....
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do you even watch the games? if you want to defend the coaching staff then tell me why..not just that their not covering up sexual abuse alligations
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To Mr. Whimbish,
While I respect your perspective on what Coach Beamer has done for VT and its program, I also think its also arrogant of you to criticize the "fans" who are critical of the job Beamer has been doing of late. For those who have followed VT football for many, many years, what some of us fans are saying is that we're tired of seeing the same results year in and year out without any progress (i.e., win the ACC but lose in the big games). The team has become stagnant and predictable and this year's record shows that. What we're saying is that we just want Beamer to own up to his coaching staff and if needed but make changes that will allow VT football to be an elite program.
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Let me lay down a few talking points. Beamer coaches the special teams and they have been sub-par for years. Beamer recruits less than any other BCS coach and also allowed Billy Hite to be on the staff for over over 7 years with no recruiting responsibilities. Beamer's model for improving the offense is to have his offensive staff learn and implement new offenses, for which they have no expertise, you will find that no where else in the BCS. The only way we will ever see changes in our offensive staff is if Beamer is forced to do so. Beamer's game management including clock management, penalty decisions, and fourth down decisions (aided by Billy Hite) have been suspect for at least the last 5 years.
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Wow.
How many more sniveling 20-year-old sofa coaches will question Coach Beamer's decisions?
VT was a basketball school with only 6 bowl appearances when Coach Beamer took over the program.
No long-term perspective and little understanding of what it takes to recruit and coach in today's highly competitive markets. But let's fire Beamer and hire a Dooley or a Shannon. Yeah, that always works out well, doesn't it UT/UM?
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Well I am a long time donor, not a 20 something monday morning QB.....I have pulled my donations and canceled my season tix after last yrs Clemson and Michigan debacle. Frank has let his loyalties get in the way of the goal of this football team....Which is a national title....Not a ACC title....not 10 win seasons.....Frank can sugar coat it all he wants, but more donors like myself feel this way....If this keeps up, Mr Weaver is going to start feeling this in the pocket book.
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So why don't we allow Beamer to keep a position within the football program, get rid of the Stinesprings, O'Cains, etc., and allow Bud or Shane to take the team over? As head coach, the responsibility falls on Beamer, and he has failed in recent years to get this team fired up, pumped, and ready for each game. You have to change things around now and then. Let Beamer take over football operations or something of the sort, and allow a young guy like Shane or a younger and very experienced guy like Bud to take over, get rid of Stinespring and O'Cain. Sometimes you just have to switch things up, fellas.
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As a long time donor and season ticket holder who has followed the team all over the country despite their record and habit of losing big games, I am no "sniveling sofa coach".
- To defend Coach Beamer by saying he's not covering up child abuse is ridiculous. The parallels that have been drawn between Coach Beamer, Bobby Bowden, and Joe Paterno have absolutely NOTHING to do with character and everything to do with the end of their careers and the steady decline in the teams performance.
- FSU replaced Bobby Bowden with Jimbo Fischer, and after a couple rebuilding years they are on the way to re-establishing their football teams reputation. VT could do the same.
As many others have said, no one immediately comes out and says FIRE BEAMER. Fans, for years, have wanted to see a change in the offensive coaching staff, and if Beamer won't make that change then bring in someone who WILL. It's time for that change. Coach Beamer continues to say each year he wants to compete for a National Championship, but he won't make the necessary changes to achieve that goal. I don't need to see a NC trophy to be happy, but I would like to see an effort made to at least be able to compete for it.
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"On the other side of the spectrum, Joe Paterno covered up child abuse at Penn State because he prioritized the reputation of a storied football program over the welfare of at-risk youths."
What does this have to do with the coaching staff at Virginia Tech and how does this relate to firing Frank Beamer? This is a horrible OpEd piece and whoever allowed this to go to print should be fired. I would not recommend putting this in your portfolio. Do some research, find some facts to back up your opinion, and then re-write this and you may have more credibility.
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In the last 5 years who has Va Tech beat outside the ACC of any significance? It's time for Beamer to retire he is satisfied playing Emory and Henry to get his 10 wins and we look like idiots everytime were in the spotlight as we will Thursday night! Beamer has a good ol boy coaching staff where as long as you continue to breathe you have a job! Just because Beamer put Va Tech football on the map doesn't mean you let him run it back into the ground STOP drinking the Kool Aid people we need a coach that will coach like his hairs on fire and make the players play like every game is their last its time to stop settling for mediocrity!
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Miami was the WORST defense in the ACC. Beamer has to take responsibility for under-preparing his team over the last 10 years. While I understand feelings of gratitude towards Coach Beamer, we have at least 10 years of data that show mediocrity. At best, VT has hoped to maintain stats that don't mean anything in the context of a program seeking to build, not maintain. That spot in Vick hall that is reserved for a national championship is a joke if the administration is happy with this 10 year trend (not "a couple of bad seasons"). The media acknowledge our disconnects ("this isn't Virginia Tech football!") every televised game. Any fan choosing to ignore what the rest of the college football world has known is choosing loyalty over reality.....like Jim Weaver.
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Quite simply.... this is a results-driven sport, and Frank Beamer has had 25 years to win a championship. The best he has ever done is runner-up in the Sugar Bowl. He has had incredible talent and support to take this Hokie team to the level at which it deserves to be and he has not done so. He should have known better that to sign on for another six years. He has taken Tech as far as he can. It is time for someone new.
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Firing Beamer may not be the solution, but his retirment would not be unwelcomed by many alumni who have witnessed Tech being outcoached repeatedly, although we had teriffic talent on the field. While he is credited for many great seasons over 25+ years, his loyalty to Steinspring is vexing to many people. He either needs to shake up his staff or retire and let Bud Foster take over. Beamer's playbook is stale and everyone we play knows it. We are ultraconservative in the redzone and our percentage of goals in that area has been steadily in decline or 4 years. Our special teams need more than a shot in the arm.
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I look at Va Tech football like a start up company. You build a good team, good products, start winning and then you IPO. At some point the success of your company outgrows the leadership team and you need to go out and find a team who has the experience and the vision to take you to the next level. I have always though of Beamer as being a good coach, a very good one I might add but not a great coach. Outside of the BCS championship final when Vick was hear VA Tech has barely managed to juuuust squeeze by and make it to what I call second tier bowl. Question is: do we want Va Tech to continue to be a second tier team content with second tier bowls or do we want to take the program to the next level and find a staff who is able to take us there? My suggestion is that we go find someone like Spurier and the likes that can give Va Tech a national championship it deserves.
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Watching the bc game... Anyone want to defend beamer now? He is an underperforming ceo. Underperforming ceo's get replaced.
We are a very bad football team.
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As long as Beamer and his guys are coaching at Tech, we will never fill that empty trophy case. Maybe firing Beamer is not the 100% right answer.... but with Frank as the HC - his staff will remain the same because he won't make the key changes. Keep him with the Athletic Department as an ambassador type role and bring some new blood or else expect to keep making excuses as to why the Hokies cannot take that next step to ACTUALLY be one of college footballs elite programs.
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the upward trends of tech's academic ranking is due to the football program and, in large part, frank beamer? This is the most insane comment I have ever heard. It is the insult to the entire research, teaching, administrative staff and the students/alumni. It is them who proved the university deserves the ranking/academic reputation, if not better, by great performance and achievement in their daily study, research, work and the support on a national and global stage. Not the football program!
Talking about the football program, many comments have showed that beamer's effort to bring the program to national recognition is appreciated but if you can't live with the mediocrity, we should think of what to do, including change of the coaching staff.
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