It seems like the notion that other schools are using Frank's age & potentially forthcoming retirement as a negative on the recruiting trail is starting to pick up some steam. Granted, this may all just be message board chatter, but it may have some legs given the obvious fact that Frank is starting to get older. The many high-profile recruiting misses we've had over the last few years may support this, although no recruit has ever stated this to be the reason for selecting another school that I am aware of.
With that said, is it time for VT to start considering, and ultimately publiczing, a transition plan for Frank? And if so, what would that plan look like?
In my opinion, laying out a plan with a clear path forward, that would ensure some staff continuity, would help ease a recruits mind about coming to play in Blacksburg. In fact, if done correctly, it could be used as a selling point: come help Frank Beamer win the Battle at Bristol and reach 300 wins before playing for someone like starting in 2017.
Again, I'm not sure what this would look like...but I'm sure Whit could come up with something exciting.
Option 1: Head Coach in Waiting. Bud? Scot? Torrian? Yes, I threw Torrian out there because right now he's a NFL factory, a solid recruiter, and a pretty charismatic interview.
Option 2: A TBD new head coach, but with guaranteed extended contracts for certain members of the staff.
Option 3: Create room on the staff and hire a outside head coach in waiting? Perhaps a high profile outside name could be hired to an "associate head coach position", or even an off-field administrative position, with a guaranteed major salary bump in 2017 when he takes over. Could retain or hire new coordinators in 2017. I personally could see this option turn what is now a recruiting negative into a very positive thing.
What do you all think?
Comments
No.
Edit: Frank Beamer is not really that old in the scheme of long-tenured coaches. The notable thing is that he's been at VT for so long, not that he's been coaching for so long. Bobby Bowden was 80 when he retired, Joe Paterno was 85, heck Nick Saban is 62.
Coach Beamer is only 67. I'd stay he still has many more good years in him, and I honestly believe this is just things started by either a) Overly worried message board posters and b) Opposing schools trying to make it seem like there's doubt at VT in Coach Beamer.
I have faith that when the time comes Whit will make the proper choices, but I also believe that time is a long way away, and quite frankly I hope it's a long way away. It is very, very, very hard for a new coach to supplant a legend, and it's in absolutely no way a sure bet in selecting a coach who will succeed as a head coach at a big-time football school. Regardless of the resume of a potential candidate, there is always the chance that a hiring will be a total bust.
I don't think now is the time to worry about such things.
Yes, I know Frank has done a tremendous amount for VT and he has the right to stay as long as he wants..
However, he's a competitor, and if he suspects his age / status is hurting the program, I'd expect the competetive side of him to try and do something idfferent.
Lastly, I do not believe that Whit will allow the program to 'stagnate', and I betcha that Whit has his finger on the pulse of this situation and will take notice of recruting misses because new players are the lifeblood of the program. It's Whit's show now - - he demonstrated that by taking John Ballein partially away from Frank and him assigning him to baseball as well - - and I expect that he'd take action if he felt it was necessary to preserve, or upgrade, his cash cow.
Agreed on all points, except:
- I don't think Coach Beamer's age/status is hurting the program
- The competitive side of him already made him do something different, which was shake up the coaching staff which I think is paying dividends
- And I don't think the program is stagnating. Yes, they had a rough year in 2012. Yes, last year was not much better, but it was better. And I believe this year has the potential to be even better than last. One .500 year does not a ruined program make.
"- I don't think Coach Beamer's age/status is hurting the program"
Can you provide examples where it is not? Recruiting certainly is hurting - badly. Please do not provide examples of other coaches who are the same age or older than Beamer in your response.
I realize I'm not the person you asked the question of.. but, that's an impossible question to answer isn't it? It would seem the contrary view would need to shoulder the burden of proof... absent any evidence to the contrary, his statement is correct
as far as recruiting, last years class was as good as any in recent memory... let's not give up the ship over a few early misses in this years class, shall we?
Sure, I'd like to give some examples if you don't mind. How many 40 year-old head coaches will be able to say:
- "You want to play in the post season? I've gone to 21 consecutive bowl games."
- "I know what it's like to take a team to a national championship game."
- "You're an athlete and you want to be a game changer? I've been there. I've coached up the Vicks, Tyrod Taylor, Ryan MF Williams, Kevin Jones, Eddie Royal, DeAngelo Hall, David Wilson, etc."
- "You want to play for the best team in the sate of VA? UVA has not beat this team I've coached for 10 straight years now [DECADE OF DOMINANCE, HUZZAH!!]"
- "You want to play for a coach that isn't going to take off when the money comes knocking, that will be 100% loyal to you, that runs a clean program, that wins the right way, that looks to make you the best athlete and man you can be? Come play ball for me at Virginia Tech."
Go Hokies!
EDIT: I don't know how it slipped my mind but in addition, "winning-est active coach" should have been thrown in there too.
Did you apply for any of the recruiting positions?
As mentioned before I can not take place in a debate where the prerequisite for the debate is to remove evidence contrary to your position.
Not to throw you under the bus, because a solid chunk of the fan base feels this way, but this is everything that's currently wrong with the fan base IMO. As mentioned above, he's only 67. Saban is 62. Is 5 years really the difference between an elite coach and an aging, on-the-way-out lame duck? Nope. Also, let's take yet another step back here and consider that we're worrying about "stagnating" after two horrific "down" years at 7 and 8 wins, with new coaches in place and things looking up, all considered. If we go LOLUVA status and start winning 2-4 games, then it's time to start using phrases such as "show him the door." Until then, the very best thing we can do for the program is give Frank a contract extension.
College football is cyclical (and that's part of what makes it great). The fact that Tech cycled up for so long is a testament to Frank's coaching abilities, as is the fact that cycling down is still being in the division race late in the season and making a bowl game. If you're still a major doubter, give him a couple years, see if we're trending down, and then make your case for transitioning him out. Right now though, Frank Beamer is the right coach for Virginia Tech.
i don't disagree with your post as a whole but wanted to address the question that you asked. 5 years difference at the age of 40 or 50 isn't a big deal by itself. when you get to the age that Beamer and Saban are, then 5 years does matter. it's the difference between impending retirement and potentially 7 years remaining (assuming beamer retires in 2 years and Saban works to the same age). it's not just age though. it's the past few years. saban has two national championships. those rings can make age a non factor. beamer's last couple years make 67 seem a little bit older or least that's what a recruit could believe.
let's put saban aside for a second. alabama has taken a couple of recruits from our home turf but let's look at swinney and Fisher. they are 44 and 48 respectively. when you consider their recent success and their age compared to beamer, it's a pretty good recruiting position for them to be in.
please don't misunderstand my position based on what i said above though...i'm not advocating for his dismissal or anything like that. i'm just pointing out that in some peoples opinions, his age is an issue especially when given context to other coaches.
I definitely see your point and I don't necessarily disagree with it. I'd be absolutely stoked if Beamer got on Twitter and started projecting himself out there a little more. I'm just very cautious of the idea that 40-something championship coaches who will stick around long enough to win something significant can just be picked up in a Wal-Mart isle. I will say it until the day I die: 7 and 8 wins in a down year is un-freaking-believable. That's NOT territory where you start looking for reasons to get rid of a guy, and Beamer's age has seemed to be the largest of said reasons. IMO, a coaching change should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, not sought out because we look over at what Bama and Clemson are doing and think we'll automatically have the same if we just get a new coach (see Wal-Mart isle bit above).
Agreed, 4 and 5 loss seasons definitely aren't slit your wrist worthy. When a fan base is used to 2 or 3 losses tops, people perceive the past couple years worse than they are. Call it spoiled, call it whatever, it's natural I guess. I think a lot of people look at the slope that Bowden and paterno started sliding down and are sensitive to a similar end game at VT. Can't blame them for wanting to avoid that.
IMO we have a couple of years to play this thing out but that doesn't mean we/vt can ignore where we are. My guess is that whit has a paper somewhere in a locked desk drawer that has a some type of scenario flow chart that he scribbles on every once in a while. I would.
Comparing Beamer's age to Saban's makes little sense to me. Saban is probalby one of the best college football coaches of all time. He also appears to be much younger, energetic, and charismatic. So no, 5 years is not that big of a number, but how bout a little context..
I see what you did there.
Leg!
I didn't even see what I did there until just now...
Edit: I love CFB. I love everything he has done for VT. I want him forever. I will literally cry when he
finally does retire.
Agreed. I think oftentimes VT fans aren't appreciative of how good we've had it for 2 decades now. When Frank eventually retires, it will be a very scary time - a lot of unknowns that we haven't had to deal with in my lifetime. Even if you think you're hiring a rock-solid coach, it often doesn't work out (see Michigan's Rich Rodriquez, Notre Dame's Charlie Weis, Washington's Ty Willingham, Colorado's Dan Mullen, etc). Coaching searches suck. Lets not rush it.
Scary time for sure! I don't even like thinking about it. We should consider
ourselves extremely lucky.
Wait-you'd be scared if Foster took over the program???
From what I've heard, Foster lacks some of the, um, diplomacy/people skills to be a good head coach. this is not from discussion boards, but people who have had to interact with him in a professional capacity. so yes, as much as foster is a rock star, I'd be a little apprehensive about him taking over as head coach. I hope to be proven horribly wrong, though.
Bud would be unorthodox, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be successful. Bud is intense, speaks his mind, and rubs some people the wrong way. Jim harbaugh is the same way and I would say he's doing all right.
Honestly? Yes. Bud is the patron saint of defense. And also badassery. But that doesn't mean he'd be a great CEO, as those are wildly different skill-sets. Look at Bo Pelini - do you really want him to be your head coach? I'd be very apprehensive if we just promoted Bud, without him having any sort of head-coach track record.
No HC track record? Like Scott Shafer, Paul Chryst, Dabo Swinney, and Jimbo Fisher?
Unfortunately for that argument there's always twice as many that didn't make it.
It's hard to find a good HC. That's why the best make so much money. Beamer is the winningest active head coach in college football, they don't just grow on trees.
Hiring a new one when you've had the sort of success that VT has had (even in these down years) is always a gamble. Not saying it can't be done, but I feel like so many people on this site just assume that any coach we hire will be fantastic.
Exactly. Bud as a head coach is a totally unknown commodity. I'm not trashing him, I just don't think he's necessarily going to be as good of a HC as he is a DC. When Beamer retires, I think we'd be crazy to just grab Bud and promote him without evaluating all possible options.
God I really hope that's not me someday
That is friggin' hilarious. And nature sending a serious message...
While I agree with the above comments (particularly Grumpy Cat, well done), I will spare the single-word answer in favor of these rebuttals:
Re: Option 1. HC-in-waiting sows drama into the staff, and ultimately doesn't work. It's failed at other schools.
Re: Option 2. A new HC isn't necessarily going to want to be tied to the existing assistants; he's going to want to run the program how he wants it. We have awesome coaches, but if there's a change in gameplan, this won't work.
Re: Option 3. Worse discord and drama than Option 1. "Here is your future boss, or otherwise the guy that jumps the line in front of any of you who might have hoped to be the next HC."
Bottom line: it's bad business for Whit to try to advertise Beamer's successor or the plan, because it basically makes it look like Frank has a foot out the door. Continuity is nice, but I'd rather have an Athletic Department that says, "Frank Beamer is our head coach and we support him fully. The future is the future." I don't care what they discuss behind closed doors, but a unified public front, backing a legendary coach who built the program from humble beginnings, is what is needed.
Very sound answer. I think the effort to control the future for the peace of mind of a few fans is a really bad idea. All the options involving 'a transition' are disasters waiting to happen. HC-in-Waiting just doesn't work. Either the program crumbles, or a legend's legacy and relationship with the program gets tarnished. Nobody wants that for Beamer. Not to mention, the key - As soon as you announce a 'transition', the time clock begins, and it hurts the program. I am not at all concerned about the future of the program, because Whit is our AD. If he weren't, I might be. He seems to have proven he knows how to hire a head coach, both here and at Cincinnati. I feel totally confident Whit will both handle Frank's exit with grace and find a replacement who will succeed.
Yep. If I'm being honest, 6 months ago, I was a bit anxious about how the coaching change will unfold but that completely went away when Buzz Williams was hired. The situation is in very capable hands.
Especially when you remember his football hire at Cincy was Tommy Tuberville.
Nope. I think this is a situation where we as fans need to trust Whit and Beamer will make these decisions the right way when the time comes. Both seem to be more than competent at their jobs, so I think they've earned that. I kind of think we're making a mountain out of a molehill, here. I'm not interested in discussing replacement options until Beamer announces his retirement after he wins a crystal football. In the meantime, let's just enjoy watching football games.
Leg up on that. Also, those who are so fearful of doom once Frank retires, you guys are really doing him a disservice. If you think VT can only succeed while Frank is in charge, then he's not built much of a program, has he? I'd look at it the opposite way - he has indeed built a solid program. It will survive after him. That's a huge part of what makes it solid. Will it be different? Probably. That's okay. Will there be hiccups along the way? Probably. We just had two hiccup seasons while Frank is still here, so obviously it can happen. He's not finished yet, though. But the program will succeed after Frank, in large part because of Frank's work while in charge. So there is no fear of collapse by me once Frank departs. He's built too solid of a foundation.
I don't think it's all doom-and-gloom, nor do I doubt that Whit would find an excellent replacement. However, I think that where the program is right now, Beamer's more than capable of maintaining and improving on what he's built. Coaches are like recruits: you never know exactly what you've got until they're on campus. For that reason alone, I tend to really dislike coaching searches. VT is not in a position where a coaching search is necessary, and in fact is in the process of seeing the fruits from a previous coaching change. Let's let the dust settle, let Lefty & co. work their butts off to coach these new guys up, and see where the program is at the end of 2015/2016. I think the next two years will be much more telling about Frank's coaching ability than the previous two.
As I said above, Frank's not finished yet. I get the impression you think I was writing him off, when that is not the case. Merely trying to state that just because we have 'hiccups', regardless of the coach's name, does not mean all is lost. After previously reading all the posts about those scared of the future without Frank, that was an attempt to offer a less pessimistic perspectives. Frank has built a solid program. Solid programs don't crumble just because the architect leaves. That was my point, along with my earlier point about having full confidence in the transition being handled when appropriate. Now is not that time.
I think we're saying the same thing. So that's what those Florida guys felt like... Well, party on.
Actually, I disagree, I think y'all are essentially saying the same thing.
*read*
*re-read*
*double-take*
*chuckle*
*award turkey leg*
Would it be redundant to second that?
No. Frank will know when it's time to go (I think 2016 will be his last). He's stated that he doesn't want to end up like Bowden and Paterno and as mention above numerous times he's only 67, he just doesn't age well. Hell, Spurrier is 69 and still snapping necks and cashing checks.
Option 4: Frank Beamer's contract extension negotiated to 2020, with options to retire whichever time he sees fit to do so.
*Loses 100% of his shiznit*
THIS!
Correct! Right after Drew Harris qualifies...
Coach Frank Beamer earned the right to retire on his own term. When he wants to retire, the University will have plenty of options. Coach Foster, Coach Gray, Bruce Arians ( wishful thinking), Bruce smith (it could happen), Coach Shane ( somewhere down the line) are all candidates that would continue the tradition. I dont think recruits use coach Beamers age as a negative since all the recruiters are young coaches. There is no one reason why some recruits dont go to Tech. Besides, Tech had a pretty solid class in 2012 and 2013.
eliminate 20 posters and you eliminate 95% of the discussion.
VT has raised its bar for recruiting. that means more competition for recruits. we could have a class locked up by now but would it be the guys we need to compete nationally? let's see who we get before we rule the recruiting year a failure
and Frank and Whit will know better than anyone when it is time to hang it up
#Whitness
Our two bad years that everybody is making fun of is better than most of the rest of the ACC. A contract extension with favorable terms for both Frank leaving early after 2016 if he wants is the way to go. The contract extension should run to 2021 or Frank's 75th birthday.
I love Frank. I love what he has done for Virginia Tech football - and I am thankful for everything he has done for the university.
I was fortunate enough to go to high school and college during the golden era of Virginia Tech football.
But here's the truth...
I worry about the future of the program after Frank leaves. I don't think people truly realize what he accomplished here and how difficult it is to win the right way. I don't think there is current staff member that is his successor (someone that can get the program back to the heights that Frank achieved)
But, to ignore Frank's age is to ignore history. Frank is turning 68 this FB season.
The oldest coach to ever win a National Championship is Bobby Bowden. Bobby was 70 the day Florida State won the 2000 sugar bowl.
Frank has to right to go out on his own terms, and I hope he does.
But it's unrealistic to think that VT will get back to a National Title game under Frank. The odds are so stacked against it. Other than Bobby, history hasn't seen it. We need to appreciate Virginia Tech football for what it is in the near future, and it's going to be something that we are not used to (unless you were a fan before the 1995 season)
Sorry but you could say its unrealistic for VT to get back to the National Title game in general, whoever is at the helm. Even the coaches who have been there in recent years admit a stroke of luck is req to get there.
This is a serious be careful what you wish for situation. I am completely terrified of a Virginia Tech football existence that doesnt include Frank. Yes its possible everything could go amazing and the program could soar to new heights. Its also possible that we could end up with the situation that about 80 percent of college football has and struggle to find consistency year after year.
Bud Foster seems like a terrific head football coach to me. We wont know for sure until he gets a chance. He deserves the chance to be the head coach once Frank Beamer retires.
I probably have an unpopular opinion, but if Foster becomes head coach, VT loses the best D coordinator in college football, and gains an untested head coach.. it's a risky move IMO
I think Torrian would move up to D-coordinator and I'd be OK with that, especially with Bud still leading the charge, so to speak.
But I think that Foster to HC is not a sure thing like some assume. I don't know that Bud has aspirations of being a HC. He has had some opportunities. From what I've seen, read, and heard (but please don't confuse my ramblings with an educated opinion), Bud likes being a defensive coordinator; he loves being a coach to these young men. Does he want to sacrifice time being the best in the business to spend a lot of time glad-handing donors and doing media appearances? I'm not so sure. A lot of what a HC does is political and administrative. Frank is good at that because it's in his personality (think "they'll get after ya" vs. "played his nuts off"). I've heard a lot that Bud is a nice guy and I don't doubt it, but does he really want to go into that mode as his primary function?
I have said before and will say again that Bud's loyalty to VT deserves to be rewarded, and that should be first right of refusal on the HC job. If he doesn't want it, for whatever reason, so be it and let the search proceed. I think he'd do fine as a HC, but I'm not sure it's what he truly wants.
Question really is if someone outside is hired to come lead the program how much change will they make. Outside coaches bring baggage with them and so we can kiss some of our current staff good-bye. Who is that going to be? Difficult choices to be made.
I would give Bud his chance in an instant but I got to be honest to say I really am not sure he would make the best HC. He is too hands on and a HC needs to be the puppeteer pulling the strings IMO. Bud is a game day beast while an HC needs to play the long game to set up short term results. It's really difficult to do because the mindset is different. I certainly don't know Bud personally but my loyalty to him gives him the chance. His if he wants it. My brain says someone like Gray or Loeffler would be better suited for the role though. And I see lil' Beams leading VT sometime in the future.
Also, didn't Beamer sign something in his last contract that was essentially a succession plan? After retirement he has a confirmed position to be the special adviser to the AD for like 8 years or something. I am sure that's right. What that tells me is that they knew Weaver was going to retire and to ensure the program doesn't go off the rails Beamer was given the post that would let him see how the program moves on after his reign.
EDIT: I found the article HERE
I really wish that people would quit suggesting Shane Beamer as a possible replacement for Frank. He really hasn't impressed me as the running backs coach yet, much less a replacement for his dad. He's a great recruiter, but not really qualified to take the reins at VT or anywhere else in my opinion
Agreed, but Dabo Swinney wasn't a highly successful position coach, either. If Shane knows he isn't good as a position coach, maybe he'll be a good hands-off type.
Having said that, I'd agree. Foster for next coach!
Shane is not my first choice for HC. Foster is. But lets not forget Frank wasnt a popular choice when he was hired. Look how he turns out. Shane has a bright future. IMO.
Shane's best opportunity to prove himself is to follow the path so many now follow, leave for a HC job at an FCS school or a backwater FBS program. I think he knows he has a long way to go before earning the title, and that's why he is here, laying the groundwork.
If we are seriously considering Shane for head coach, then we would have to consider Moorehead as well.
Disclaimer: I'm just pointing out how ridiculous the Beamer's monarchy conspiracy theorists sound. I'm not ragging on Moorehead, who is a good coach.
Dead Man Walking in Hoo'ville still getting five star recruits..so if other schools needed ammo to land recruits that should be enough.
I think Coach is sensitive to staying too long in fact he said it last year. He loves the program and will do whatever is best to keep things rolling in the right direction. That being said O'KaineSpring was a huge error but still showed what a classy guy Beamer really is.
Absolutely not.
I trust Frank and Whit to take care of any scheduling necessary. Too much professionalism to not be prepared.
It's not as if, in an emergency circumstance, we don't have the best asst coach in the country already here.
Any chatter among boards here simply is hand wringing.
Relax, have a homebrew.
This is an idea looking for a problem.
I graduated this past Spring. I have multiple friends on the football team that tell me that Beamer is too old. They say that he's difficult to understand at practice and he really doesn't do much besides run special teams (which has just been amazing in recent times). That isn't me saying that, that is directly from members of the football team. I respect the heck out of Beamer and there would be no Virginia Tech without him. But your ridiculous if you think we should let him coach after this season. We are getting torn up in the recruiting field and losing game changing players to UVA? If you want to keep being an average ACC team that isn't respected on the national stage keep Beamer. The more and more we fall into irrelevance the tougher it is to get your recruits. The program clearly needs to be re-energized with new blood.
no offense, but without sources, it is just you saying that
last years recruiting class was the best in recent memory, and here's a news flash for you, VT has NEVER gotten all the in state recruits... and VT has beaten all those "top recruits" LOLUVA has been getting for a decade straight, so I wouldn't trade our recruits for theirs any day of the week
The main fault we can assign to Beamer is not shaking up the coaching staff a couple years sooner... he's done it now, give them a chance to show what they can do
^
I'd rather have CFB and turn 3* into a team than be LOLUVA and turn 5* into a bunch of individuals.
IF that's the choice.
Yes, #Sources. Also, these so-called "game changing" players have managed to lose to us 10-straight times (soon to be 11).
Beamer didn't forget how to coach in the past 2 years. I've seen him do it - he still knows what he's doing. You have absolutely zero evidence to support the whole "if you want to" argument. None of us has any idea how this year will go. It could be 11 wins, or it could be 6. That's the fun of watching the season unfold. As for new blood, take a gander over at the entirely new offensive coaching staff, which managed to pull in a great recruiting class even after only being on the job all of 13 months. As always, I'll caution the fan base to be careful what it wishes for. Sometimes new coaches work out great (FSU, Stanford in 2007), sometimes they're train wrecks (Michigan pre-Hoke, USCw, LOLUVA, Notre Dame outside of 2012, etc.). Let's just see how the next couple years go and then see where we're at.
Devil's advocate here (not calling for Beamer's head) but the argument that we win means coaches shouldn't change has lead us to our current problem hasn't it? We won 10 games for so long that it didn't make practical sense to change coaches. The problem was by the time that we actually had a bad season the cupboard was bare and we fell into several years of rebuilding.
Again, I'm not saying Beamer should be forced out or leave now, but being a business owner myself I know first hand that sometimes things that are "working" are not necessarily "succeeding" and in reality hurting you in the long run. That's what a Head Coach needs to see with his/her staff and what an AD needs to see with their HC's. And sometimes you need to make the very difficult decision that what's working needs to change for a chance to succeed.
My personal belief is that Beamer will coach through the 2016 season and maybe 2017. After so many years of trying to get Bristol put together there is absolutely no way in hell he's going to miss it. Plus 2016 and 2017 look like they will have legit chances at a run, if our OL gets sorted. That's his send off one way or the other.
In the same way, if you see your employees are doing everything they should be doing, but things just haven't fallen into place just yet, why would you fire them? We just made a massive investment in our football program with the addition of three excellent assistants. Why would we scrap the project before we gave them time to reap the benefits? Especially when the rebuilding/investment time really isn't all that bad (remember kids, most "rebuilding" projects take place after 3- or 4-win season. Not 7 or 8. We're lucky here).
totally agree. I'm not talking about our current coaching staff. I completely agree that they need to be given the chance to find their legs and I really am ok to give them the time necessary to do so.
My point was about the O'Cainspring years and this thread's topic about Beamer.
Not trying to be insulting but early 20-year olds think 40 is old. They would think Nick Saban was old if they knew he is 62.
Maybe CFB just needs to dye his hair and get a younger style.
If he is really having problems coaching and communicating then that is a different matter.
The problem with transition plans and coach-in-waiting plans seems to me to be that nobody has figured out how to do it without undermining the current head coach. What happened at FSU with Bowden/Fisher was a real cluster. At Texas, it didn't even happen (they named Muschamp as successor to Brown and then he bolted for Florida right?). It was used WVU and didn't work well there either right?
As hard as it is, especially after we all got used to 10 win seasons, I think the best thing for the integrity of the program and Virginia Tech as a University is give Beamer time to right the ship. And seriously, we've slipped but how many programs would love to be in VT's slipped position? I'm not saying we shouldn't be cheering for better and that the University should accept VT having slipped forever, but Beamer deserves the chance to make a run to get back to the promised land.
I also think VT is served best by waiting things out, seeing if things improve or continue to decline. If there is decline in the next few seasons (I don't think there was decline in to 2013 relative to 2012), then maybe we'll need to make a change if we don't want to wait for Beamer to retire. But that's best done to just respectfully let him go, offer him some kind of role with VT, and find a new head coach, then let that head coach bring in his own guys. Maybe it's Bud, Shane, maybe it's someone not on the current staff. Maybe once Beamer is gone, Bud decides he's going elsewhere too (how much money could he make in the SEC just as DC?) What could one of his D's do with the type of talent a team like Alabama or Georgia can pull in? I'd love to watch it in action to be honest. Anyway, I'm just saying don't expect our long time coaches to stick around once Beamer is gone. They are very good and respected and they stick around for love of Beamer and not money. They might very well look to cash in at schools with deeper pockets when they can't work for Beamer anymore.
Here's an interesting question.
Would Bud know what to do if he got a 3 deep of 5* and 4* guys?
That's just not his thing, he turns a bunch of predominantly 3* and walk-ons 2 deep into top 10 beast teams.
I'd think he'd know exactly what to do with blue chippers on defense, they are just players more talented than the non blue chip guys for the most part. There's been a lot of blue chippers at DB at VT and there's been other 4 star players in the front 7 at VT before; 4 star guys like Jason Worilds, Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi were certainly well utilized in Bud Foster's D.
Without blue chip front 7 talent it's hard to beat elite teams that want to run throughout the game without the defense getting worn down.
Sure. Ok. I can buy that.
I haven't seen any good transition plan come to fruition lately from bad coach in waiting situations at Texas, Maryland, and even though the FSU plan ended in an ok spot it was really messy. As far as a transition plan I think the only thing that would work as a plan is if Frank Beamer announced retirement a couple of months before he decided to retire and that would give VT a leg up on getting its next coach. A head coach in waiting scenario would be a hindrance as far as recruiting goes in some aspects as well, it would be one more coach who has limits on visits.
The other question is when would Frank Beamer retire and he only knows that. In his book he says he wouldn't hold on too long and I'd hope that he would know when the right time comes. Right now if you are an opposing team recruiting against VT you'd point to the fact that Beamer's contract ends after the 2016 season. In my opinion right now I don't think 2014 VT is a serious contender to win the ACC but I think 2015 could be a great year in which VT could win the league and contend for a playoff spot based off of what talent could potentially return next year. There's no way that Frank Beamer will retire before the 2016 season, he's hyped to play Tennessee in Bristol. During the 2016 season Frank Beamer turns 70 years old and hopefully wins his 250th game at VT; if VT could beat UT and Notre Dame that year I personally couldn't write a better story book ending in my opinion but it is CFB's decision.