Frank Beamer Interview Transcript from ACC Coaches Teleconference 4/22/15

FRANK BEAMER: I'm really pleased with our spring practice. I think we've had an outstanding spring offensively, defensively, special teams. I like the type of personnel we have on this football team. I've said it many times, but they're good kids, good character guys, good athletes. So they make it fun going out there and practicing.

The coaching staff, I think, has done a good job teaching this spring. So we look forward to our spring game this Saturday, and we plan to play four eight-minute quarters and make it as much like a game as we possibly can.

So I'm looking forward to that and winding up spring and going back and evaluate after we do that. So far, everything's been good.

Q. Coach, I wanted to ask you first, the cost of attendance legislation that they've passed, do you see any concern there in terms of one school being able to offer a higher number for the cost of attendance stipend? Do you think it will have an impact on recruiting?

FRANK BEAMER: I do. I think over the years we've done a great job for giving everyone an equal opportunity, and you choose a school because you think that's the best school for you. You don't want it to be financial in any way.

I would be very much for the same amount of money for every school. I'm all for that. I think extra money or more money to our student-athletes is a proper way to go.

But the way we've done it, where there could be tremendous difference in what we give as opposed to another school gives, are able to give, we've never done anything like that in college football before. I'm disappointed that I think it's not the way to go. I'd be all for taking a good look at this. Wait a minute, let's give the same amount of money. Whatever it is, everybody is giving the same amount of money. I don't think we've heard the last of that. I would hope not.

Q. You guys announced that Bill Roth is leaving for UCLA. What are your thoughts on what Bill has meant to the program and to Tech?

FRANK BEAMER: Bill certainly -- you know, we've both been around here a long time, but he's such a professional. And then Mike Burnop with him, they've made such a good team, and they've done it for so long.

That's not an easy job. I've always been amazed. You've got to remember names, and you've got to make things interesting, and you've got to fill in time sometimes. I've always been amazed how professional Bill Roth has been and what a -- how well he's served Virginia Tech. Wish him well. I think this is another challenge in another part of the country. I've talked to Bill quite a bit.

I understand fully the move and the challenge of it all. So wish him well.

Q. Frank, we heard from Scott about how there's no more excuses for the offense this year. I know you're still missing some guys in the backfield, but in terms of what you've seen this spring with the offense, are you confident that you guys will be able to take the next step with this group this year?

FRANK BEAMER: I am. I think we've had a very good -- having a couple of quarterbacks, (Michael) Brewer and (Brenden) Motley, back that have some experience, and then offensive line, I think we've got some real toughness going on in there. I think tight ends, they give you the flexibility of they're tough guys that can block but yet they're good in space. Then we've got several running backs that you really feel great about it.

And then Isaiah Ford and (Cam) Phillips, to me, they've had -- they give you a real excitement out there at wide receiver. And then you throw (Joey) Slye in there as your field goal guy. I think he's very, very good, gets the ball up high and got distance.

Yeah, I would hope that we've been good this spring. For the most part, we've been good and have been scoring points. I look forward to the fall and see where we go from there.

Q. I'm just curious, when do you guys start scouting and game planning for Ohio State?

FRANK BEAMER: We'll start a little this summer, and having played them last year, we've got some information there. That's certainly a big game, but like all our games, the first three or four guys, we want to get a little bit of a jump and the scouting department. So we'll spend some time on all those guys a little bit this summer.

Q. Just to go into your running game a little bit, I know you have a little bit of spring left to go, but just what you've seen and how you view 2014 coming off of it, some of those leaders that stick out to you maybe at this point.

FRANK BEAMER: Yeah, I think J.C. Coleman has been a -- you know, he finished up the year tremendous and has had a great spring practice. Trey Edmunds has come back, and he's looked exceptional. We've been excited about the (Travon) McMillian kid that we redshirted last year. (Steven) Peoples, I think he's been -- and you notice that guy who's the new guy. So I think we've got some good possibilities.

Offensive line, like I said, I think we're getting tougher all the time and better, and then having threats outside. The passing game, one plays off the other. If you've got threats in the passing game, then the running game should be better. I think we've got threats in the passing game.

Q. In everything you've done as a coach and in your playing history, what keeps you coming back year after year, especially here at Virginia Tech, caring about that team and doing what do you? What keeps you involved with the sport at this point?

FRANK BEAMER: I've got the best I've ever had it. As a coaching staff, I really like them. They take care of business for the players. These guys are fun to be with. I'm not in it here trying to solve a lot of problems with our players. Don't see them in my office very much unless they want to come by and say hi.

You put those two things together, and if you win on Saturday, this is a pretty good business. So the question now is how many can we win on Saturday?

Q. Just sort of following up on the running back situation, based on what you've seen this spring. If you get Marshawn (Williams) and you get Shai (McKenzie) back healthy -- and I know Shy is on indefinite suspension, but if you get both of those guys back -- have you seen enough from your running game as far as some of the guys developing this spring, to think you might want to redshirt one of those two guys?

FRANK BEAMER: Yeah, I think that's certainly a possibility. Of course, the question is how do they come back? When you're talking about injury, it's not always the same how you come back. We're fortunate, we've got really good running back in here. I didn't even mention a guy I thought ran really hard yesterday was D.J. Reid. I was impressed with him, and you're talking about a big back that's got speed too.

We're fortunate. We've got really good backs. I think the thing that we've got to be good about is narrowing it down, and even though a guy that serves some carries right now, figure out who's going to carry the ball and make sure we get them involved in the game and not trying to play too many guys. Because we've got several guys that are really good.