What is going on with the "whispers" that ESPN is reporting about Weaver retiring and Beamer becoming AD (thus Bud becoming HC)? This was the first time I have ever heard anything about this rumor, but according to the article it's a "rumor that keeps hanging around."
Major changes expected at VaTech?
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Hate pay sites...
yea unfortunately us non-insiders can't read the articles, although I'd really like to read the first one about Weaver/Beamer
While I was searching the inter webs to see if there was any other input on this, I found this:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/news/2000/11/25/vatech...
Don't remember that...
I took Paul Torgersen's class during my undergrad and this was very real. PT goes on to explain how CFB had, more or less, accepted the position at UNC and the scramble that ensued to keep Beamer at VT. This discussion included diagrams of the athletic offices and who was involved in last minute negotiations.
Everybody needs to thank Billy Hite for keeping Beamer from accepting the UNC job. Funny thing is, Billy Hite went to UNC.....
Both say this.
This just seems like filler to me. Bud isn't officially the head-coach-in-waiting, and if I had to speculate I'd say Shane would be the coach off the current staff to be the favorite (narrowly over Bud).
I would strongly agree.
Going into last season, I would've agreed with you. But now I just don't think he has the experience needed to run an entire program.
I feel like Bud Foster deserves the shot to be the next head coach at VT. I think Shane is great and has extremely high upside but CBF is a legend. he may not be a great head coach due to his brash nature and intensity but I think he has gone way overboard to prove himself worthy of a shot at it. I would be sad to see Shane get it over Bud due to his name. He is still growing as a coach and the rb rotation last year was annoying. (may not of been his choice)
Our defense has kept us in and allowed us to win all those games in the past and if they hadn't bowed their backs last year we would have been worse than 7-6 IMO. If he gets passed up it would be tough and most people would go to another ACC school and kick our A$$es.
My perfect scenario is for Shane to take a smaller HC job, preferably in the south, and succeed wildly for five years while Bud takes over.
But if Shane gets it, there is probably a reason. Nobody ever wants to bring this up, but Foster has been a serious candidate about 7 or 8 times at jobs he would have taken, and wasn't picked. So the VT Admin, for which Beamer will certainly at least be a big consultant, passes on Bud, there may be a reason.
Bud's also pushing the past-your-prime age, he'll (shockingly) be 54 this summer. Frank Beamer became a HC at 35 and was HC at Virginia Tech at 41. Shane just turned 36. Frank will turn 67 this fall.
Considering all this, one can make the case that if Frank thought Bud was up for it, he may have hung them up after Tyrod. To me, it feels like he's hanging on to turn it over to Shane at about age 40.
Can you copy the articles into a word document and post them? Id especially like to read the one on spring practice.
Yeah of course, not too much there.
Top 5 off-the-radar spring practices
Other teams I didn't feel like copying, FYI they are: Kansas, SMU, Ole Miss, and Charlotte
Virginia Tech Hokies
2012 record: 7-6
Reason to care: Even bigger changes coming?
The Hokies might share the same record as two of the other teams on our list, and Kansas would be happy to take that record for 2013 right this second, but in Blacksburg they are accustomed to 10-win seasons. That's why the program underwent a major offseason face-lift. Well, at least major in terms of Virginia Tech.
Longtime offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring has been replaced by Scot Loeffler, who held the same job last season at Auburn. Add in the return of quarterback Logan Thomas and one of their best recruiting classes in recent memory, and a quick turnaround will be expected.
But whispers throughout college football offices continue to swirl that an even bigger change might be coming sooner than later. Jim Weaver has been athletics director since 1997, teaming with coach Frank Beamer to create one of the nation's most consistent football programs.
However, there is persistent chatter that Weaver, wildly popular within the college sports industry, is nearing retirement. If -- and this is a gigantic if -- that should happen, the most-mentioned heir would be Beamer. If -- there's that word again -- that took place, then it would finally mean the promotion of one of the last longest-tenured head-coaches-in-waiting, defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
"Rumors are rumors, but when they keep hanging around, you can't help but start to buy in," says another ACC coordinator. "That's been a tight-knit group up there for a long time. A hard club to get into. Any movement at all within that program is going to get a lot of assistants excited. And it might be what they need to get out of this rut they're kind of stuck in."
For the record, everyone in Blacksburg shrugs off such talk as nothing more than baseless gossip. But that doesn't mean the whispers will be stopping.
Major changes expected at VaTech?
The cliche states where there is smoke, there's fire. And there is plenty of smoke in Blacksburg regarding the future of Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer. Major changes could be on the horizon for Hokies' football after this season.
Beamer became the head coach at Virginia in 1987. His 27th season at the helm of the program could possibly be his last:
Then it quotes the former article
I don't believe it but...just in case it is due time to get that National Trophy case filled so CFB can go out on top. That would be an epic ending to a extremely successful coaching career.
It sounds like somebody needed to write something, so they picked the convenient rumor of the day.
I think this is pure BS. This would only shake VT to its very core, it would potentially hurt the program for an indefinite period of time.
If I was the Frankinator, I would definitely feel the need to take another serious run at grabbing that elusive national title. He wants it not only to cap off an impressive career as HC, but also to advance his beloved Hokies. Though there is a small percentage of rabid Tech fans (you know who they are) that decry Beamer's flubs over the years and even call for his dismissal, he's revered and adored not only by the Hokie faithful but many non-Hokies.
...
Speaking of the Frankinator, though I don't follow NASCAR I'm happy for him:
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/04/frank-beamer-will-be-honorary-pace-car-d...
I think this is much more likely to happen in 2016 when Beamer's contract is up. Just sounds like filler material for espn right now to me
Which is why I don't read ESPN's stuff any more.
Heard this at the end of the season. It has legs.
Weaver is out at the end of his contract. His and Tom Gabbard's contracts end at the same time and both will step down. This is pretty much common knowledge throughout the Athletic Department, so unless something drastic happens, I'm pretty sure that is the plan they are sticking to.
As far as Beamer taking over as AD, that is not something that is definite. He is guaranteed some sort of position in the department once he does step down as head coach, but it does not specify AD, nor do I think he wants AD. I also do not see him stepping down in the next 5 years, which Weavers contract is up well before then.
I also believe this is just ESPN looking for something to fill up the insiders rumor box, most everything Hokies related news that is only available to "Insiders" i read a day or 2 on TKP before I see it on the VT home page on ESPN.
Meh, its the offseason so ESPN needs something to write about. I do think Weaver will retire before Beamer because of health reasons, but I would guess the new AD will come from within the VT family. Steger is not going to chance bringing in an outsider who would potentially clash with Beamer. I think we are several years away from any of this happening though.
I'm not so sure it's that far off. Weaver's apparently in pretty bad shape. Although I agree, I think the new AD will likely be a Hokie. I really can't see CFB as AD though.
I've heard rumors in the past that there are plans for him to be an "Associate" AD. Basically raising money and goodwill for the football program
He would be great in that role. Id even pay for his dinner if he asked
No offense to Beamer at all, but what makes anyone think he has the skills to be an effective AD? I think he's a great figure head for the University and deserves a role inside the Athletics Department as an advisor or an assistant to the AD, but I don't think he's got all it takes. I could be very wrong though. Barry Alvarez proved that a former coach can be an effective AD at Wisconsin. I just see Beamer following his contract, inheriting his special Associate AD position or whatever it says he will get in his contract and being happy with it. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine he doesn't want to be an AD. Regardless, I agree with everybody above saying that this "rumor" article is just stirring the pot because we are in a bit of an offseason lull with Spring Ball just starting.
Yeah, of the three moves rumored here:
1. Weaver retires! Yay, we're all ready for that. But most of us respect what he did, his financial management of the athletic department is masterful, and we only need to look at College Park to see how that can get screwy in a hurry.
2. Foster to HC! Okay, that's fine. Foster, Shane....I could go either way.
3. Beamer to AD? Um, no, not really. I would like to see him have something in the department, but AD should be someone with credentials out the wazoo. I hope we seek and land a very accomplished, yet not necessarily well known, AD.
While agree with #1 and #3, I must say I have no desire to see Shane take over as head coach in the near future. His resume's just not there... He's helped our recruiting tremendously and brought a young spark to the team, but he hasn't produced much as a position coach. He needs significantly more experience IMHO before even being considered for a head coaching roll.
While I agree that he is not the best position coach, is that all that necessary for a head coach? As long as the head coach is a game manager, motivator and can be the face of the university, athletic department and football team then I see no reason why the he needs to be a good position coach. Just look at Clemson. Dabo is not a good X's and O's but he has surrounded himself with a great offensive innovator. Then there is the contrast with LOLUVA and Mike London. Not a good game manager or a good position coach and that is why they are who they are.
I agree that you don't need to be an X's and O's guy to be a head coach, but what has Shane done to prove himself as a game manager? Can he motivate players? Can he lead players? When we have a tough loss (which, as VT fans, we know happens all too frequently) can he help the team bounce back? Can run a good practice, where everyone gets the necessary snaps and practices the right stuff? Most of all, will the players respect him and buy into whatever philosophy he preaches?
I have no reason to doubt Shane has any of the attributes necessary to be VT's head coach, but I also have no evidence suggesting he does. VT might not have the elite, legendary status of a Michigan, a Notre Dame, or an Alabama, but I believe we're a top 20 college football program, and top 20 programs don't hire a head coach with minimal experience. For me to be ok with Shane getting that kind of promotion (assuming he stays at VT), I'd want him to be at least in charge of special teams for a year or two, and of course, I'd expect to see some impressive results over those two years.
In the hypothetical situation where Beamer retires tomorrow, and we have to promote someone from within, my first choice would be Bud, followed by Stiney (who players love, and seems to have the same skill set as Shane, but more experienced and a worse last name), followed by... Shane I guess? Note that I'm excluding the Loeffler & company because I'm yet to see him in action for VT.
Last question though: If Shane's last name wasn't Beamer and he wasn't a VT alum, but otherwise had the same resume, would he even be considered a candidate to replace Frank?
I agree completely.
Foster has absolutely earned the right to be next in line. I will be extremely disappointed in program if he's not the head coach after Beamer. He's been loyal and stayed in Blacksburg, even when other (less prestigious) programs came calling.
If Shane's last name was Smith, no one would ever consider him to be a viable candidate for next head coach. I want to see a Beamer dynasty as much as the next guy, but let's be realistic. It'd be quite a reach to move him all the way up.
I agree completely about Shane maybe not being ready in those aspects but I was just pointing out that a X and Os guy is not completely necessary. And I agree that if his last name was not Beamer he would not be in the discussion as a potential replacement. Just curious but how much you guys think that the next head coach will come from outside the current staff? I'm saying 5%?
The only way I see the next head coach coming from outside the program is if Foster isn't given the job.
I think Foster is the run-away favorite for the position. Only way an outside candidate beats him for the job is if the administration doesn't want to give it to Foster for some reason.
And then you would promote T Gray to D Coordinator?
I would probably lean towards Gray, but Wiles has been on the staff/in coaching longer and both cooridinate part of the D. (Wiles cooridinates Run D, Gray Passsing).
Depends when this changes happens. If it happens next season, I say it's definitely Foster. In five seasons, who knows. Given that the Steger, Beamer and Weaver will likely all leave at a similar time, it's tough to say what will happen.
Are you referring to Shane coaching ST at VT? Because he held that position at South Carolina and excelled there as ST and Recruiting Coordinator.
Correct.
Yes. Mismanagement of the running game last year proves he's not ready to be a game manager. It's like anything in life, you can only judge people with what we know. For a good head coach, you must hire a good coordinator. Will a good coordinator make a good head coach? We don't know. But, unsuccessful coordinators do not deserve a coaching job. Game planning, strategy, motivation, are all a part of head coaching. All these are necessary to be a successful coordinator.
And never compare Shane Beamer to Dabo Swinney again. Please.
First I am not going to say he failed or not last year because the offense as a whole was bad. Idk if picking a single RB would have changed that but I do know that I kept seeing the Oline get pushed back repeatedly making it tough for any RB to gain consistent yards.
Second I wasn't comparing him to Dabo, I was just stating that you don't have to be a good coordinator to become a successful head coach. Sure it helps but I do not feel that it is the be all end all for a head coach.
Well, considering the degree to which I've been told from various people that Weaver has been more or less a figure-head for several years now because of health, there's no reason to think Beamer wouldn't be the AD as a face and public speaker while someone else does the real management.
Also, this is not the first time I've heard this rumor, so I see it as a possibility, though at this point, not until next offseason.
While I don't necessarily think this will happen, I have heard similar talk. Problem is that Steger is nearing retirement as well. So the timetable/successors get all screwed up depending on who retires first- Steger or Weaver.
I tell you what, as much as I hate all these rumor articles like this one that have espn and other people write about us is about CFB becoming AD and Weaver stepping down rather than us being like Auburn and the constant allegations that keep being thrown at them ever since that shady National Championship they won. Glad to know we do things the right way here.
FYI Weaver is having another surgery later this month (he had surgery about 2 months ago). I think his health is really failing, thus the rumors.
Let's all be serious here. Is Weaver close to retirement? Sure. Maybe sooner than usual? It's a possibility. Does Beamer, at age 66, want to take over as Athletic Director? No way.
An article a few years ago when Shane was first hired spoke about how Beamer doesn't know how to text on his cell phone, and that his email capabilities are limited at best. Does he have the business mind to be an AD? I seriously doubt it. ADs these days come from solid business backgrounds, and I don't think Beamer has the know-how to navigate TV contracts, team budgets, and the other thousands of things that come across an Athletic Director's desk every day.
Personally, if VT were to hire Beamer as the AD, I'd be pretty pissed. I love Frank to death, but he has no business in taking over for Weaver. If Weaver leaves, then I'd really only be happy if Steger left no stones unturned and looked for an outside hire.
All this being said, are we even sure that Beamer would want to be the AD? I can certainly seeing him being a figurehead, or being involved in the Athletic Department in a fundraising or other capacity, but Athletic Director is one hell of an undertaking, and it takes a lot of experience at the lower levels before becoming the head honcho.
I agree, and I don't think Frank would be able to handle the other sports with enough experience. We need someone who is willing to put in work and have experience dealing with the non-football sports as well, especially the other revenue sport, basketball. Not because I have anything bad to say about Weaver, I'm simply saying whoever the next person may be I would like to see have experience with the job position, perhaps someone who is already an AD.
And again, for all the Weaver-Bashers out there whining because our basketball program isn't doing well and he had a weird hiring time frame/lackluster replacement for Greenberg blah blah blah. Take a look at the Director's cup standings, and tell me that he's only a financial guy. I don't think many of you understand how long it takes a program to see long-term improvement, and for VT sports, that catalyst didn't happen until the move to the ACC in 2004, so maybe chill out on the whole "Good riddance to Weaver" rhetoric. It's misinformed and unbecoming.
Any flak Weaver takes for the Basketball fiasco is 100% warranted. He screwed up the timing of the firing by waiting too long to do it and he screwed up the way the firing happened by not telling Seth straight away and instead telling the press first. The basketball program became a much less desirable coaching destination because of these decisions, and many potential coaches that might have looked past the faults of Weaver's decisions weren't available anymore because it was so late in the hiring season.
Is Weaver a completely incompetent AD? Course not. Is he one of the best in the country? Course not. Does he have a history of making very questionable decisions concerning multiple athletic departments? Absolutely.
I have once posted the question at Aaron McFarling's blog about Beamer being promoted to the office of AD, and got a good response from a long-time Hokies' fan. He pointed out that the BOV may not want another Dooley issue, but in that case, Dooley was juggling between head coaching and running the AD position, and got an NCAA sanctions in the process.
No, I don't think that Beamer will become an AD because that is more of a CEO type of role. And we need to step back and look at this way. The AD responsiblity is not to keep the football program in shape, but every other sports on campus. Football is not the only sport that is popular in Blacksburg, yes it is a money making machine for the university, but at the same time, it is not just the only sport. Beamer may eventually step down as head coach and become a de facto ambassador for the athletics department and a fund-raising machine.
I hate to say this, but it is possible the university will appoint a new president (remember, Steger is as old as Weaver is), and then the president may hire an outside the Hokies' family for an AD.
This bring up the question of who will eventually become a head coach at Virginia Tech. I doubt Bud Foster ever will be a head coach. I think he knows he has it made as the long-time defensive coordinator. Somebody already pointed out he has been interviewed for head coaching job at several different school, most recently the Clemson job, and he could have left but never did. I also think Foster have crimped his candidacy to just a BCS-level job. Maybe it's his way of saying, "I'm staying put because I love my job and the kids I coach, and I'm not leaving just to become a head coach."
Then Shane Beamer as a head coach? He already was linked as a candidate at Georgia Southern, which, IMO, would have been a good move for him to get credentials build up. He has the background as defensive coach, special team coordinator, and his recruiting prowess is enough to warrant serious look. However, his blunder as a running back coach, which he admits freely was his fault, cast some doubt. I don't know if 100% of the fan base wants another Beamer in the head coaching spot. It is not a knock on him by any means, just offering a different perspective.
I think the next AD may want to bring his own guy. The question, of course, is who?
I agree. The AD role requires business skills, and I just don't see Frank doing that. I could imagine that when he retires, he'll be given a plush job in the Athletic Department, something like "Director of Football Operations," to stick around as long as he likes and be part of the team. As for Bud, I think he deserves a shot at being the next HC here, but I also wonder if he even wants it. Does he want to deal with publicity and politics and meetings, etc, or does he just want to keep training tough football players? Seems to me he's had a lot of chances to leave, but hasn't. Either that's true loyalty, or he really just loves what he's doing. Some guys use coordinator positions as stepping stones. Others just love their favorite aspect of the game.
It also requires email, something Frank has stated he knows nothing about.
I think Foster looks at the HC this way. He can keep a strong DC job on a BCS contending team or he can risk everything by becoming a HC somewhere. The risk is with today's mentality, if he doesn't perform in a year or two, he could be jobless. Then, where does he go from there? His old VT position is gone, and he would probably have to go to a lesser school to build back up.
I think he likes the stability of VTs program and wants a chance at the NC. Any incumbant coach would have to be crazy to let him go.
No one has mentioned the possibility of another set up. This could happen in 2 or 3 years from now. By then, many will know the value of Scot. For all we know, he could be set up to be running the show.
We need to consider how much VT hates searching for coaches, and the threat of a new HC changing everything when CFB is gone, so I can see something from the inside to keep everything intact.
With the way things have always been run, can't count out planning ahead. Beamer knows what he is doing, and will always have a say at VT, so I wouldn't doubt plans aren't already in process.
I believe someone mentioned that Weaver's staff is already doing a lot of the work for him, so I would think that there would be some good candidates within the department when he retires.