SI.com published their 2013 Preseason Crystal Ball today. All 7 prognosticators had Alabama in the title game, 4 picked them to win.
One of the hotter takes belongs to Stewart Mandel.
After suffering through a second straight seven-win season, Virginia Tech coaching icon Frank Beamer graciously announces his retirement after 27 seasons, handing the reins to ever-loyal defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
Also, Zac Ellis predicts a bounce back season for Logan Thomas.
Thanks largely to Beamer's hiring of Scot Loeffler as offensive coordinator, Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas will rebound from a forgettable 2012 campaign (16 interceptions) and start living up to his potential. The Hokies will vie for the ACC Coastal division as Thomas enters early-round NFL draft conversations.
Given the national media's perception of the Loeffler hire, Thomas' regression last season, and how the Hokies looked in spring, Ellis is probably sticking his neck out as much as Mandel.
Comments
Yeah, I don't think Beamer retires. Beamer has said if he has a good QB, good health and a good kicker he will stick around.
It'll be Shane before Bud
i sure hope not.
I agree, I could see Bud there for a while, while shane grows and then, and only then, shane if he shows the potential.
Might be just a formality but Shanes title as "Associate Head Coach" leads me to think he'd be next in line
Shane hasn't earned it yet. He's got a lot of potential, but he still has to prove himself.
Can I ask why anyone would think Shane has potential, besides the fact that he is Frank's son?
You'll probably point to how he's coached in the SEC, but it's been as a hodge podge of jobs - graduate assistants, CB coach, recruiting coordinator, outside linebackers coach, special teams coordinator, and now, running backs coach.
Yes, he can recruit with the best of them, but his running backs rotation last year was a major cluster-F.
In my opinion, the best head coaches in college football today are guys who have the personality and charisma to recruit & engage with media / boosters / fans, but also are X's and O's junkies who have SUCCESSFULLY coordinated an offense or defense. Nick Saban (defensive coordinator), Chip Kelly (offense), Urban Meyer (offense), Les Miles (defense), etc. This list would go on and on.
There is a clear correlation between Top-25 coaches and extensive experience as a successful coordinator, and therefore I would expect, and hope, Virginia Tech to look for the next head coach accordingly.
Like you said, I think people are saying he has potential because of his past success in these other jobs. He has knowledge of an array of football positions. That's important for a head coach. But, I think it's too early to write him off and say he doesn't have potential. He hasn't been given a chance as a coordinator. The running back rotation last year was terrible, but I doubt there are many coaches who would have succeeded in his position. Running backs had so few holes to begin with, it's tough to put all the blame on him.
Also, would you consider CFB one of the best head coaches? He was only a defensive coordinator for 2 years. One year with The Citadel and the other with Murray St. I know he's just one example, but I don't think being a great head coach requires being proficient as a coordinator first. I think it's difficult to pin down what exactly makes a great coach. Each of those 4 guys brings some different things to their teams that makes them great for different reasons. Maybe Shane has the ability too.
To be a great coach, it takes courage to take that risk that will take your team to the next level. By the end of last year, it sounded like Frank and Shane had doubted themselves by redshirting Edmunds. Perhaps, a great RBs coach would have recognized Edmunds potential and would have made him the opening day starter. You are right, the jury is still out on Shane. But he has to prove himself with a greater resume before taking the reigns of an upper-tier college football program. I ask you, name one upper-tier program who you think would hire Shane right now. He may become a head coach someday, but he's at least 5-8 years off from establishing that resume.
I agree he isn't ready yet. I was (rather poorly) trying to explain that we shouldn't disregard him as a possible head coach in the future. Being ready now and having potential are two very different things. I believe he isn't ready, but definitely has the potential to be a good head coach in the future.
I wouldn't read too much into that. Billy Hite was Associate HC before he retired.
At the time, I think I remember reading that Shane became Associate HC because that was the role Hite had.
We are down-voting this guy for his opinion? Bad form guys.
Reminder y'all: "Do not down vote for disagreeing with someone's opinion. In general, vote up way more often than you vote down."
http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2013/july/24/community-guidelines
Here you are Sir or Madam.
All 7 picked Bama to at least be in the title game?
So we're just going to overlook OSU, LSU, aTm, UGA, Oregon, Stanford.
I mean Bama is good, but NOBODY could go outside the box a bit.....really?
GOD SUNDAY MORNING IS GOING TO BE SUCH A SHITSHOW IF WE WIN AND I WILL LOVE IT!!!
According to all the media reports I have seen it will be Alabama & Alabama in the title game, and they all think Alabama will win.
hmm, I don't know if Alabama win that match-up, but I do if Alabama scores more points, they SHOULD win the game.
And Alabama will count it as another 2 national championships causing Harvey Updyke's head to spontaneously combust. He's just got too much Bama in him.
I prefer Todd Grantham over anyone on our current staff as the next football coach at Virginia Tech.
I dont see HFB leaving...He is engaged with the players and enjoys his job...As far as the Logan Thomas thing I can definitely seeing that happen
I think Mandel did about 30 seconds of research before making this "prediction."
There is WAYYY too much young talent incoming and growing within the program this and next for Frank to leave after this season, even if we have a lackluster year. 2014/2015 years should see some SCARY-looking Tech squads take the field given the commits of this year and last and how they fit with the new coaches' schemes and priorities.
A lot of TKPers seem to know this, and I'll bet some serious cash that Beamer & Co. know this too. Just another reporter showing the early symptoms of foot-in-mouth syndrome.
here's an upvote for your sig. You forgot to mention the -1 turnover differential too
agreed. great signature.
For the record, your signature will be my new response to every smart ass at a bar who asks me "WTF is a Hokie?" when they see me in my Tech gear on Saturdays. My traditional response, courtesy of the now-defunct TailgateFever (God rest it's beautiful, laconic soul) has always been some variation on the following:
The HokieBird is an ass-kicking chicken. Actually he's a turkey, but that's not the point. The University would have you believe that "Hokie" is a word made up in 1896 by O. M. Stull in a winning entry in the school's contest for a new cheer. A closer look at the historical record reveals the startling truth that this is a poorly concocted lie created to hide a much larger conspiracy from the student body. University records reveal that in 1896, senior cadet O. M. Stull reported what would be the first of numerous sightings of a giant cartoonish bird in the mountains of southwest Virginia. Stull's commanding officer in the Corps of Cadets dismissed the report as "hokey" (a fashionable term at the turn of the century), and the giant bird soon became known as the HokieBird. Like his friends Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, the HokieBird is simultaneously feared and adored by most humans. The sightings all report him to be a bird of great strength, great looks, and great intelligence. He has written extensively on chaos theory, nanotechnology, and the worthlessness of the Designated Hitter rule. He leaps tall buildings in a single bound, benches 405 pounds (77 reps against Akron), and has dated Jennifer Lopez, Sienna Miller, and Jessica Simpson. He has won three Nobel Peace Prizes, two Congressional Medals of Honor, and a partridge in a pear tree. He is part mascot, part super hero, and he will kick your ass.
Your's is far more succint. I like it.
Ass kickin thunder chicken. Thats what we call turkeys round here
And his nest is a Terror Dome.
Beamer isn't going anywehre this year. I agree with everything you said but if I may play devil's advocate for a moment just for thought:
Perhaps Beamer took note of how Bowden left FSU, he probably stayed a year or two too long and was more forced out than he did leave on his own terms. I'm sure Beamer doesn't want that at all.
Now back to what I really think:
Beamer is getting up there in age, his years (whether we like it or not) are numbered as a college football head coach. It takes a lot of effort to keep up these days, not to mention run a top tier program. He's still handling all that fine, I have no concerns at the moment or in the near future. But I think Beamer knows he can't do this forever too.
CFB wants some crystal, he's the guy that took this program to a nationally recognized level and he wants to reach the peak. I think he is waiting for a last charge for a national title. He may have that coming in 2-4 years depending on how recruits work out. After that, I think he hands over the reigns. To who, I don't know.
Foster is the common sense choice in my mind, but all signs point to Shane. Who actually comes after Frank, I have no clue, but I don't think we need to worry about that now.
Here's last years predictions: 2012 Predictions
Spoiler: they kinda suck at this type of thing.
FTFY: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/08/29/preseason-crystal-ball/index.html
Beat me to it.
Your link isn't working very well just FYI.
But I found the site anyway and they really did suck. The only good one was the guy who called Duke getting to a bowl game.
Well, not to be doom and gloom but Mandel nailed his prediction last year.
To be fair, most of them correctly predicted the 5/10 teams to be in BCS games. That's not all that shabby.
That doesn't make a lick of sense to me. The Frankinator just signed a 5 year extension in 2011. No sense in retiring before his contract is up.
And it doesn't seem like him to jump ship when Logan goes to the NFL. Especially if Loeffler turns out to be the QB whisperer.
I don't buy it.
Well, yeah, there's every reason to retire before his contract is up. It's college football, for recruiting, you have to have the belief that the coach will be there the next 5 years. You would never let a contract close on you. We basically know that Frank will retire in the next few years or another 5 year extension will be inked.
Why woukd Frank leave after this year? The 2014-16 teams have a chance to be really good.
2014 looks really down to me. Light on the defensive line and LB'er, losing Tone and Kyle.
Beamer is not retiring until Weaver does. No way he lets Weaver make a terrible hire that could cripple what Frank built. Weaver has done a terrible job managing the process for recent hires in other sports. Not saying the guys/gals we wound up with weren't good outcomes, but Weaver just walks down the hall and hires someone. No process whatsoever. Ironically, that's what he should do for Football when the time comes so of course he'll do the opposite and run a process that results in a hire of some guy who went 7-5 at a MAC school.
No way Frank lets Weaver do that in my opinion. He'll wait it out for the next guy and/or negotiate to assign his successor when he leaves.
Only way Beamer retires this year is if he hoists the crystal football. So, yeah, I hope his prediction is correct!
Beamer isn't retiring this year, or next. Period.
Now if we're opening up the argument for who replaces Frank, well...in my opinion that is a tricky business. The obvious choice is Bud, and I LOVE some Bud Foster, but I have my doubts about his head coaching potential.
All dudes can be divided into 2 categories - bosses, and worker bees. I think Bud is one of the most ferocious worker bees ever. There is a reason he hasn't been snatched up as a head coach yet. Especially back when he was tossing out #1 and #2 defenses left and right.
I believe the closest he got to a D-1 job was Clemson. I know for a fact (I have a friend who is a heavy hitter in the Clemson donor crew) that there was a very strong contingent of Tiger faithful who looked at Bud as the 2nd coming of Danny Ford. It was pretty much down to Dabo and Bud, and Dabo was willing to take a lighter payday.
Other than that, there has been little interest. But, it truly may be that Bud can be very picky...especially with his annuity coming due. Just tossing it out there. If/when Bud takes the reins, I will root for him as much as any Hokie going, but, I don't rule out the possibility of it turning into a dumpster fire either.
Am I the only one who got excited when they 1st saw this thread thinking someone actually picked us to win?
Nope. You're not alone.
If we were to win a National Championship this year (I'm not predicting we will) I could see Beamer retiring, going out on a high note. Otherwise (bar some major health scare) he's at least staying until his contract is up