Frank Beamer

**You really only need to read the first two and last two paragraphs if your knowledge of VT Football over the last 12 seasons is above par. Also, I apologize for any typos. I typed all of this on my phone.

This is a very sensitive topic for almost all Hokie fans, talking about Frank Beamer's job security as the head coach of Virginia Tech Football, because he has been there for 27 years, won over 200 games, more than any other current college football head coach, and built this program up from, basically, nothing to a BCS bowl contender nearly every season, but does he have it anymore?

I understand to the fullest extent that, under no circumstances that aren't extreme (i.e. Jerry Sandusky, Woody Hayes' punch, etc.), Frank Beamer would be fired. Is anyone else starting to become extremely frustrated with him, though? Losing some of the games we have lost since 2001 is nothing but unacceptable.

Let's look back. In 2001, the Hokies rose to #5 in the polls after a 6-0 start, and it looked as if the loss of Michael Vick wasn't as serious as some people made it out to be. Well, after a perfect first six games, the Hokies dropped one at home against unranked Syracuse 22-14. Now, one wonders how in the world that happens, even though a great team has a fluke game every once in awhile. Because of that the Hokies only dropped seven spots to #12, and were faced with Pittsburgh, another unranked team the next week, and got whooped 38-7. After that the Hokies won the remainder of the regular season games, aside from when they played #1 Miami and lost by two points (thanks, Earnest Wilford), and then lost in the Gator Bowl to Florida State.

Next season, 2002, the Hokies entered the season #16 in the country, and looked very impressive the first half of the season again, as they started 8-0 and beat three top 20 teams in a row, and rose to #3 in the polls. Then, the unthinkable happened. The Hokies dropped three straight to unranked teams, Pittsburgh at home by seven, Syracuse on the road by eight in triple overtime, and West Virginia at home by three, and closed out the season by beating Air Force 20-13 in the San Francisco Bowl.

Then, 2003 happened, a season that included Virginia Tech's lone win in school history over a top five opponent but also included five losses, four being to unranked teams, including a 28-7 loss to West Virginia on the road when Tech was the ranked #3 team in the nation.

The next season, 2004, is the last season I can remember a Virginia Tech football team not lose any games they weren't supposed to (NC State was early in the season, and Tech still had a lot of inexperience).

2005 was different, though. A terrific team plagued by discipline problems and, just like we're used to, inexcusable losses. The Hokies started 8-0 and rose up to #3 in the polls. On November 5th the #3 Hokies faced the #5 Miami Hurricanes at home in front of College Gameday and a home crowd with a chance to convince voters and the computers to move them into the top 2, putting them in the driver's seat for a Rose Bowl bid (the national championship that season). The Hokies turned the ball over 6 times and lost 27-7. The Hokies bounced back well, though, as they closed the regular season with impressive wins over Virginia and North Carolina, and were favorites in the first ever ACC Championship game against unranked Florida State, in which they were ranked #5 in. The Hokies fell behind 27-3 in the third quarter, and went on to lose 27-22. Nobody saw that coming.

Next up, 2006. The Hokies started 4-0 and rose to #11 in the polls, but went on to lose two straight, one at home against #24 Georgia Tech 38-27 and one on the road against unranked Boston College 22-3. The Hokies turned their season around after that loss, though, and won their final six regular season games, including a 24-7 victory over #10 Clemson at home. Then, the infamous Chick-Fil-A Bowl, where the Hokies jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead, but behind three fourth quarter interceptions by Sean Glennon lost 31-24.

After 2006 came 2007, one of the most emotional seasons in Virginia Tech Football history, as it occurred after the April 16 massacre. The Hokies started off the season with a win over ECU, then traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a top ten matchup against #2 LSU. The #9 Hokies got annihilated by a final score of 48-7. Yes, a 41 point loss for a top ten team. The Hokies recovered from that devastating loss and won five straight before having their hearts broken by #2 Boston College 14-10, a game in which the Hokies led 10-0 in the final five minutes. How does that happen? The Hokies got revenge on the Eagles, though, and beat them in the ACCCG 30-16 to receive an Orange Bowl bid against the Kansas Jayhawks (funny, right?). The Hokies were favored coming into that game, but fell behind 17-0, and went on to lose 24-21.

2008 happened next. The Hokies opened up the season ranked #17 and played unranked East Carolina. The Hokies lost 27-22. Again, how? The Hokies proceeded to have a very up-and-down season that included wins over Nebraska (on the road, I must add), Georgia Tech, and #23 Maryland and losses to Boston College and Miami. The season had a very great ending, though, as the Hokies beat #18 Boston College in the ACCCG again and beat #12 Cincinnati 20-7 in the Orange Bowl.

The Hokies had high hopes for 2009 after their 2008 Orange Bowl victory. After a tough loss to #5 Alabama in the season opener the Hokies ripped off five straight wins and rose up to #4 in the polls, but went on to lose on the road to #19 Georgia Tech 28-23, a loss that should not have happened. The Hokies got a bye week after that loss and played unranked North Carolina 12 days later. UNC won 24-21, something that should have never happened. The Hokies bounced back, though, and won their final five games, but those two losses cost them a third straight ACCCG bid.

And, who can forget 2010? The Hokies opened up the season against #3 Boise State, and lost a hard fought battle 33-30. 5 days later the Hokies lost to James Madison. Yes, James Madison. FCS James Madison 21-16. The Hokies went on to win 11 straight games, though, and faced off against Stanford in the Orange Bowl. The Hokies got killed 40-12. No excuse for that, in my opinion.

Coaching changes came after 2010. 2011 featured a new playcaller, Mike O'cain. The Hokies won their first four games and were faced with #13 Clemson at home. The #11 Hokies got killed 23-3. Absolutely unacceptable. The Hokies won their final seven regular season games, and were #5 in the country for the ACCCG against Clemson. The Hokies lost again, this time by 28, 38-10. Once again, we ask how. The Hokies still got a BCS bowl bid, and went on to play Michigan in the Sugar Bowl, a game in which the Hokies, statistically, dominated, but still lost 23-20 in overtime, due to poor coaching decisions, in my opinion.

Now, we all know how 2012, last season, went. No need to go into detail about that one, other than we went 7-6 and had to beat Virginia by a field goal just to make a bowl game.

And here we are now... This team opened up with a loss to Alabama in which the Hokies gave up two special teams touchdowns (special teams are coached by Frank Beamer) and one interception return for a touchdown. The Hokies rebounded and won 6 straight games, but lost two inexcusable games to unranked Duke at home and unranked Boston College on the road. The Hokies rebounded and beat #11 Miami on the road 42-24, but then today happened. The Hokies lost to unranked Maryland (who had 17 players on their injury report) on Senior Day 27-24 in overtime.

Now, are all of these losses just bad luck for Virginia Tech? Or, is there some substance to it. There is one constant for all of these losses, and that's Frank Beamer being the head coach. Frank Beamer has done so many great things for Virginia Tech Football, but he has also made them look like a laughing stock many other times. Frankly, I'm sick of it. How many top five wins does Beamer have? What's his BCS bowl game record? How many time has Tech been ranked and lost to an unranked team? That's right. A lot.

Beamer simply cannot be a good head coach every week, unlike Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher, etc., and I'm sick and tired of watching this team squander talent week in and week out because of poor leadership, coaching, and preparation. Does anyone else agree?