1. Franklin Mitchell Beamer was born on October 18,1946 and is a former American college football player and coach, most notably for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
39 Facts About Frank Beamer
1. 2.
Frank Beamer began coaching as a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland in 1972, and was the head football coach at Murray State University from 1981 to 1986.
3.
Frank Beamer became the head football coach at Virginia Tech in 1987, where he stayed for the remainder of his coaching career until 2015,.
4.
Frank Beamer was one of the longest tenured active coaches in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and was the winningest active coach at that level at the time of his retirement.
5.
Frank Beamer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
6.
Frank Beamer was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and grew up on a farm in Fancy Gap, Virginia.
7.
Frank Beamer is a direct descendant of the notorious Allen clan of Carroll County, Virginia.
8.
In 1953, at the age of seven, Frank Beamer suffered a life-altering accident.
9.
Frank Beamer was left with burns on his shoulders, chest, and the right side of his neck.
10.
Frank Beamer attended high school in Hillsville, Virginia, and earned 11 varsity letters in three different sports: football, basketball, and baseball.
11.
Frank Beamer was a starting cornerback for 3 years, playing in the 1966 and 1968 Liberty Bowls.
12.
Frank Beamer graduated from Virginia Tech in 1969 with Omicron Delta Kappa distinction.
13.
Frank Beamer began as an assistant at Radford High School from 1969 through 1971.
14.
Frank Beamer's college coaching experience started in 1972, when he became a graduate assistant for the University of Maryland, College Park.
15.
Frank Beamer spent seven seasons at The Citadel, the last two as the defensive coordinator.
16.
Frank Beamer was hired as the defensive coordinator at Murray State University in 1979 under head coach, Mike Gottfried.
17.
Frank Beamer hired former Murray State defensive back Bud Foster as a graduate assistant in 1981.
18.
Foster later joined Frank Beamer's coaching staff at Virginia Tech in 1987.
19.
On December 22,1986, Frank Beamer was hired as the head coach at Virginia Tech, replacing Bill Dooley, the winningest coach in school history to date.
20.
Frank Beamer signed a four-year contract worth $80,000 annually, hired by Virginia Tech's new athletic director, Dale Baughman, replacing Dooley in that capacity.
21.
Frank Beamer took over a Virginia Tech football program that had reached six bowl games to that point.
22.
At his hall of fame induction, Frank Beamer said he would have been unlikely to survive his early years had he been coaching in the 2010s.
23.
On November 1,2015, Frank Beamer announced his retirement from coaching, effective at the end of the 2015 season.
24.
Frank Beamer was carried off the field after beating Virginia in the final regular season game to become bowl eligible.
25.
Frank Beamer's teams went to postseason play after every season from 1993 until his retirement in 2015.
26.
At the time of his retirement, Frank Beamer owned all of the Hokies' 11-win seasons in school history, as well as all of the seasons in which the Hokies won 10 games on the field.
27.
Frank Beamer's teams won three Big East championships and four ACC titles.
28.
Frank Beamer was named the Big East Coach of the Year three times, in 1995,1996, and 1999.
29.
Frank Beamer was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
30.
Frank Beamer led the Virginia Tech Hokies to 23 consecutive bowl games beginning in his seventh season in 1993 until he retired in 2015.
31.
On November 1,2015, after 29 seasons as head coach of Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer announced his retirement from coaching, effective at the end of the 2015 season.
32.
In late 2015, shortly after announcing his retirement at the end of the season, Frank Beamer signed an eight-year contract with Virginia Tech, serving as a special assistant to Whit Babcock, director of athletics at Virginia Tech, focusing on athletic development and advancement.
33.
On January 17,2017, Frank Beamer was appointed to the College Football Playoff Committee.
34.
Frank Beamer joined the 13-member panel, which was formed when the College Football Playoff was implemented in 2013.
35.
Frank Beamer wore the number 25 when he played at Virginia Tech as a cornerback from 1966 to 1968.
36.
On October 6,2018, a permanent bronze statue, honoring Frank Beamer's legendary coaching career at Virginia Tech, was unveiled on Moody Plaza outside the Southwest entrance to Lane Stadium, on Virginia Tech's Campus.
37.
On May 11,2023, and Virginia Tech's spring commencement ceremony, Frank Beamer received the Ut Prosim Medal, the university's highest honor, which recognizes those who embody service, sacrifice, generosity, and esteemed accomplishment that reflect honor on both the individual and the university.
38.
Frank Beamer's son, Shane played football at Virginia Tech as a long snapper, and was a member of the 1999 team that played for the national championship.
39.
Frank Beamer is currently the head coach at the University of South Carolina.