Frank Beamer: Building Virginia Tech, Beamer Ball & a Legacy of Leadership | On the Line with Jim Pyne

0:00 Welcome to On the Line with Jim Pine. I'm Jim Pine. This episode is brought to you by PLS Aviation. Private Aviation perfectly executed. Now let's get on the line. On today's show, we have one of the greatest coaches of all time. Probably the greatest coach, in my opinion, I've ever been around, seen, heard, had the privilege of playing for and learning from.

0:22 It's the great coach Frank Beamer. Coach has won 238 games at Virginia Tech. In my senior year in 1993, we went 9-3, won an independence bowl. And coach went to a bowl game ever since then, 20 25 years after. Built the program into what it is today, really put it on a national level. Unbelievable job.

0:42 Just a great guy. Beamer ball, special teams, toughness, grit. The man stands for that. But the thing I say about Coach, he look you in the eye, tell you one thing, and he'd do it, which is rare in this world in any profession. So welcome to On the Line today with Coach Frank Beamer. Coach, welcome to the show.

0:58 All good, coach. Appreciate the time. It's great to hear. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Great to hear your voice. Just uh how are things? How are things? I know you got a birthday coming up, I believe, next month. How are things for you? Uh what how's life?

1:10 Everything's good. We're down here in Charlotte. Casey's in Charlotte. And then Shane's down in Columbia, so we're close to the grandkids. So we're chasing them around and having a good life right now.

1:24 How many grandkids is it now, Coach?

1:26 We got six. Shane has three and Casey has three.

1:30 That's great. That's great. A lot of coverage. Good stuff. And uh yeah, so Coach, I it's great. I've been doing this podcast. It's a great show. It's fun. I just get to dial back, and you're someone I definitely wanted to talk to and kind of have a great conversation with. So all good. So so coach, just talking about you, obviously our history.

1:48 You know, I'm one of the greatest coaches of all time. And it's it's fun to talk to you. I remember when, way back, right? I mean, back you know, you recruited me in 1989, 1990 up in Massachusetts. I remember fondly the times you came to the house in uh that whole process. So take me back, like you grew up in Hillsville, Virginia, right?

2:08 I mean, that that's where you you grew up in uh you know, tech well back then, what was tech, Coach? I know it you you ended up going to tech and you were a D B there, but back then tell talk to me about why you went to tech as a player.

2:21 Yeah, tech was kind of the Virginia Tech.

2:29 And then I had some uh relatives on my dad's side that had graduated from Virginia Tech. More of them graduate graduated actually from VMI, but uh there's a couple in there from Virginia Tech. So, you know, that was just always the school I wanted to go to. It's about an hour from where I grew up, and you know, that was uh school for me.

2:49 I did you know, I just when they they got me, they sent an assistant coach, a guy that actually uh was on the baseball staff and just helped them out as far as on signing day. And uh so yeah, I didn't even deserve a regular assistant coach to come and say when he walked in and offered me a scholarship, I said yes.

3:10 I I didn't want him to walk out and change his mind. So I said yes right away. Want to get that cleared up and uh the rest of it was history there.

3:19 Yeah, and then who was the head coach back then, coach, when you got recruited to play there?

3:23 Yeah, Jerry Clayman.

3:24 Yeah.

3:25 And yeah, just a guy I really admired and really a fantastic coach and and had a Kentucky and Alabama background, and you know, just uh really, really good coach.

3:37 Yeah, what what was he good at, Coach? What was especially what did what did you learn from him for from playing for him that you did in your when you c when you got the jobs and you be you became a coach and a head coach?

4:13 You'll never gain that trust back. I mean you lost it forever. And that that's a terrible thing when people hear you talk and say, is he telling me the truth or not? That's a terrible thing to lose. So uh you know, I that's another thing I think I learned. So it's uh it was a great experience being around Coach Clayburn and learning from him and knowing him.

4:34 It was a great experience.

4:36 And you and you were able to go, I believe, like with s to some Liberty Bowls, right? You played w was that Tech's first bowl games with you you involved in those? Was that back then?

4:45 Yeah, it was. So we w went to the Liberty Bowl my sophomore year, and then again my senior year, and we hadn't been to a bowl in a while, so that was a big deal for us at that time.

4:58 Yeah, no, no question. I mean great, great memory. I I always remember seeing those the old pictures in the facilities and stuff, seeing all that success and what a great stuff. So, coach, you go back, then then you you worked, you you were you're in Maryland for a little bit, the Citadel, then Murray State is your first head job.

5:14 What did you learn? What what did you learn at Murray State that kind of helped you develop as a coach that you took to Virginia Tech?

5:22 Well, yeah, I worked there under uh Mike Godfrey and and Ron saw me into it and you know, uh and then Ron's gone and had a good career, and of course, great uh working under Coach Gothe was really special too. So uh you know, it's just it was pretty amazing. I was at the Citadel, and we, you know, at that time were having a hard time talking kids into coming to a military school, and so I uh you know, recruiting at the Mary State was like a you know, like a shot in the army.

5:54 I mean, you uh it's really uh you know, pretty easy and and real good. It's a great school and great academics, and uh so uh yeah, I have you know, things have a way of working out, and that certainly would work out for me.

6:09 Sure, no, absolutely. It's very you know historical stuff. So then Virginia Tech comes knocking, they they they're looking for a new coach, and you they they pick you, you come and uh you know, I I I know like I've seen some of the stuff you said, and obviously, you know, being part of what you built, you know, the the first few years, right?

6:26 In today's world it it almost doesn't happen anymore. If someone has a patience to let a guy come in and build a program, but you were able to do it, they were coming off some probation, so you didn't have a a full deck you were dealing with, but you're able to build it the right way and build it with the key people.

6:40 What were some of the key things, Coach, when you were building a culture at Virginia Tech early on and the people you brought in? What were some of the key things that you look back on and say, hey, I'm glad I did it this way or that way, or didn't do this or didn't do that that you learned from?

6:53 Yeah, we were two, six and one in my sixth year at Virginia Tech. Now, tell me uh how many people could survive that today? In today's world, ooh, if you're two, six and one in your sixth year, you probably need to be looking for uh for another door to get out of there. So, but anyhow, uh people uh treated me great and we got it turned around and uh went on and had a lot of success after that.

7:19 And uh great people in in Murray, Kentucky. I mean, some of our best friends today uh you know live in Murray and uh come from around Murray, Kentucky. So it was just you look back and you're really thankful you had that experience.

7:34 Yeah, no no question. I and I remember it was I think it was my junior year you referenced that year, I think '92, we were well two, two, eight, and one or whatever we were winning sep seven of the eight games in the fourth quarter, we ended up losing them, and it was tough tough times, right? I mean, how did you behind the scenes, coach?

7:52 How you know that's a lot of adversity, that's tough struggle. What was the key? Like, you know, for guys today, you know, people in business, leadership, dealing with adversity, what did you do that year? I know you you had a wonderful family, wife, and children. I'm sure it was stressful for them, stressful on everybody.

8:08 You know, what behind the scenes, how was that for you and how did you hold it all together?

8:13 Yeah, well, thankfully I didn't make many enemies.

8:32 And uh, you know, I knew what was going on, but I think they could see that we were doing it the right way, that we were graduating our kids, uh, we're you know, had a good atmosphere on the field, teaching the kids, and uh thank goodness they gave me time to to to get it done. And and that's the one thing I tell people today.

8:52 I say, you know, you're looking at a coach, don't evaluate him by you know how many games he won or lost this particular year, because that can change from year to year. You know, in a second that can change. Find out is he doing it the right way, is he recruiting good kids, recruiting them the right way, representing the program the way you want him to represent it.

9:13 And that that's what you need to evaluate a coach on if you're thinking about retaining them or not retaining them.

9:20 100%. No, no qu no question. You know, I look back at you and you know, uh legend you're in the hall of fame, all the stuff you won 250 games, 260 games, and then like 25 years straight of bowls. It's awesome to see. It was unbelievable what you did with the program and the success you had. And you know, it was because it you're a rare guy and a rare person, and the way you commanded the room, and you were just you're someone that looked you in the eye, told you something, you did it the right way.

9:45 And people believed you in that trust you talk about. That was everything. And you know, it was wonderful to see. I guess, but bet you know, so then we turn it around in 93, we go 9-3, we go to the Independence Bowl, we beat Indiana, and great time, great thing just to I always say for my life, I was part of a you know, that was a big part of a big thing in my life to go from 2-8-1 to 9-3 to and be part of that turnaround was very rewarding for me, and something I I know for the rest of my life, I've been to really look back on that and say how hey, I I remember when we dug in, we everyone did the work, we had the spring mat drills, we had the you know, we you brought in Coach Al Mation, he would

10:26 put us in pads. We were in pads four days a week, then game day. We were I think I shrunk an inch or two that year, but uh it was it it was great to be part of it. What what do you remember from that coach in '93? What was it fun for you?

10:39 Don't let too much information out. We may still get sued how we treated kids. Phil Mason was a special coach, and I don't know, it's just great uh you know, seeing a turnaround and and uh seeing things change and and uh being able to have for kids to have success instead of getting uh getting beat up.

11:01 So it it's all you know, it's all great memories, really.

11:05 Yeah, no no question. I I always said too, for me, looking back, Virginia Tech, you were the key guy, the leader, a guy behind behind the scenes that I thought was really good and was elite, you know, in what he did. Because I I went on to play in the NFL for nine years, was around a bunch of different strength coaches.

11:21 Coach Gentry, I tell you, was a really he was a special guy, is a special guy. Yeah just how he he trained guys, we were a physical strong team, right? I but what was your opinion on that?

11:32 Yeah, no question. He was a key guy in our whole makeup there. Mike Gentry, you know, I mean he he he had everybody's attention in that weight room and and it was get in there and let's go work and we didn't play around and uh you know he he was perfect. I mean, he was just just what we needed. Hard work and this is not gonna be easy.

11:55 We gotta earn what we get, and and he was he was a big part of that.

12:00 Yeah, and you know, I I've through through my years in the NFL too, I looked I I played with guys who didn't throw around a lot of compliments, but guys like Warren Sapp, Derek Brooks, you know, Hall of Fame football players, they all said they said, hey, forget about the Florida State Miami game, whatever.

12:15 They said the most physical game they've ever played every year and they hated playing was Virginia Tech. And I look at that this the way you you taught them to do it in Coach Gentry, you had the weights going. I think that was a a stamp of the you know beamer ball in your your program.

12:29 Yeah, yeah. We pretty much uh understood there's only one play way to play the game, and that's full speed, and and everybody's got each other's back, and uh that's the way to win football games. So we I think we you know had some great players like yourself and and uh you know you can stay right in there with some of the all-time great players right in the in the in the top of the list of some of the all-time great players ever to come to K.

12:57 So it takes him, you gotta have players. I mean, you just uh you just have to. But we got one of the great recruits you know, our biggest recruits ever. And you and then I think you affected other people and said, hey, if your time's going there, maybe I need to look at it, and you know, it just kind of one thing builds off of another, and and that's the way I think things uh become successful.

13:23 100%. No, I I I always say too, I love I love the story of the memories of I remember you coming up to f to my hometown of Milford, Massachusetts. I don't think you'd ever been up that far north and you came up and like I tell people, Coach Beamer, he sh he flew into Boston, he'd rented a car, and you drove to Milford Mass, which these are old roads, old you know, things going the wrong way, and you figured it out.

13:45 This is before GPS, before that stuff. I don't know how you did it, but I said, this guy's a real guy, and you sat on my couch and you looked me in the eye, you said things, and it was just the feel, Coach. I could tell that I said everyone else that was recruiting me, I said, this guy's real, and he he's a real guy, and and it was you know best decision I ever made was to go play for you.

14:02 What do you remember those? Just fun to talk about. I mean my dad's passed since my dad was a a different guy too, a big strong football guy. But what what do you remember from recruiting me back in the day?

14:21 Right in there with Bruce Smith and Michael Vick and Tyrod Taylor, all you know, you guys all were in uh same same grouping, really. But uh yeah, it was fun.

14:31unknown I uh I'm amazed still I got there and got back.

14:35 That's right.

14:36unknown And and people that know me were amazed I got there and got back.

14:39 So it all worked out.

14:42 That's right. No, those great times, great memories. And I guess, you know, you you took the program to the heights, and you you you're aware of to you know football today. You gotta be really proud of your son, Shane. He's done a great job. I remember to tell people, I remember Shane holding the they don't have the cords anymore, right?

14:58 He was holding the cords for you because technology, there's no need for cords anymore, right? But he he used to be there and he played at tech and now he's done great things. He's a great coach. And uh I guess when you when you look looking at the game today, though, and the changes and evolution of it, what are your thoughts on today's college football?

15:15 I think it still gets back to uh relationships, and he may run a different offense or he may run a different defense, or your coverage and the secondary may change, but it still gets back to the relationships you have and the trust you have with each other, and and that's gotta be there for all the other parts to work.

15:35 So you know, I and I you know I think Shane's got it. I mean, you know, he's always taking notes when uh he he coached for me for a couple years and then he we was with some great coaches C S very Sylvester Groom and you know he he coached for some really, really good people. So uh yeah, and he you know he learned from all of them, like I said, he took those notes and he's like his mom, he's always taking notes, and and I think he's really got the hang of it.

16:03 You know, I think today and today, you know, when I watch him and watch how he runs his operation, I think he's I think he's really got the hang of it. So proud of him.

16:13 Yeah, absolutely. No, we all are. He's a he's a hokey, right? At heart. He grew up in Virginia Tech and he's doing done great things and he's doing great things. He's a young guy with a lot of energy, got a lot, big future ahead of him, and he's doing well. So I I know as a as a dad, you sit there, you gotta be proud and happy, like like you just said.

16:29 Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And you know, and and again, he treats people right, and he's just down to earth and genuine. And uh, you know, I just appreciate what he's all about.

16:42 No, a hundred percent. And that that's tribute to you and to to your wife Cheryl, right? I mean, she's she's I always remember her being a sweet lady, fun behind the scenes, and you're you're both your children, great people, and just you just knew you had everything the right go going the right way.

16:55 And I you know, I guess how how was how is Cheryl, your wife, tell her tell me about her through the years coaching, and they always said because I coached for a few years too. They always said the hardest job in coaching is a coach's wife, right? Being the being the wife, because the coach has gone a lot on the road recruiting, doing things, the hours you keep and stuff.

17:15 How how was how was she impactful and helpful in your career and then uh ultimately Shane's too?

17:20 Yeah, she was uh just the best. Uh yeah, yeah, I think when I say a perfect coach's wife, she fits that category. I mean, uh always there when you needed her, understanding, knew that uh things didn't always go right sometimes, and you had to adjust, and and uh and she was just good. I mean, she uh just somebody that you glad you had her on your side.

17:45 Right, right. Another guy, Coach Foster, Bud Foster, I had him, I talked to him not too long ago. He's obviously a huge fan of yours and your long career together. I one of the things he said of how you know he's a fired up emotional guy, and you were always great at like on the headset telling there'd be times you know you tell him almost to calm down a little bit or something, right?

18:05 How did you have to coach Coach Foster?

18:07 Yeah, I'd tell Bud to calm down, we're gonna need you here in a bit. This game with emotion and one of the best to ever do it. I mean, he knew the game and and I came up as a defensive coach, and of course that's what Bud was, but he knew the game and and knew how to get the most players, and I always I was always glad Bud was on my side.

18:40 He's a smart guy with the energy, the passion. Uh he fired everybody up for sure. And you even if if you if you can see the interview sometime when I play it, you'll see it. He the he was intense. I I love the intensity. I he makes you feel good. Yeah, no, no question. For sure. And then coach, you know, be uh the beamer ball term, right?

18:58 Is that John Bol who came up with that? John Boleyn, was that you? Who where did that get created? I I know it was a big thing and I know what it means, but where did the name and all that come from?

19:08 Hang on, hey Cheryl. Where did beamer ball come?

19:16 Yeah, you know, uh we uh I think you know we ended up, you know, blocking kicks and taking kicks back for touchdowns, and and somebody, one writer some some somewhere along the way talked about that being a beamer ball and just kind of caught on. And you know, it's the I always told people it's the quickest way to win a football game, you're special teams.

19:38 And it's the quickest way to lose a football game. Because, you know, when you're playing when you're kicking, when you're involved in a kicking game, it's always long yardage. It's big, big plays.

19:49 Right.

19:49 And so, you know, you need the you need to be uh ahead on on uh in that at the end of the game.

19:56 And I I remember back playing for you, I was in I was part of this, you know, punt team and whether we called it pride, pride and joy. We had the field goal teams, all that. And you your emphasis, because they went other places and stuff been around on special teams was rare. Like a lot of guys, head coaches don't really focus on it.

20:13 And coach, where did that come from? Is it was that you from your playing days, your coaching days early on? Is that something that emphasis was and it paid off because of the block kicks, the the huge plays in special teams? Where did when did you figure that out? What when did that become so important to you?

20:29 You know, it just makes sense when you look to the game and how you win it and how you lose it. You know, special teams usually affect that. And you know, a lot of people had your special team people come out before practice and get that work done before practice or say afterwards. And I said, you know, what I I said, I would never do that.

20:51 You're you're punishing kids, you know, they're having to do extra to be on the special team. If anything, you need to be in the doing less. And uh you know, we we stopped right in the middle of practice and and go through our special teams operation where the the offensive guys were looking, the defensive guys are looking, and there's a special team people are are you know being looked at and and right in the middle of practice here we go.

21:17 So uh I thought it made a it made a great uh statement to how we felt about special teams, that we would stop practice right in the middle and do our special teams work while all the offensive defensive guys are looking on or looking at us. So uh it was a statement and I thought for sure.

21:38 Yeah, I know, and to your point, that emphasis, right? That importance of doing that, I think really uh to your point, you know, the the players bought in, they understood how important it was from the head coach. You and I remember you teaching special teams and going around teaching guys and stuff, and but I tell you what, I played in the NFL a lot of guys, these head coaches they they were.

22:00 weren't going around teaching special teams and the details. They'd be up in the tower, they'd be doing stuff to drive it. I've seen guys driving the golf carts around practice. They're not really coaching, right? I mean that's again I I'm not surprised with all the success you had. You you live the other thing too, you went to Virginia Tech.

22:16 You know, that's a huge piece too. You you are Virginia Tech. You know you live you raised your family there. You you know you had some great runs. So unbelievable coach I guess here's another question I always ask people adversity comes in, right? Adversity we all deal with adversity. You've had to deal with it.

22:30 I know you had some unfortunate thing. Your brother just passed. What how do you how do you process adversity when it comes in your life? What's what do you do? I mean do you you pray, you're a religious guy, what what are the things you do that make you get through things that are adverse in your life?

22:45 Yeah I I think you gotta take uh this as a foundation of every everyone's gonna have adversity. I you know I don't care who you are, where you are, adversity's gonna come into your life somewhere. Now how do you treat that? How do you react to it? Do you give in? Uh do you uh let adversity beat you or do you fight back and and uh and and give it your best shot to to overcome adversity.

23:12 So yeah I'm looking early on you better better be ready to fight because it's gonna come and uh you better be ready to take it on and that's kind of how we always approached it.

23:23 Sure absolutely another key thing I talk to people about leaders f like yourself is transition right I see guys transitioning from playing football to what's next you know coaching to what's next to even within coaching right some people you had the fortune you stayed at only you know Virginia Tech for a long time I know you had opportunities to leave and stuff but you know how you saw former players transition maybe guys on your staff transition what's some advice you'd tell people if they're transitioning maybe they're not where they want to be right now but they need want to go somewhere else but any key thoughts on transition?

24:00 I think one is you always I think that's the number one thing that people's gonna know if you say something you you you know you can't believe it. And uh if you don't have that you don't you know you just don't have a foundation here you're always wondering okay is he telling me the truth or is he not telling me the truth and so I I I base my my coaching how uh how I treat people, how I live day to day on being truthful.

24:31 And and if you know if I say it you can carry it to the bank 'cause I believe it I uh I think I think it's true. So I think that's gotta be the number one.

24:42 Absolutely no absolutely then you know building a program you built one of the best programs in the country or something that you know it's legendary what you did. What when you're building culture and building a program like you did, what are some of the keys if I'm taking over a business or I'm taking over a team or I'm taking something over what are the keys?

25:00 I truth that you just said how honesty and truth definitely being a man of your word is so important. Any other pillars that people should you know when you're building something and culture that that you you coach beamer means something to you advise you how you advise people with that.

25:15 Yeah. I think you better uh make sure you're hiring good people people that believe the same thing you believe because if you don't then you gotta you sooner or later you're gonna have a crack in your operation. You're you're you're gonna have kids you're telling them two different things and it it can't be that way.

25:34 It's gotta be one way to do it and that's the way we're gonna do it. And if you're gonna be in this program that's the way you're gonna do it. And so I you know I think that's uh you gotta have you gotta hire people that believe in doing things the same way you do and believe in the same things that you do.

25:52 I th I think that's what's important.

25:54 Absolutely no I do definitely do.

25:56 And then coach you some of the I mean it could be one piece, could be five pieces what what are some of the best pieces of advice uh that you've either felt like you've heard, you've given you you got in your life like I always ask guys, and it's really great to hear some of the stuff some of the best advice you ever got I think my advice kind of came from just looking at Coach Bobby Ross or Jerry Clavern or all the you know Mike Godfrey all the great coaches I was fortunate to be around and uh and just looking at them and and seeing how they did things and and I think if you just study people that's probably some of the best advice you're gonna ever going to get and so I I go back to that.

26:44 Yeah absolutely absolutely and and coach the the future of Virginia Tech you looked there I know it's just like me we're both fellow alums of tech we I got you know I root for tech every week and I I think new coach they got new coach there coach frankly he he's been a winner in his past and uh seems to seems to have done a good job of recruiting and what what what do you see though you know you get the ACC you know with college football with the the power for they call it the conferences realignment playoffs all this stuff what do you see for tech or what do you hope for tech and what do you see the path and what do you see navigating the the the sports world today?

27:21 Yeah I I I know James Franklin quite well and Penn State running in to him recruiting down in 7573 and so forth. But I I think we got the right guy. I think we got the right guy and we just gotta hang in there and give him our support give him time and and it's all gonna come back around and hopefully get it back on the right track.

27:45 Absolutely absolutely I I I do too I think he's done a good job he's coming to recruit recruiting looks good he's he's got some intensity to him and he's put a program together and he knows how to do that so I hope for big things I guess so coach you fish now is still golf at all with you play racquetball what do you what are you doing what are you doing all that free time where you going to go play golf you've been gone all week don't you want to stay and we'll do something together and now it's I wake up on Saturday morning it's like okay don't you want to go out play some golf get on out of here man things have changed a little bit that's right that's right now that's that's that's life right

28:39 that's that's the that's how it works. Yeah they want us around but not not not too much around right we've got to be Yeah exactly exactly there's a root there's a routine in what we do.

28:50unknown Amount of time we need to uh be out of the house.

28:54 That's right that's right I know you probab you probably go to a lot of Shane's games do you do do you watch college football coach high school foot do you do you watch do you watch a lot you do?

29:04 Yeah I watch it if it's on and we're always we're at all Shane's games if they're home and if they're away and we get to them we go to 'em so proud of what he's done down there and got him but good staff got a good program running so uh hopefully he can hang in there and win enough.

29:22 Yeah no absolutely tough league. It is no and I I've been around Shane for years a bunch a bunch of seen him grow up through you and he's he's a great great young man great guy great he's done great things and he's he he's got the good looks too like like you and Cheryl he's he's a he's a young looking guy so he's got a lot a lot ahead of him and you know what wherever it takes him he's gonna it's on to good things for sure.

29:44 He's yeah he's he's doing great takes after he's takes after his mom in a lot of ways her looks and attention to detail and taking notes and he got a lot of good things from his mom.

29:58 Absolutely no the mom knows best for sure so this is great stuff coach I really you know you're the the bet I always tell people the best coach I've ever been around ever had but but even better man. You're a better man and I learned a lot from you and I know a lot of guys that played for you feel the same way and you know it's just you're a special guy.

30:16 So we're always rooting for you and it's great to hear your voice and you're a unique guy for sure.

30:22 Yeah that means something coming from you because I have such great respect for you and one of our best players ever one of the best players ever that comes through Virginia Tech. So we're proud of you and any anything we can ever do let me know.

30:36 You got it coach love you really appreciate it and we'll talk soon and stay in touch and hope to see you soon.

30:41 Okay love you too many see you coach okay see ya bye