Inside Info on Hokie Football: Interview with Frank Beamer

When you think of Virginia Tech, the first thing that pops into your head is football. Every fall, 66,233 maroon and orange clad fans filter into Lane Stadium to cheer on their beloved Hokies led by head coach Frank Beamer. Beamer currently ranks third among active Division I-A coaches in victories with 198 and has led the Hokies to 14 straight bowl appearances. Coach Beamer recently found time in his busy spring practice schedule to sit down with Planet Blacksburg and talk football.

Q: What specific aspects do you look at and what goals do you try to achieve during spring practice?
A: Spring practice is a real important part of developing a football team. I tell the kids you’re practicing in the spring for playing time in the fall. We come out of spring and we’ll say we feel like this guy is ready to play so many plays in a ball game. We’re assuming he’s going to have a great summer and work hard and come back in great shape. You really kind of establish yourself in the spring. For our hopes next fall in football, this is a real important time.

Q: What was the biggest improvement you saw in the team this past season?
A: After our two losses when we did some things that weren’t very good, the next six ball games we played exactly the way we needed to play to win. Take care of the football offensively, don’t be afraid to kick it, play great defense, get a turnover every once in awhile, score when you can, score when you get field position and win the ball game. We won six straight like that and we played the first half of the Chick-fil-A Bowl very well. We just got a little sideways in the second half. I think one thing kind of led to another. We lost a couple offensive linemen and we were trying to juggle people in and out there. We were having a hard time running the football. We dropped a couple passes and then we were just making some plays that we didn’t make when we won those six straight. I think we learned from it and will be better because of it and get ready to play next year.

Q: What do you do as a coaching staff to try and build some confidence in a young guy like Sean Glennon who kind of ended things on a shaky note in the Chick-fil-A Bowl?
A: I think Sean’s nature is that he might have been shaken, but he’s determined to come back and do better. I think the thing you have to keep in mind is we won 10 games and Sean was a big, big part of that. We have to play well around him and he’s got to make good decisions, so I think that’s what Sean needs to work on. I think a good thing is that we have some good competition. Ike Whitaker is back and I think he’s going to give some good competition. Cory Holt has been around awhile. Tyrod Taylor is a freshman coming in and we think a lot of him. So I think it’s going to be good competition and usually competition makes everyone better so I think our quarterback is a healthy position.

Q: What’s it like having two potential All-Americans at linebacker in Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall?
A: They’re really both very good players. They have good talent. I think Vince is one of those guys that I don’t care what he runs, when he’s chasing somebody he runs fast enough to catch him, and Xavier is just very instinctive also. Paired together they’re probably as good as has ever been around Virginia Tech.

Q: How is the tight end battle shaping up?
A: Sam Wheeler and Greg Boone are at the top now and then Andre Smith I think will enter into that. I really would hope that we can end spring practice feeling very good about the tight end position. A good thing about tight ends is that you get those 6’4”, 6’5”, 6’6” guys that run fairly well and if they’re not a tight end they’re something else. I don’t think you can ever have enough of those guys so it’ll be interesting to see where we end up at the tight end position heading into the fall.

Q: How do you try to fill the shoes of arguably the two best kickers in the ACC in Brandon Pace and Nic Schmitt?
A: There’s going to be a lot of emphasis on that this spring. I think Dunlevy, Develli, Waldron and Keys are all guys that are talented enough to be the field goal kicker, but they have only kicked in practice so we need to see how they’re going to kick when the lights come on. Brent Bowden I think should be the punter. Bart McMillin probably should be the long snapper, but it’s going to be good competition. I’m going to spend a lot of time out there with them myself.

Q: Do you see any of the big name recruits (Tyrod Taylor, Davon Morgan, Darren Evans, Blake DeChristopher and Will Alvarez) coming in immediately and making an impact?
A: I think they might. I think this potentially might be the best class we have ever brought in. We’ll see how it all turns out, but as a class I think it might be the best. The good thing about those offensive linemen is that most of the time offensive linemen and defensive linemen are not strong enough when they get here to battle down inside. I think all of the offensive linemen we signed are physically ready to play and could play and you’re not putting them at a disadvantage by putting them in there. I think we’ll see where we are with our depth charts and if we don’t have a guy ready then we’re going to put a freshman there and give him the opportunity to go get his playing time. I do feel good about some of those freshmen and I like playing freshmen. I think the blend of veteran guys with the excitement of new guys is a good mixture so we’ll play them if they’re ready.

Q: How good is Branden Ore?
A: I think he’s good (chuckle). I think he’s a guy that can run it inside, he can bounce it outside, he can catch the ball, he’ll block for you. I think he’s got to continue to work, continue to get bigger, stronger and probably faster, and I think he’s got a bright future.

Q: What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
A: I think we have a chance to be a good team. I think we have to fix some things right now. After that it gets into as the season goes along, just be as good as you can be. I think when you start trying to pick out wins and losses when you don’t know who’s hurt for your team and who’s hurt for the other team and who’s on a hot streak and who’s not on a streak you get in trouble. I think just be as good as you can be each and every week and if you’re as good as you can be, I can accept whatever the outcome is. That’s kind of our philosophy.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg and New River Valley area?
A: I’d say the people. People say that’s kind of the obvious thing, but that’s what I talk to our recruits mostly about is the great people we have. We start with our coaching staff and the faculty here at Virginia Tech. I think it’s a very caring place. Our fans that turn out in that stadium give us great support and to me this is an easy place to live. It’s not a lot of hustle and bustle; it’s just good, caring and friendly people and I like that. It’s why we’ve been here for awhile.