Tuesday: Beamer not tipping hand on staff
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
-If you’re hoping Frank Beamer will tip his hand on any possible staff changes, don’t. “Right now, our attention is on this bowl game,” he said, when asked about it Monday. “That’s where we’re going to put all of our emphasis right now.” Andy has that and more in this story, which focuses on the Hokies trying to finish with a winning record.
-Andy has more news and notes in his blog post here, including this one: As expected, Beamer deferred comment on the arrests of walk-ons Josh Trimble and Brian Rody to athletic director Jim Weaver. With a Jan. 24 preliminary hearing, don’t expect either to be on the bowl trip.
-Your Heisman finalists are Texas A&M freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, Notre Dame senior linebacker Manti Te’o and Kansas State senior quarterback Collin Klein. I’m not supposed to reveal who I voted for until after Saturday’s announcement. Not sure if that rule was in place last year; if it was, I broke it.
-Northern Illinois is offering students one free ticket apiece if they want to go to the Orange Bowl.
-Your full bowl sked is here. Biggest day for the ACC is New Year’s Eve, where N.C. State (vs. Vanderbilt), Georgia Tech (vs. Southern Cal) and Clemson (vs. LSU) are all in action.
NFL
-Robert Griffin III breaks Cam Newton’s rookie record for rushing yards by a quarterback, ex-Hokie Josh Morgan has a key fumble return for a score, and the Redskins beat the Giants 17-16 on Monday Night Football. Washington (6-6) is a game behind New York (7-5) in the NFC East. Cowboys also are 6-6.
HIGH SCHOOLS
-Rockbridge County guard Andrew Rowsey scored 60 points in Saturday’s 117-87 victory over Stuarts Draft. Robert has more here. He made 24 of 33 shots from the field. I’ve only seen Rowsey play once and he was very impressive. Here is Rockbridge’s schedule if you want to check him out.
BASEBALL
-Alex Rodriguez needs a second hip surgery and will be sidelined from 4 to 6 months.
-The Red Sox agree to a three-year deal with power-hitting catcher Mike Napoli.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
-Kentucky falls out out of the AP poll from No. 8, completing the biggest one-week drop since the the polls went to 25 teams in 1990.
-As mentioned yesterday, the Hokies were second in the also-receiving-votes category.
NAME THAT TUNE
Drivin’ faster in my car
Falling farther from just what we are
Smoke a cigarette and lie some more
These conversations kill
Falling faster in my car…
December 4, 2012 - 8:41 AM
The song is by Stone Temple Pilots, but I can’t remember the name of it.
So where does A-Rod play baseball in the Spring? I’m guessing somewhere other than NY.
The Redskins are getting better, but I’m still not sold that this is the year they get back to the playoffs. Givensome of the defense issues, next year is nore realistic for a strong playoff run.
Of course, Beamer’s not going to talk about staff changes prior to the bowl game. If/when he makes them, it will be after the bowl game. There will be the usual press release, he will make one statement about it, and that will be it, end of discussion. That’s the way he handles public statements. No surprise there.
Folks wanting something done sooner will just have to wait. As for possible replacement candidates being snatched up, get real. If he’s making changes, he already knows who he’s getting, they’ve already had discussions and outlined details on the expectations, etc. It’s just a matter of waiting on the announcement. That’s the way it’s done all across the country with schools making changes like that in assistant positions. No big deal.
Congrats to NIU for maximizing the bowl opportunity for their students. It could be the trip of a lifetime for them, even if they don’t win the game.
The NFC East is looking suspiciously like the ACC in football these days.
It would be interesting to see if Johnny Manziel can break the Heisman As A Freshman barrier. Too bad the mindset was different back in Michael Vick’s day.
Oh yeah, the Hokie walk-ons? Too stupid. Stupid to do what they did, stupid to ignore their situation re:VT football, and gone from the team. Hope they enjoyed it while it lasted.
Beamer did not outright say, “No.” It leads me to believe there may be some changes, but what type of change remains to be seen. I’m not convinced that Beamer had a pair to do so unless he’s strong armed into doing so to appease big money donors.
Someone on twitter made the observation that Beamer most likely wont announce changes until after Signing Day.
For once, I agree with you CR. I do think that there will be some coaching changes but definitely not until after the bowl game. I also agree he most likely knows who he wants for replacements.
The two walk-ons were dumb to do what they did, but they are young college students. Speaking from personal experience I know college students don’t always make the best decisions. I never got arrested, but I came close.
Also agree on the freshman winning a Heisman. I remember a comment from Bob Ryan the year after Vick’s freshman year. He said if the voters had any guts, Michael Vick would have won his freshman year. From what I’ve read, it’s between Manziel and Teo’. I haven’t seen either play enough to have an opinion.
I read somewhere that NIU’s ticket allotment of 17,500 tickets for the Orange Bowl exceeds their average home attendance by more than 1,000 people, so the ‘free tickets to students’ ploy makes sense.
On a different note, it’s interesting (to me, at least) that Bud Foster’s name apparently never came up anywhere (other than among Tech fans on this & similar blogs) in the recent run of head coaching openings across the country. Other schools must finally be realizing that he is going to stick with Beamer, for better or worse..
Trev, unless I’m mistaken, signing day isn’t until February, so that is indeed a long time to wait. The announcements will be made in early January. You’re correct as to the reason for Beamer making the changes. The source of ‘inspiration’ is accurate.
RP, Bud’s been more than content for some years now to stay here. If you’ll notice, over the last decade or so, he’s only been even mentioned as a possibility for 3-4 jobs. By setting his bar so high, he’s placed himself out of the market. Perhaps that was intentional, only Bud knows. For several years, he’s made more than any FCS coach by far, and also roughly the same as many mid & lower tier FBS coaches. He’s comfortable in Bburg, and that’s why I think he’ll never coach anywhere else. Nothing wrong with that, if you find your spot, then why not stick with it?
CR, it is possible there may be changes a week after the bowl game, but the tweet I saw with the observation cited 2010 when Beamer made some “reshuffle” in the coaching positions when he hired Shane. It occurred after Signing Day. To a degree, I can see why Beamer would do that, to secure the verbals in ink and then make changes (or not). He is being the seasoned politican at that, I’ll give him that.
Bud Foster seems to have a bit of the Duke assistant b-ball coach syndrome: too happy, successful and well-paid to take any but the best offers (Stanford. Seton hall). Or perhaps he’s an arrogant jerk who interviews badly. I have no idea. I know, however, that VT football is big enough that the program deserves to hire a real proven winner at lower levels, a la a Urban Meyer (Utah), Chip Kelly (Cinc) or Doeren (NIU), rather than elevate a staff member.
If Foster wants to be VT’s head coach, Weaver should tell him to go elsewhere and kick some A first. Likewise, with Coach’s K’s assistants. They need to be told to take a “lower” job and go to multiple NCAA’s, before taking a better job and taking a team to multiple Sweet 16′s and Final 4′s before even thinking about replacing K.
Finally, do we really think O’Cain is a failure at calling plays? He seems better than Stinespring. Again, Aaron, what do other defensive coordinators in the ACC say about VT’s offensive off the record?
For those of you who jumped Beamer yesterday about the “explosive device”:
The cop at the desk brushed donut crumbs off his uniform blouse as the woman yelled “They killed him. They killed Pop.”
The cop cursed under his breath. There had been enough tragedy in Blacksburg and he didn’t need anymore.
“What happened ma’am?” he saud.
“They killed Pop. The took him, they took him. They blew him up.”\
This made the cop’s eyes open wide. He stared at her. Her eyes were rimmed with red. Her makeup streaked with tears. Her mascara running down her cheeks.
“They blew him up…” the cop sort of stared some more.
“Yes, yes. They crammed a bunch of stuff down his throat. He couldn’t resist. Then…… well then he just sort of ……. exploded”
The cop was still as a cold winter night.
Finally he said “And just who did they kill ma’am?”
“Football players did it. Those heathen scum brought to our fair city by that evil Beamer. Won’t you do anything about it or does that fiend Weaver have you under his thumb, too?”
The cop looked at her straight in the eye. “Well, ma’am if football players did it neither Beamer or Weaver have nay truck with us. Now just who did they kill?”
“Why it was Pop. Pop Bottle. The poor old thing, Pop Bottle”.
I guess i’m like the man from Missouri you will have to show me that Beamer will make any changes. Yea he might let a cheerleader or two go, maby a water boy. But don’t hold your breath that Stinney or Ocain is going anywhere. And everybody knows that is where the problem lies.
Rowsey is the real deal. I am at least somewhat surprised he didn’t draw more attention from bigger schools. If he were 6ft 4 instead of 5ft 11 no doubt he would have. If you like basketball you should go check him out.
Doubt Bud gets any interest with current openings since he doesn’t appear to be open to going to a non AQ school, and all of the AQ openings will probably be filled by coaches with head coaching experience. Another factor working against him is that he is a defensive guy. Most schools look to hire offensive guys these days.
Well, those bottle pops are such a dangerous crowd. They make you fat and rot your teeth.
But poor old Pop Bottle brought joy everywhere he went. They shouldn’t have murdered him.
Unless, of course, you plead self defense because he could rot your teeth and make you fat.
And of course, poor Pop Bottle only had one life to live. Unless he was adopted by a family who helped him find purpose in his lonely existence. Maybe they let him store screws, nuts, or other small items. Maybe he worked in a garage shop and spread water or fertalizer in the garden. Maybe he played with the kids or family dogs. Bet he carried scars from that.
Poor old Pop.
Then murdered. Murdered I say by callow youth bent on destruction.
Why there wasn’t enough left of him for the coronor to even examine. With no physical evidence the DA had to charge them with a lesser crime. “Possession of an explosive device” was all they could come up with. A burn mark in the pavement was all there was left. And the Blacksburg rains will soon obliterate that one remnant of his life. No headstone. No blood family left. Maybe a bunch of distant cousins.
Poor Pop.
And that heartless Beamer can’t teach his charges to leave Pop Bottle alone.
Fire Frank. Fire Weaver. They have hypnotized Balcksburg into turning a blind eye to the evil doings of his players.
Murder! Mayhem!
Killing Pop Bottle!
For shame!
I’m getting real worried. I’m ready to call the men in the white coats to come take me to the nervous hospital. This is twice today I’ve agreed with CR. This time about Foster being content working at VT and living the good life on Claytor Lake. Somebody shoot me!!!!!
If Jimmy Driftwood was still alive he’d sing the following song:
Oh how I regret that we tooka little trip
Up to Blacksburg where we had football scholorships
They wanted us to study so we took chemistry
And it turned out that we never would be free
They taught us to mix a chemical
Little did we know it would burn us all to hell
If you mix it this way or then you mix it thus
Bad things happen and they put you on a bus
(rythym change)
Oh we mixed it wrong and the compound it exploded and
The cops came running like they heard a bomb go off
They said we killed a dude they named Pop Bottle
And they threw us in a hole where you could hear a rabbit cough.
(rythym change)
Coach Beamer said that he could get us out
If the R’onoke Time Bloggin’ crowd would raise up a shout
But they saw through the coach’s evil plan
So instead of helpin’ they gave the hangman a hand
(rythym change)
And they dragged us on and off to go to prison,
Where the inmates asked us just what we had done
We told ‘em we killed that dear Ol’ Pop Bottle
And they laughed and they laughed and us they did coddle
(rythym change)
Coddled prisoners sometimes make new friends
And the warden tried to let us make amends
He said go back to that football team of yours
And a work on a title for us to secure
Jim Weaver and Frank Beamer let us back on the team
Told us we had to keep our noses clean
But them fans were tough and gave us quite a time
They just never forgave us for our crime
(rythym change)
Oh how the fans they loved that old Pop Bottle
And they sure were sad to se him go
When our eligibility it run out
We had to flee Virginny for a home in Mexico
540, be careful or you’ll get a lump of coal in your stocking! I must have missed the initial agreement you had with my opinions today. Where was the first lightning strike?
I can’t really blame Bud on many levels. I mean – what other assistant coach in the country has (had) a restaurant named for him? Bud’s got as much mojo as Frank has in Hokie Nation, or nearly as much at the least. He’s got a nice home, spot on the lake, and gets national acclaim. He coaches for a team that goes to bowl games, the ESPN guys always focus the camera on him & mention him during games. In all likelihood, he’ll finish his career and retire to legendary status in Bburg. It’s pretty tough to find the downside to all that.
Some guys roll the dice, some guys stand pat. There’s good reasoning behind both.
Zman have uncovered the truth!
In a small town, nestled in the mountain, in a galaxy far, far away, lies a band of rebel plotting to fight the evil galatic empire from the office of the Merryman Center, with Emperor Frank Beamer and right hand, strangling, force-weilding Bud Foster, and an admiral with all the smug and aggroance of a beaucract Mike O’Cain. Bryan Stinespring as Jabba the Hutt, because there’s always a need for an interpreter to understand the guttral and croaks of the fat, slobbery worm of ridden flith.
The rebels fight day and night to free the grips of the evil Emperor Beamer so the pursuit of the National Championship will finally be realized once and for all.
Little did the rebel band know that Emperor Beamer had a giant weapon of mass hynopistism to put all under his spell, and it would spell doom for the freedom fighting rebels…
You people are crazy! Funny, yes, but loonie tunes!
Fire Weaver and Beamer ….. What a joke
Hearing that Brent Bielema has been hired at Arkansas, and Kirby Smart is rumored to be the next head coach at Auburn (I can’t imagine Nick Saban taking this well). Have not heard anything about Tennessee even with Mora Jr being linked as a candidate.
Gus Malzahn has been hired at Auburn. Mike Gundy is pushing really hard to get the Tennessee job. His relationship with his AD is pretty poor, evidently, so he’s willing to leave his alma mater.
Given that is it Malzhan to Auburn, Bielema to Arkansas, I’m just guessing it’ll be Strong to Tennessee.
The question then becomes – who goes to Wisconsin? And Arkansas State? Not exactly a chopped liver job, pretty decent for a middle tier program.
The dominoes start to fall . . . . .
CR, check 9:39am. It’s okay, I’m already on Santa”s naughty list.
Gotcha, 540. Here’s a tip for you – Temple coach Steve Addazio was just hired by Boston College. His Offensive Coordinator just came from BC last year, so there is a question as to whether he might resist returning. The OC might be a candidate for the head coaching position at Temple, or he may choose to seek OC duties elsewhere. His name is Kevin Rogers. Yes, that Kevin Rogers. Rogers was never known for explosive offenses, but for good ones that meshed with conservative playcalling. He also made his bones as a QB coach.
Think about it…
Correction, Rogers was Associate head coach & QB coach this season. Last year, at BC, he was OC for part of the season. I shouldn’t have trusted the info provided by the VT athletic department for accuracy before checking. I’d say the point remains the same, though, if not even stronger.
Big empty STP. Crow soundtrack?
Yes, this blog crowd are known to be crazy. You should have seen us last year after the massive faceplant in Blacksburg thanks to Clemson. We made the blog the party of the Times. Now, I think we are just becoming old and crusty. Grouchy, maybe.
So, with Malzhan returned home to the roost, so to speak.
Coaching hires are like soap opera. Everybody hates it, but can’t resist speculating and wondering who’s going to go and who’s getting the ax.
Foster reminds me of another great defensive coordinator, Erk Russell at UGA. Stayed at UGA until he was near 60 if not in his 60s. Finally left to START the football program at Georgia Southern. In 9 years as head coach from the time he started the program he won 3 national championships.
Come on Hokie “FANS?”!
Let’s lay off COACH Beamer, Assistant Coaches, AND PLAYERS UNTIL AFTER THE BOWL GAME!GIVE THEM A BREAK! AND GIVE ME A BREAK ALSO.
Rick H, I really doubt that Tennessee offers Strong the job, despite reports that he is their top choice. You’ve got to remember, it’s Tennessee we’re discussing. Knoxville & all that…
Zman, you have WAY too much time time on your hands. CR, Strong is a done deal and UT and a great hire. What do you mean it’s Knoxville and all??
Coaching changes will happen. O’cain and Newsome are retiring and Stinestupid is being relocated to something other then offensive coordinator.
Dear Santa, La. Tech did not go to a bowl this year, upon being 9-3 ,,please have Tony Franklin call Mr. Beamer for a job,,before he is taken,,
Steve78, here’s the difference in Bud & Erk Russell. Russell took over the program at Georgia Southern, an FCS school. Not only has Bud said he wouldn’t even talk to an FCS school, he’s not interested in any FBS job unless it is mid-level AQ BCS conference or higher. He’s basically said he wants something pretty close to a Top 25 job or he’s not interested.
Now, that’s his choice, but let’s not pretend that he hasn’t placed himself in a very tight box by doing so. Bud’s essentially saying that he wants to stay here unless something approaching a perfect scenario comes along. He doesn’t get mentioned but every 2-3 years for a possible opening, and it never seems to go far when he does. So… Bud’s pretty content to stay here.
In the last several years, the only jobs he’s gotten mentioned for were – Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Memphis, & Clemson. He dismissed the first three out of hand publicly. He tried to get the Clemson job, but didn’t.
Again, Bud’s set extremely high standards for any possible move. Perhaps because he really doesn’t want to move. Nothing wrong with that. I do think that’s removed him from many discussions before they ever begin, though.