On Beamer’s new contract, assistant raises and more
Virginia Tech is in a bizarre holding pattern at the moment.
Possible changes to the coaching staff seem like they might be on hold for now, at least until the American Football Coaches Association’s convention Jan. 6-9 in Nashville, where it’s possible Frank Beamer could talk to a number of potential candidates in one location.
As for the report that Kevin Sherman will be heading to Purdue, new Boilermakers coach Darrell Hazell decided to stick with Kent State through the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile against Arkansas State, which is Sunday. It’d be surprising in his dual coaching role if Hazell made any official staff announcements before then.
Then there’s the three players who are considering their NFL options – Logan Thomas, James Gayle and Antone Exum. All three have gotten their feedback from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Now they have until Jan. 15 to enter their name in the draft, presumably after some discussion with trusted family and friends.
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So for now, everyone waits. In the meantime, Beamer began his new four-year contract on Jan. 1, one that he had agreed to in September of 2011. It calls for him to be paid $2,491,616 before bonuses this year, which is still a relative bargain in the coaching profession.
Just this offseason, Arkansas gave Brett Bielema $3.2 million annually, Auburn gave Gus Malzahn $2.3 million annually, Kentucky gave Mark Stoops $2.2 million annually (with an potentially lucrative bonus setup) and Tennessee gave Butch Jones $2.95 million annually. None of those coaches are anywhere close to Beamer’s 258 career wins.
Even within the ACC, Beamer’s salary is still on par or lower than many of his colleagues. According to a USA Today database, Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher ($2.75 million), UVa’s Mike London ($2.556 million) UNC’s Larry Fedora ($2.448 million) and Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson ($2.445 million) made comparable figures in 2012 and probably will receive some sort of contractually obligated pay bump in 2013.
Here’s a breakdown of Beamer’s pay this year:
- Base salary – $285,944
- Retention incentive – $2,020,672 (for Hokie Club appearances, university PR functions, radio and TV appearances)
- Nike and IMG contracts – $185,000
Other than a slight pay bump, the contract is almost identical to his previous one, except for the post-head coach employment section, which states Beamer will be appointed to special advisor to the athletic director upon his retirement, with an annual salary of $250,000 for eight years.
The bonus structure and assistant raise pool is identical to the previous contract. By playing in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Beamer is due a $50,000 bonus. Coordinators Bud Foster and Bryan Stinespring are due a $50,000 bonus. Associate head coach Shane Beamer is due a $25,000 bonus. The other seven assistant coaches, assistant AD for athletic performance Mike Gentry and associate AD for football operations John Ballein are due a $20,000 bonus. Equipment manager Lester Karlin and trainer Mike Goforth are due 1.5 months salary, per the contract.
Because the Hokies made the Russell Athletic Bowl, the assistant coaches are due a 7 percent raise from their previous year’s salary (the contract says 7 percent for an appearance in the Gator or Peach bowls, although it’s actually in reference to the 2nd and 3rd-ranked ACC bowls, which have changed over the life of the contract).
Applying that to last year’s salaries, here’s what the assistant coaches’ salaries will look like in 2013, assuming all are retained:
- Bud Foster: $504,785
- Bryan Stinespring: $374,478
- Mike O’Cain: $270,470
- Charley Wiles: $261,662
- Curt Newsome: $227,538
- Shane Beamer: $216,703
- Cornell Brown: $216,703
- Torrian Gray: $216,703
- Kevin Sherman: $216,664
January 3, 2013 - 10:19 AM
The VT student newspaper, the Collegiate Times, has on its website links to a on-line database that lists the salaries of most of the employees at Virginia Tech (it’s a Freedom of Information thing). Check it out to see how many people (above the lower salary cut-off in the FOIA) make less than $50,000 a year. Then consider all the custodians, dining hall workers, and buildings and grounds people who don’t make the list because their pay is below that minimum. Then consider how obscene it is that the coaches are being handed nice bonuses just for APPEARING in a bowl game (winning was inconsequential). Also consider that state employees have not seen a raise for going on four years now (and MAY see a 2% raise in July if the state finances are robust enough) — yet the clown college in Merryman is getting an automatic 7% raise in already high salaries. Yeah, yeah, the athletic department is bring in money hand over fist from high-dollar ticket sales, lots of advertising plastered all over Lane, and television contracts, so it can afford to spread all that dough around — while just across Washington St. there are students (and their parents) who are barely scraping by because tuition and costs have increased every year (including an athletic fee that offers students a chance to play in a lottery to get seats to see their classmates on the field). The whole system is a mess, made worse by the continuing decline in the VT program, which could have an impact on those TV dollars. Ugly, ugly, ugly.
Yeah Joe Hokie, this is why I have very little empathy for overpaid coaches and their families. I know they work hard and put in long hours…but so do millions of other people working in the real world at a fraction of the salaries these guys make.
Waiting on the news….
Keep up the good work Andy!!
Frank Beamer has got to be the slowest guy on the planet! What in the world is the hold up? He’s going out to Nashville because he doesn ‘t want a potential coach to come to Blacksburg and be seen? He’s trying to hook his homey’s up with a gig? I just will not believe that he’s going out there searching for some coaches. Flip the switch on the offensive staff, bring in the new guys and see if they can flip some guys, like Derrick Green. Demetri McGill would be a nice grab too. There’s no way the big defensive tackle should be going to college park.
Highest paid losers this side of Congress ! ! So much for pay based on merit.
Well said, Joe Hokie! No pay increases for state employees since 2007; custodians, dining hall employees, buildings and grounds employees are some of the hardest working and worst treated employees on campus, yet earn so little for their efforts; police officers don’t receive adequate compensation for their dedication and putting their lives at risk; faculty who are employed to instruct students and assure parents their children are receiving a quality education are paid low without regard to their level of education and dedication to their mission of teaching. It is, indeed, disgusting to see the number of $$$ poured into college sports while those who work so hard and are dedicated to the success of the university’s mission of education take a back seat.
Joe Hokie, you and Jim Weaver are the exact reason that VT will never be a football power again.
joe hokie enough sour grapes…..about the coaches salaries…
We can’t be so short sighted. I don’t have the exact percentages but I do know that the success of the football program has had a direct effect on many aspects of the university and the surrounding area. Student applications have increased by a higher percentage than pre 1992. Also, average SAT scores of incoming freshmen, research and endowment dollars have all increased by larger amounts than pre 1992. There are many new research companies in Blacksburg and the New River Valley. Higher attendence for 6 or 7 weekends in the fall has aided the local economies due to fans spending money on hotels, restaurants, etc. All of this has led to the road conscruction that has occurred. This all can be tied into the fact that people like to be associated with winning teams. It happens all over the country, not just in B’burg. Perfect example of the trickle down effect. It’s not just about football. Just happened to realize that some of us have contributed to the local economy by paying speeding tickets. I wonder if research would show an increase in the number of citations written on autumn Saturdays?
You can complain all you want about what coaching salaries are, but that’s the nature of the business. To stay competitive in the current college landscape, this is what you have to pay (and some would say VT underpays its coaches, relative to what its contemporaries are paying).
Also, remember that the athletic department, save for a small student fee, is independent from the school as a whole financially. Salaries are paid for primarily from Hokie Club donations.
If you want to earn more money, then get a job that creates more revenue. Janitors will never be rich. Are you really this clueless as to how the world works Joe?
“These upstanding Virginia Tech offense coaches and staff members are husbands, daddies, brothers, uncles, and sons. Their wives, young children, siblings and parents love and care about them. Any hiring or firing will bring dramatic change to these families.” -Tamara Shimozono
That is a quote I copied and pasted from the mailbag.
This blog post have blown an argument into Tamara’s comment.
Stinespring, which was the person Tamara was defending because Aaron apparently upsetted some Hokies’ apologists when he penned his opinion about the need for change, is well paid to be an “offense coordinator” who sits next O’Cain while he is calling plays.
I would never be able to make what Beamer and his cohorts are making, but I think Joe Hokie nailed it with his post. I remember a running joke about a high school coach in Texas being paid more than the governor of Texas some years back.
That’s very true. Priorities are truly out of whack these days.
It will be interesting to see how long it takes Frank to finally make his announcements. It seems like some of the ‘easy outs’ of claiming an assistant coach left for another position instead of being dismissed are fading away.
As to the comparison to other coaching salaries v. Frank’s and the respective win totals – I’d have to comment that Nick Saban doesn’t have nearly the win total of Beamer, either, but we can all agree he’s certainly earning his money despite it being vastly larger than Frank’s salary. The latest contracts always tend to be the most lucrative, UVa’s exuberance notwithstanding. Just as the latest TV contracts tend to be the most lucrative. A Frank Beamer that was 20 years younger would probably command a larger contract. He’d also not receive the grace period that Frank Beamer did back in the day, either.
A 66 year old coach with four years of $2.5 mil plus annually remaining on his contract, and the built in raises & bonuses? Topped off with EIGHT years of $250K annual income to basically do little more than PR appearances after that? I don’t think that’s a bad gig.
What will be interesting is how Frank justifies Stinespring’s compensation despite job title changes. How will that work? By hiring an OC that also coaches the QB’s and thus saving the differential…
Since Beamer gets paid for public relations stuff to the tune of $2.0 mil/yr the comparison to tohers is really not appropriate. None of the essential support staff would draw a paying crowd. This is the same old argument about movie and TV stars and athletes.
That said, I think it is up to Beamer, and other very well compensated people, to be responsible members of their communities and do what they can for the less fortunate.
It is incumbent upon all of those who are well heeled to do the same.
Beamer has made huge contributions to the university “brand” and has recieved a great deal in return. That seems fair to me and the way our system is supposed to work.
I would guess that, at some point, a person who makes $2.0 million/yr wouldn’t feel like they needed money and would create a foundation or something.
Why would a 6-6 team even be considered for a bowl? Why would a 6-6 team think they deserve to go to a bowl? It all about the bucks. A 7% raise, and $50k bonus just for appearing in a bowl is crazy. Plus, is college sports the only place where nepotism is allowed and encouraged? It is nice to be able to hire your kid to a job that pays over $200K per year.
757 Res, the delay is probably more about trying to allow the assistants about to be fired… err… choose a new career path – to actually get some interviews of their own in at Nashville. Let’s be honest, the guys on the chopping block know who they are, and Stinespring knows his future inside the staff, too. The delay is about saving face.
540H, to equate economic development in the NRV with Hokie gridiron success is… wow. Talking about growth in the nearly three decades since Beamer arrived and laying it at his feet for responsibility? That’s certainly adulatory, but not connected to reality. Yes, successful sports teams bring attention to schools. Successful sports teams, especially at the mid-tier level, do not bring in a growth of research companies, elevated SAT scores, etc. Try not to be so carried away. I don’t think anybody is going to want to ‘thank’ Frank Beamer for having received a speeding ticket on I-81 on an autumn weekend. It’s called a stretch, and you’re taking it to the breaking point.
Hey catsmeow, State Employees have gotten raiuses and Bonuses! At least VDOT Employees have faired very well – It’s the Senior Citizens that are getting shafted!
Al – Looks like a 6-6 team won it’s Bowl Game and a 6-7 team beat USC!
How about that!
You just hate the Hokies and their last 20 yrs success -
Start picking on the SEC for a change – After looking at the Sugar Bowl looks loke the Gators may have been over rated!
Zman, Frank publicizes each fall a ‘White Out’ home football game where fans are encouraged to wear white, in a copy of the vaunted Penn State White Out games from several years prior continuing through the present. That is also another opportunity for Nike to display a new uniform and helmet style to increase Nike logo memorabilia sales. Donations are accepted at that time directed towards ‘Herma’s Readers’ foundation, a charity that Frank Beamer was involved in starting, and named in honor of his mother, a former school teacher.
To date, the total of expenditures for books by the foundation has been slightly over $80K since its’ start in 2008. Or, roughly 7/10ths of one percent of Frank Beamer’s $11+ million total salary since that time. The expenditures would include all public donations, Nike contributions, as well as any amount Frank Beamer himself donated.
So, to answer your question, Frank Beamer indeed has formed a charity/foundation that impacts literacy among youth in SW Va.
A 6-6 team is more likely to go to a bowl when teams from the conference aren’t bowl eligible due to self-imposed or NCAA sanctions.
And, as far as nepotism. See, Redskins. See, the unfortunate Eagles situation. See the Patriots, Jaguars, Cowboys, Bears, just to name a few from this past season. So, no, not reserved only to college. The younger Beamer has held coaching positions at GT, Tennessee, Miss. St., South Carolina, and now VT. His salary is in line with the other assistants on the staff.
Coach Beamer has earned every cent he is paid and the money does not come from state coffers. Shane Beamer was making more money at South Carolina than he is making now.
To compare what a blue collar worker makes to a person with a masters degree is ridiculous. Most people go to college to increase their chances of making more money.
Please stop drinking the Kool Aid of class envy
Al, you said, ” Plus, is college sports the only place where nepotism is allowed and encouraged? It is nice to be able to hire your kid to a job that pays over $200K per year.” Have you never known anyone who grew up in a family business? There are many businesses in the Roanoke Valley alone that were started by the current owner’s grandfathers and even further back than that. Going into the family business is almost a tradition world wide. In my opinion Shane Beamer has proven himself in his past coaching assignments. Everyone touts the SEC as the be all and end all of college football and Shane was an assistant at two of those schools. The old ball coach at South Carolina (who I really don’t care for) was quoted as saying the hated to lose him.
CR, I doubt there is anyone more negative than yourself. As you so often say, “Re-read my post”. I never laid anything at the feet of Coach Frank Beamer. No where in my post is his name mentioned. I just cited some obvious examples of growth in the VT community since the VT football program became successful. All of these ideas came from a seminar I attended a few years back and the speaker was either the university registrar or the provost, I can’t remember which.
Andy, you said “Salaries are paid for primarily from Hokie Club donations.” Sorry, but this is not correct. Hokie Club donations fund student-athlete scholarships, capital improvements for facilities, and other athletic program support. Coaches salaries come from athletic department revenues (ticket sales, TV/radio fees, advertising, etc.). As a side note, the Hokie Club is separate organizationally from the athletic department; reporting to the University VP of Development.
Well, I stand corrected then.
Still, the athletic department is pretty much self-sufficient in its funding of things.
Andy states: Beamer is paid $2,491,616 before bonuses this year, which is still a relative bargain in the coaching profession. I have to disagree. I don’t think it is a bargain at all. For what he has accomplished the last several years, I think he should be getting a pay cut. Beamer needs to get performance up before getting more dollars.
540, I’d welcome your explanation as to why ‘research companies’ decide to relocate to the NRV and SAT scores rise based on your inference that football semi-glory resulted in those factors.
‘I don’t have the exact percentages but I do know that the success of the football program has had a direct effect on many aspects of the university and the surrounding area.’ – followed by a recitation of everything from increased SAT scores to increased traffic tickets.
I don’t know, you tell me why you posted such a laughable comment. Perhaps you’re backtracking now because you realize how silly it looks when actually read. Who knows? I have to give you this, it was one heck of a cheerleader moment from someone who has set the bar high. Congrats to you on that one.
Hey, I heard there was a new restaurant opening in Pulaski. The owner said it was because people drive from hours away just to witness football excellence. He’s expecting to make a fortune by naming it after a particular football coach. Let’s see if we can jointly name one whose name is synonymous with successful cuisine…
Frank Beamer the last three seasons: 29-12, 19-5 ACC, two league title game appearances, one conference title, two BCS appearances.
Yeah, that’s horrible.
There will be less bitching about Beamer’s salary and bonuses and that of some of the coaches when Frank Beamer selects a new, hopefully competent ataff for the offense and special teams, and demonstrates that nepotism is not involved by whom he selects and what he does with present coaches. Then it will depend on whether VT continues to slide in the ACC. That is just the way it is in a job that is high paid with high expectations.
Interesting article from The Virginia Pilot and our old friend Kyle Tucker on the impact student athletic fees has on the overall athletic budgets at state universities. Not the small overall contribution you might imagine.
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/05/college-athletics-costs-grow-student-fees-rise
@gtbowyer
For Virginia Tech it is. By far the lowest of the schools on that list.
Andy, you right on in that VT’s athletic department is self-sufficient; it is one of the very few that operates in the black.
Being from the 757 area I’m close to a lot of schools on the list. The other benefit of having successful athletic programs is reflected in the price of admission. I’ve gone to W&M women’s basketball games for $5. Football tickets are in the $25 range. CNU’s (Div III) men’s basketball games are $8, football a little more, Same at Hampton U, NSU. The cost of equip. to support these programs is the same. 85 uniforms at VT cost the same as 85 uniforms at Hampton U. You have to pay for the programs. UVA fans don’t realize the impact on their program by not filling Scott Stadium on Saturdays. Increased student fees to compete. The sad part of it is that even with student fees at VT, the students have to compete in a lottery for a chance to attend.
To All,
Who really cares what they make? It’s their business, so everyone should keep their noses out of it.
They are like everyone else in the world. Get as much as you can negotiate.
As an alumni, I would have liked to see the year go better but sometimes things do not work out. It’s life.
Only change I can see is Stinespring but of course everyone already knows it.
Also, I have no idea why Virginia Tech doesn’t try and get a Peyton Manning Jr. replica. Logan is a good player but he was recruited as a tight end. VT needs to get a kid that can throw accurately.
I remember during Peyton Manning’s true (not redshirt) freshman year when Tech played Tenessee in the bowl game. All I saw was Manning completing passes and throwing for TD’s while they drilled the Hokies
Again, I do not blame anyone of them at all for getting what they can get.
However, the AD should probably sit Beamer down and explain life to him. That the offense just isn’t cutting it. Recruit a QB that can throw. The offense never even runs that shovel pass to the fullback like we used to. That was a good play.
Again, I don’t care what they make. I just can’t understand why our offense remains anemic at best. It’s like having sales personnel that can’t sell.
Way to keep ‘em honest, Andy. As for the shakeups, Frank’s biggest problem is also his biggest asset, loyalty. Sometimes, to a fault. Not letting the blood in public is more about respect for his staff/friends/family than indecision or obfuscation. Coach has earned that privilege, in my opinion. As for the salaries, that issue has been well discussed, but in addition to heightened interest in Va Tech over Beamer’s tenure, has come, I would imagine, heightened levels of giving to the academic side of the university, as well. Many people gripe about coaches, actors, musicians, CEOs, etc., but just not too many folks in this big world can do those things. Most who gripe still watch the movies, listen to the music, buy the stocks and products, and yes, root for the Hokies.
Andy, I agree bizarre. According to coachingsearch.com the number 1 offseason staff move to watch ( out of 10 ) is the Tech OC hire. What is really weirdos out of the 10 searches to watch, not oly was Techs number 1 but I think it is the only one where there is not even an official opening??? I could care less what the staff makes and agree they are definitely not overpaid compared to their peers, but Frank owes it to the fans ( not to mention recruits and players ) what the plans are moving forward amid all the speculation. If he is NOT going to make changes doesnt he owe it to his guys to end the speculation as well??am afraid this another sign that his tenure may wind up like Bowden, Paterno etc where as great as they are it is tainted by the end. Too much power, too little accountability.
playing cupcakes is really paying off at Tech.
Ralph Friedgen……. Thats ALL the OC VT needs
One assistant who deserves a bump is Torrian Gray.
Interesting that London is getting more than Beamer. Beamer has more seniority, more wins, more ticket sales, (probably) more apparel sales for the school, more revenue generated for the community, etc. London should write Beamer a very nice thank you note every time he gets a paycheck.
Stiney was here when we had Tyrod Taylor and Randall. We’ve had productive offenses with him. I doubt he is the problem. If I am Beamer, I’m looking at more recent additions.
PSH, there’s still a lot of time to make the announcements of the decisions already made. Yes, waiting until after Signing Day is pretty pathetic, but I really expect we’ll all see every announcement made prior to January 15th. As far as the eventual ending resembling ole Bobby & JoePa? Brace yourself, it’s going to be remarkably similar. And there will be just as many people defending to the end as were with JoePa & Bobby Bowden.
Beamer is so afraid of change. Fire these losers and move on, everybody already knows changes are coming it isn’t a secret beamer. I’m sure whoever he hires beamer and hite will still have input in third down calls…WHAT A JOKE!
London’s revenue? Let’s stop the silliness about revenue produced, etc. London was hired at about $500K more than he deserved. he was given that for reasons specific to UVa’s particular desires. His one good year led to his $600K salary bump was for the same reasons. Part of the deal – the minor part – is that UVa wants to ‘prove’ they are serious about football, at least in the manner as UNC is ‘serious’ about football. The rest of it is all about UVa being UVa. The better question is not why Mike London is paid more than Frank, but why Dabo Swinney is paid less. Coordinators paid exponentially more, but head coach paid much less. There’s a lot of dynamics that explain it, but it takes more than a 15 second sound byte, which tends to fizzle on message boards. Cue the proof…
There are examples for both sides of the arguments as for successful football programs having an impact and contributing overall to a university and its surrounding area. Schools that perform well in a given year, especially after exceeding expectations, are subject to a 5% increase in applications, 3% percent increase in in-state tuition, increase in the incoming students’ 25th-percentile SAT scores to increase by 1 percent, and an increase in alumni donations by 28%. There in an interesting article in the Kansas City Star on Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder and his teams’ performances and their impact on the university and the town Manhattan, KS. There are other reports that would refute the claim that successful athletic programs can be influential to a university and community’s growth. It is a hard effect to quantifiably measure and probably more relevant to smaller/mid-size towns as opposed to large cities. I do believe, in some small ways, that the success of a football program does have a beneficial impact on the university and locality such as Blacksburg (just not to the extent of speeding tickets though).
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/07/03/report-finds-alumni-giving-among-other-areas-correlated-football-success
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/19/3874894/bill-snyder-saved-a-town-and-a.html
http://jse.sagepub.com/content/9/6/628.short
You can argue all day and night about Beamer and Beamer Jr and the other coaches but the fact remains that football brings big $$$ into VT and even though Tech’s wins over Beamer’s tenure have been against mediocre teams, they are still wins and they = success for the most part. People like statistics and paper games so the Hokie Nation will put up with the sub par performance. I am not sure Stinespring or any of these coaches are going anywhere unless some of the big donors force the issue. Beamer is now a legend like Jo Pa and Bobby Bowser so beamo isn’t going anywhere nor are his coaches unless he chooses to make the change. Wait until next year and see if anything changes; it might if VT goes 4-8 and that, my friends, is a high possibility.
DJ, we can discuss the possibility of a BCS bowl invite impacting SAT scores by 1% – ONE PERCENT? – can I laugh now? We’re going to assign 1 % differential in SAT scores improvement to participation in a football game? Because we ALL know we’re really talking about Michael Vick v. F$U in the 2000 Sugar Bowl following the 1999 ‘perfect season’. That’s not Frank Beamer, that’s Michael Vick being a flash of lightning.
Instate tuition increases? We’re going to ‘credit’ them to a football game? News flash – tuition increases are NOT a good thing, so that kind of hurts your already weak argument. As for statistical anomalies? We’re going to assign them to football scores and not consider them against academic activities? Are we really that desperate? A Sugar Bowl near win translates into two decades of high tech corporations locating in the NRV? Or SAT scores being inflated? Can we also examine graduation rates in the similar time period? I haven’t even looked, but common sense gives me a red flag.
Does anyone understand these two words? – Direct correlation?
I know we’re all supposed to genuflect when Saint Francis strolls across the Duck Pond, but seriously, sometimes it gets beyond silly.
#10 “If you want to earn more money, then get a job that creates more revenue. Janitors will never be rich.” — Hkiewa
Well, we know who is part of the 1%. Thanks for missing the point — yeah, I know how the world works, the rich get richer while those beneath them toil with little pay or respect.
So football brings in more and better students (one has to wonder about students who choose a university for their education based on the football team) — how long do you think VT would keep its reputation as a great school if not for the support staff that makes the place run? Do you think it would have a top-ranked dining program if not for the $7/hour wage employees who work in the kitchens and dining halls? Do you think that today’s students and parents would be happy if they were living and learning in run-down dirty buildings? Sure, dismiss the “janitors” because they don’t have jobs that “create more revenue” but I’ll bet that the guys cutting grass and clearing snow from sidewalks, any secretary in any office, any lab tech setting up equipment, have more of an impact on the status of VT and the education of its students than any coach who gets rewarded for showing up at work.
Hey ,just may be that he will wait to see who he can replace who with.If he cant find a job for his buddies that pressure is causing him to replace,then he will just keep them where they are at.Tech will win 10 games next year and go to another bowl because of the schedule it plays.Thats the reason he can weather the storm if good jobs arent found in Nashville.Beamer is safe either way it goes because who is going to replace a coach with 10 wins and a bowl game each year?
If beamer doesn’t make the changes on offense then recruitment of solid players will drop, winning will drop and support will continue to drop. No player wants to come to a school to play D1 football if he doesn’t have confidense in the coaching staff, the only players you will get are the ones not wanted by the other schools.
If you think VT is going 4-8 next year you’re living in your dream world again Barry. Actually from your comments I don’t think you ever leave it. I bet you haven’t even looked at VTs schedule let alone who is graduating
Off-topic since it was brought up:
Doesn’t take much to be part of the 1% in this country and we should be proud of anyone who gets there, especially since they’re the ones who create the jobs. Have you ever worked for a poor person? As Dave Ramsey points out regularly on his show, 80% of millionaires (people WORTH $1,000,000 or more, not people who make that or more) are 1st generation – which means they worked their asses off to get there.
Heck, people making just over 69K/year AGI are in the top-25% of income earners in this country.
Also, Virginia law limits the use of public funds for athletics so the revenue generated from these coaches whose pay you’re complaining about (and who aren’t getting paid by state money) also pays for just about every other athletic program at Tech from baseball to women’s lacrosse.
I think Joe was making the point that janitors are underpaid to the same extent that Stiney is overpaid…which is quite a tremendous statement.
I don’t mind paying someone $500,000 if they know what they are doing.But if we are going to keep Stiney, that money would be much better spent going to working families who deserve it!
Saw Stiny at the Target in Cburg today. Just judging by body language, looked a little anxious. Who knows???
The Hokies are on a downhill slide. If Frank does not overhaul the offense. Then next year we will be lucky to go 4 – 8. UVA will beat us with the coaching moves that they have made. It may not happen at the start of the year but by the end when we play them, they will be on a roll.
Give Eli Harold another year and no Hokie offensive line will stop him. Hell be eating our backfield all day long. Frank has to figure out no defense can play 4 quarters. Clemson beat the powerful LSU defense by ragging them out.
If nothing is done then Frank may have to go also.
I think all state salaries should be capped at $50,000 annually, regardless of job requirements, special skills or education, or even merit. Football coaches should make the same as professors, janitors, and university bookstore employees.
VT is getting ripped off.
Sorry, I am just so sick and tired of the fiscal cliff and tax manipulation BS that we are going through right now so that the administration can buy more votes. The coaches’ pay silliness just pushed me overboard. If the current leaders spent less time playing golf and propping up failed ‘green energy’ farces to tune of billions of dollars lost, we probably wouldn’t be so worried about the differences in $2.3M and $2.7M in pay.
I honestly don’t see current coaching salaries out of range of what they deserve- as long as each specific coach is successful. If a coach fails to do his / her job, season after season, then they don’t rate that pay level and should be fired. In the case of VT, it is that simple! Underperforming coaches needed to be let go- before this year and a 7-6 result.
What irks me is the favoritism shown to Stinespring in keeping him around, and the favoritism of Shane Beamer as well- receiving Associate Head Coach title for an extra $5K- what does he do to receive the extra benefits? The title and benefits should go to the most capable person for the job.
Anyway, T-12 Days to NFL Draft Declaration Deadline. How many days until the coaching decision is announced? AT LEAST one week before the Draft Declaration, for the sake of the Seniors, right? Put in Leal and bring back LT as a TE!
In the last week or so, it has been very interesting to watch all of the changes in football coaching – college and pro. It is total chaos! Every day brings another jawdropper. Despite what some folks think, I’m glad we are not in that mess looking for a HC – only assistants. That’s bad enough.
Let’s be patient and hope Beamer makes a good decision, then we can move on. I agree with you Andy. There are a lot of teams that would love to have Beamer’s ‘horrible’ record from the last few years.
Eight 10-win seasons
Twenty straight bowl games
How many ACC crowns
Yes, it could have been better. Just saying
Looks like London got himself some Good Coaches added to his staff!
Beamer best get off his A** and do something! Now!
At the current state of the program, Alabama will beat the Hokies so badly it might count as two losses.
Crooked, what’s with all the tongue in cheek remarks about anything and everything that comes into the blog? Maybe you should spend a little time reading about economics. Success brings financial stability to almost any endeavor. Do you honestly believe that the success of the football program has nothing to do with the growth in and around the community of Blacksburg? People bring their families, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and those kids grow up wanting to attend school there. Almost always highly educated people come from school systems with money. Those school systems who students struggle with poverty have less of a chance to make it to a four year university. Where am I going with this? The success of any team will increase the number of people who are willing and wanting to go to school there so the school can afford to be more selective. Some kids may come from poverty but most in that upper level are going to come from famalies who can afford to spend the extras and when they show up in Blacksburg they are gonna spend money, therefore, boosting the local economy. Crooked, you saying that Tech football had nothing to do with the increases in academics and overall prosperity at VT, is like saying Coach K had nothing to do with the prosperities at Duke. Crooked, even though I rarely agree with anything you say, if ever, you are simply just an arrogant person who loves the sound of their own voice.
Gee, UVA bringing in a bunch of retreads from their past has me shaking in my shoes. Let’s hope Beamer brings in all those great coaches that won us all those gsmes before he arrived.
Oh…………… yes, yes, the retread fantasy.
Fear UVA? Har, har. I think we have heard this the last few years. We still win.
I think the contributors are only eager for new coaches because they are fresh meat to carve.
@Bob, Uva hired two coaches today who are capable of replacing London if UVA flounders next year, Obrien or Tenuta.Familiarity breeds contempt!
Actually Beamer should be given a hefty raise, maybe to 3.5 mil annually. The appears to be in the O-zone most of the time so he must be a miracle worker. Just getting by with putting his son on the staff is about intelligent as you can get. Nothing like that family cooking!
Joe hokie why don’t you move to Russia ??? Talking about janitors not making a million dollars….. They chose to be a janitor !!!!!!!!! You are paid on what your skills demand in the US you socialist.
And as far far as VT’s offense goes, um it sucks really bad haha. Do they really expect to win a national championship without changing anything??? Delayed hand offs 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage with this o-line ! Haha spread it out so Logan can see the blitz coming……run it up the middle and punt frank says!
OMG I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I think Crooked Road has it about right. If you have ever taught at a university with major athletic programs, and I have, you quickly learn the influence of athletic departments have over academic activities. Just ask the UNC. I was fortunate to teach mostly upper level engineering courses. However, if there was a correlation between a university’s academic standing and a winning football, basketball, name your poison, I never saw it. Good students go to the school that gives them the best value for their money. Good students do good work, bad students don’t; the football team is irrevalent. Academically, what they want to know is what will their degree be worth?
Fortunately, the finances of the academic world and athletic world are not mingled, thank God! And, to assert that Duke’s academic reputation was enhanced by Coach K is just sad. UVA has had dismal football programs for a long time, but the university still condidered in the top tier.
To be sure, Tech’s football program has had a significant impact upon the economic growth of the NRV. Although, as mentioned previously, I have not heard of a company locating to the NRV because the football team has done well. But, to give credit where it is due, it undoubtedly has enhaced the retail businesses in the area.
I recognize that this is a football blog, and to assert that football is just not that important to the UNIVERSITY is heresy. And, I hate to admit it, but I like to see them win. Obviously from the caustic comments that are offered from the safety of a blog, there are those who feel they are not getting their money’s worth. TS. I guess it’s a matter of perspective. Final question, what was Harvard’s, Yale’s or CalTech’s record this year? CalTech was a trick question.
Sorry, to edit my comment earlier. It meant to say that there was a 3% increase in the number of in-state tuition paying students.
Andy, so I guess Hokies Athletics would agree to eliminate the “small” $232 per student fee from it’s budget? Without the 5 million dollars it provides every year, the athletic department could not operate in the black so easily. The point is they are receiving money and benefits from the university, the students, and the state that other businesses operating on campus are not receiving. In light of that, some of us do believe it is fair to question high salaries and yearly pay increases. @gtbowyer
Thanks Joe Hokie. I think your comments are very good.
I’d like to add a few thoughts: most instructors (those teaching those big 500 student classes at Tech) make below 50K and they have advanced degrees.
Also, there is a correlation that if the football team does poorly, students actually study more and if the football team does well, they study less. Note: I don’t think they’ve cracked a book in years down in Alabama!
I wonder if UVa’s hiring of O’Brien was London’s idea or if it was forced on him?
To Desert Hokie: Actually, Harvard and Cal Tech (Cal Poly) had better records than VT in football this year.
I am amazed at some of the comments in here, and it makes me wonder how many really received an education at the school. I see a couple who are ranting more about salaries as if they were in a socialistic government / country, and others much of the typical rant and banter. I know success of the team helps in many ways the success and growth in the area, the level of which can be debated by many based on different viewpoints and data, and I know it is NOT the only reason for growth.
Changes need to be made, especially in the Offensive line, and Offensive Coordination, and QB. I don’t see that Logan is progressing in his personal development and growth from last year to this year in his fundamentals, and that is a coaching issue. The poor line plays, missed assignments, lack of a clear offensive strategy and poor play calling have been issues for several years. For several years this weakness has been offset with, the running back talent, the running ability of a Tyrod Taylor type of QB, and of course a Defense in the past that also contributed on a regular basis to not only stopping an opponent, but generating several scoring opportunities as well.
I really don’t have an issue with the salaries, as compensation in any job (coaching or Janitor) is based on what the job market averages for similar work, responsibilities and authorities. Some of this is due to the extensive hours of work, travel, being away from family, the pressures and demands the job places on them, and any position that you are NOT guaranteed, that you will have that same job next year or 5 years from now, the compensation goes up, with risk driving reward.
I am very glad Frank put in place “Herma’s Readers” and the level the PUBLIC supporters, corporate sponsors and Frank himself, have contributed to that and impacted in a positive way literacy in the area, however at the level some of these coaches are at, I would have expected the amount to be much higher than 1% (80K). Personally, I think the percentage should be much higher, and hold myself to a higher standard that this in giving to local food banks, literacy agencies and others that help those in need. In fact I know many people who give to others at a much higher percentage. I make <10% of what Frank does and yet I have contributed 75K to similar organizations, and including Herma’s readers since 2008. So I think what has been done is good, however it could be much better.
Having said that, I do have an issue with the Bonus package, how many people have Job’s that got them 50K or (equivalent of 10% for coaches receiving 1.5 months pay) bonuses for a year like this past year? 6-6 season = 50% success level. In my work, some levels receive bonuses; however to even get a partial bonus you have to be around 90 – 95% successful on expected deliverables. On top of that, this bonus is paid to them for MAKING it to the bowl game and does not mention any difference to winning it. I think it would be much better to consider a two-step bonus, which 30% is paid based on making it to the bowl game, and the remaining 70% is compensated upon a win in the bowl game. Perhaps this will lead to more success and better attendance by fans at the bowl games.
All of this boils down to, we are not getting what we paid for from this current OFFENSIVE staff and that starts at the Top with Frank.
“The significant obstacle to becoming GREAT is the acceptance of being GOOD” ..
I sure hope we make coaching changes NOW! UVA just took a giant step with the hiring of Tom O’Brien on offense and Jon Tenuta on defense. If we don’t change soon UVA is going to own our division within two years.
It’s actually $267, Greg Bowyer, according to:
http://www.schev.edu/Reportstats/2012TuitionFeesReport.pdf
And that may seem like a lot, but here’s the athletic fee (per year) for almost all of the public universities in Virginia as well as their overall tuition and fees, and what percentage of that total is the athletic fee. The only school I didn’t include was Richard Bland, because it’s a two-year school. Data comes from the link listed above:
School Tuition & Fees Athletic Fee % of total
George Mason $9,620 $514.54 5.34%
Old Dominion $8,450 $1,210.52 14.33%
Virginia $12,006 $657.00 5.47%
Virginia Commonwealth $9,885 $635.15 6.43%
Virginia Tech $10,923 $267.00 2.44%
William & Mary $13,570 $1,485.00 10.94%
Christopher Newport $10,572 $1,202.00 11.37%
UVA-Wise $8,107 $1,175.25 14.50%
James Madison $8,808 $1,176.00 10.80%
Longwood $10,890 $1,767.00 16.23%
Mary Washington $9,246 $135.00 1.46%
Norfolk State $6,860 $1,510.00 22.01%
Radford $8,590 $1,138.00 13.25%
VMI $13,835 $1,502.00 10.86%
Virginia State $7,420 $724.00 9.76%
Virginia Tech has the second smallest, by dollar and percentage, athletic fee in the Commonwealth PER YEAR.
Here’s each school’s increase (by dollar and percentage) of total tuition from 2011-2012 and their increase (by dollar and percentage) of their athletic fee from 2011-2012:
School Tuition increase Athletic increase
George Mason $354 (3.8%) $37.18 (7.8%)
Old Dominion $306 (3.8%) $25.82 (2.2%)
Virginia $430 (3.7%) $00.00 (0.0%)
Virginia Commonwealth $368 (3.9%) $25.15 (4.1%)
Virginia Tech $414 (3.9%) $07.00 (2.7%)
William & Mary $438 (3.3%) $00.00 (0.0%)
Christopher Newport $488 (4.8%) $64.00 (5.3%)
UVA-Wise $386 (5.0%) $79.59 (7.0%)
James Madison $360 (4.3%) $23.00 (2.0%)
Longwood $360 (3.4%) $00.00 (0.0%)
Mary Washington $440 (5.0%) $05.00 (3.8%)
Norfolk State $160 (2.4%) $00.00 (0.0%)
Radford $270 (3.2%) $15.00 (1.3%)
VMI $651 (4.9%) $72.00 (5.0%)
Virginia State $330 (4.7%) $05.00 (0.7%)
Seven schools had athletic fee rate increases under 2%. Only five schools had athletic fee rate increases whose percentage was higher than the percentage their tuition increased by – VMI, UVA-Wise, Christopher Newport, VCU, and George Mason. 1.7% of Virginia Tech’s tuition increase for 2012-2013 was athletics-related (a mere $7.00). In other words, Virginia Tech’s tuition was increased 0.0663% because of athletic fees. So… why are we complaining about athletic fees again?
Sorry. I tried to format that post. Doesn’t look like the formatting took.
PAbH, many thanks to you and those other ‘unknown’ folks who have supported the cause of literacy among SW Va youth. Your quiet donations have helped to put over 53,000 books into the hands of children among us (not sure where you live, that’s immaterial).
I also appreciate your last sentence, as applied both to sports and life in general. Thanks for making a difference.
“72.I am amazed at some of the comments in here, and it makes me wonder how many really received an education at the school.”
PAHokie, of all the entries I have seen on this blog, I most agree with this one. Some of the contributors here couldn’t find Blacksburg on a map of Montgomery County.
Donald, great work. You should work for the Elias Sports Bureau.
CrookedRoad – Please know I am not boasting, I have been blessed more than I deserve to be, and only try to give back, only trying to point out that more can be done with what has been given to some. I am from the NRV area originally. Born and raised in Fairlawn, then Northern VA for a few years, and back to Fairlawn… then NC, PA, MD, and now live in PA, work just across state line in MD.
We fans have increasing expectations, some of which are motivated by installing that empty holding place for a NC trophy by the school / Athletics department itself. And we have been good, but to fill that spot we MUST move from Good to Great and Offense has to change to do so.
They (Athletic) department built on the expectation and fed it, now it is time for them to step up and take the steps necessary to deliver on it.
PAbH, I didn’t think you were at all. I was completely sincere in my respect for your actions in that regard. I wish all of us could/would do more. It’s not always possible. When it is possible, and it’s done, that is G-R-E-A-T to know.
That was a straight up salute to you and all those who step up. Kind of like this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEUbrxRqXs
Firstly I’m a Hokie grad – class of ’84. My education and hard work have allowed me to make a very good salary. The market place determines what you’re worth – this is not the Soviet Union. The coaches make what the market warrants until such times as it doesn’t. That chicken is coming home to roost now with the offensive (that’s an adjective) coaching staff. Also keep in mind that Shane’s $221,000 goes a lot further in Blacksburg than it does up here in NOVA/DC. You stop paying big Hokie club dues so you can buy the high priced tickets and things will change. It’s the way of the world – money talks and everything else walks.
Just retired after 26 years military and about a dozen family moves. I have no sympathy for anyone who has to move for a new job much less guys making big bucks. Boo Hoo.
And finally let’s discuss Frank Beamer’s recent success. The 10 win seasons are nice until you consider the opponents we beat and the ones we didn’t. Most of the wins come against awful or mediocre ACC teams – GT, UNC, UVA, Maryland, Miami, BC, Wake and Duke. Throw in a few cupcakes and the annual @$$ kicking delivered by the one decent OOC team we play and presto we win 10 games and get to go to the ACC “championship”. If we measure Frank Beamer’s success against the lack of success those ACC programs I mentioned have had, yes, Frank Beamer’s a genius. If we measure it against every decent team we’ve played in the last 5-6 years (LSU, ALA, Boise State, etc.) – not so much. Don’t begin to tell me that Stinespring has had some good offenses during that period. Yes he’s had better ones than the noshow from this year, but I don’t think he has ever had one ranked above 38th and we’re almost always above #50. Keep in mind this has been with some great QB’s and a host of top tier RB talent – not like the talent has not been there to be a top offense. In all fareness Frank’s offensive mindset has always been low risk with the idea that Defense and Special teams would take the higher risks and reap the rewards. Very simply that formula has worked fairly well up until now if your goal is to always be near the conversation but never really in it.
Frank Beamer’s teams are failing in offense and special teams. Bud Foster’s defense is what keep Frank in the win column.
The time for change, for better or for worse, has undeniably come. It’s a big festering sore that cannot be denied any longer, the bowl game shined an even brighter light on it.
So we’re going to get what we asked for, let’s hope it doesn’t make things worse. The concern has to be that Frank is out there looking for more of the same. If we want to recruit lions we need to hire lion tamers.
It’s really all very simple: Put all the income (and assets) of VT employees in one pot and divvy it out in equal shares to all the employees. When an employee leaves to make more money elsewhere, his pay would be divvied up. Continue this process until all the previously-high-paid employees (the leaders) are gone. Drop sports and give that money to the remaining employees. The faculty will leave; give that money to the rest. Students could attend free. THAT should be fair enough for even the dumbest of us.
Donald, I’m simple stating that even though the dollar amount per student is relatively small at VT, it is not small in aggregate. Do the math, it comes out to about 5 million dollars a year. Without this money, even VT would have a difficult time operating in the black. The athletic department needs to be 100 percent funded with private dollars if it is going to continue to tell other university stakeholders to stay out of its business. @gtbowyer
callis . CalTech and Cal Poly are not the same schools. One is in Pasadena,the other in San Luis Obisbo. CalTech has no football team, and yet they survive.
You can sure tell who voted Democratic. Take money and divide it up, cap salaries, decide how much people should give to charity. This is a scary blog. None of you have any idea how much anyone gives or does not give to organizations they support. It is none of your concern.
Coaches, no matter what school they are at, earn their money because they have self rightgeous know it alls like you questioning them.
Frank Beamer started out as a high school coach and math teacher and then became a graduate assistant and worked his way up. No one gave him anything. He earned it and still does.
The “double dipper” in Northern Va. I would not point fingers at anyone.
Russia? Really? Well, in addition to knowing who is in the 1%, we can also see who are Republicans with their strong dislike of state employees. For everyone –> . This is a point — and you missed it by a mile. No, the service and support employees on campus shouldn’t be paid at the same level as Dr. Steger, but everyone deserves a living wage (see the various protests at UVa over this issue). But it is disconcerting when a coach is handed more money in a bonus than the majority of people on campus make in a year — a bonus basically for showing up, not for an outstanding performance. In good times, the General Assembly barely scrapes together a 3% raise; in bad times (like the past 5 years) there is no money. When times get good again, there won’t be much effort to make up for lost raises, but the football staff will continue to be well compensated. For comparison, how well are the Olympic sport coaches paid?
As to the athletic fee, yeah, it may be low, but look at the additional fees that a student must pay in addition to tuition — it adds up to a considerable sum each semester.
You think coaches just show up???? OMG
“everyone deserves a living wage”- Only the helpless deserve something, everyone else should be left to their own merits to make ends meet. Our society is failing us with false sense of entitlement. If you are unhappy with your wage, get a different job, if you cant get another job locally, move and find work else were. People need to learn to reinvent themselves and stop relying on others to bail them out all of the time. Beamer and foster are paid what they are paid because of the contributions VT football brings to the table. Without VT football the Olympic sports would have very little. Focus on the contribution, not the take, as without his contributions others would have nothing. Additionally, despite his sizable salary (in comparison to others at the university), the athletic program is still profitable– further demonstrating his contributions that go well beyond his take.
Success is a wonderful thing, demonizing it only punishes those who reap the contributions of the successful. Said differently, if you bring back a 2-8-1 football team of 1992 with 10K people in the stands, Blacksburg, its people, VT is Olympic sports programs, will all suffer via the lost revenue that is solely derived by the program that Beamer has built- And as for Beamer he has demonstrated his willingness to travel and his ability to be paid a competitive wage (most recently via his UNC offer a few years back)- thus, the successful would reinvent himself somewhere else and share his contribution of success elsewhere.
I suggest VT fans get used to the fact that there will be few changes in VT’s offensive staff. Beamer views those clamoring for change as short-sighted, arm-chair QBs w/o a legitimate understanding of the coaching complexities he and his staff deal with everyday. He’ll remind everyone of VT’s recent record, posted for the last 3 yrs by Andy Bitter above, but Beamer will go back a decade or so and emphasize the favorable stats. Bottom line: Pre-2012, VT produced good stats and Beamer will justify the status quo with questionable reasoning. The issue is whether VT is able to make the changes necessary to win 9 or 10 games consistently in the future.
From Beamer’s perspective, why the heck should he care what some fans think about his coaching staff? He’s the winningest active coach in FBS, he put VT in the top-tier among college FB programs, he’s come close to beating 2 #1 teams in big bowl games (FSU, Auburn), and he’s about to wrap up a highly regarded recruiting class. His multi-year streak of 10-win seasons just ended. He’s going to tell everyone that he’s not willing to abandon the players and coaches who have worked so hard to put VT on the map. So, he’ll stick with his troops through a rough patch which he regards as a temporary setback. Scroll down on this web page and review Beamer’s coaching awards, etc.: http://www.hokiesports.com/football/history.html.
As far as I’m concerned, Beamer’s attitude is the problem. He appears to believe that his success entitles him to ignore the total picture of the VT FB program, specifically the storyline that’s been developing since the Kansas loss. He talks a big game about getting back to the national championship but he’s shown a lack of willingness to hire top-notch coaching talent to guide the offense. Instead, Frank appears determined to elevate his son, Shane, to the head coaching slot after he retires. His humble approach to coaching VT has been supplanted by an arrogant, self-righteousness that will most likely lead to a few more disappointing seasons b/n now and 2016. There will be no significant coaching changes. But VT will show-up and play some great games in 2013 and beyond. Their defense may even lead them to beat Alabama in the GA Dome. Stranger things have happened—like Beamer’s decision to keep his offensive coaching staff largely intact.
Bud Foster will be the next next coach.
Win or lose, Beamer and his coaches will always get the bucks, deserved or not. Let’s face it, at universities high on football, nobody cares about education. And you will never win an argument trying to point out how ridiculous and skewed this is. It’s useless to try. Nobody cares what a janitor is paid, if the other employees have received a raise, or if we are able to recruit top professors…not when they have football. It sucks, but it’s the way it is. But, we’ll see how well the justifications for all this money wasted on football hold up after several losing seasons. What goes around, comes around.
I will be the first to admit that I am not smart enough nor intellegent enough to be a college coach. But what I can say is that I have followed Va. Tech Footballlong enough to know that somethings must change. One year Tech leads the ACC in total offense, scoring offense, rushing etc. But it cannot do that on a consistant level. Blame it on coaching, personnel, recruiting, whatever. Do I personally believe Va Tech will be anything better than ACC Champions ? No. I do not. We never should have lost to Michigan last year in the Sugar Bowl, Florida State should have went home with a big fat Loss especially since they gave the Hokies numerous chances to win that game. Tech lost several games this year because of an ineffective offense. Who’s to blame, coaches or players ? Coaches can only coach, it’s up to the players to play. BUT at the same time, there comes a time that “everyone” needs to be re-evaluated.Maybe it is time to look at changes. Some folks cannot handle that well. Instead of going to Stanford for answers maybe Coach Beamer should go to Oregon. Does Coach Foster know how to run an offense ? Can’t wait until the 2013 season. Maybe ? Go Hokies!!!.