NCAA College Football Coach of the Year Candidate: Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer

For the past couple of years many college football fans have called the ACC mediocre. Even though many teams have gone 9 - 3 or 8 - 4 the past couple of years there hasn't been a team to take a step forward as an elite football team. Virginia Tech has won the ACC the past two years and Frank Beamer hopes to take the next step towards National Champion contender. If Virginia Tech does take a step forward then Frank Beamer is a great candidate for coach of the year.

Most people don't think of Frank Beamer has one of the more experienced coaches in the NCAA but he has been coaching in 1972. Frank Beamer's early years were spent at University of Maryland, College Park and the Citadel. Beamer then went on to Murray State where he was first a defensive coordinator and then head coach. In 1986 Frank Beamer was hired as the head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Frank Beamer didn't have immediate success as head coach of Virginia Tech. Beamer's first two seasons he recorded records of 2 - 9 and 3 - 8. The Hokies improved a little the next two years with records of 6 - 4 - 1 and 6 - 5. The following year Virginia Tech joined the Big East but the first two years Beamer's Hokies only managed a record of 7 - 14 - 1.

Finally Virginia Tech broke through in 1993 and 1994 with records of 9 - 3 and 8 -4 and trips to the Independence and Gator Bowls. But it was in 1995 that the country had to start to take notice of Virginia Tech. The Hokies went 10 - 2, won the Big East and won the Sugar Bowl. The following year the Hokies repeated their 10 - 2 record but lost in the Orange Bowl. A couple more winning seasons came in 1997 and 1998 but in 1999 Virginia Tech had their best season yet.

In 1999 Frank Beamer had one of the most electrifying players in the NCAA. Frank Beamer's quarterback was a guy named Michael Vick. Beamer and Vick led the Hokies to a 7 - 0 record in the Big East and an 11 - 0 regular season record. Virginia Tech went to the Sugar Bowl to play Florida State for the National Championship. The Hokies fell short but they ended up ranked #3 in the country. The next four years Virginia Tech compiled a record of 27 - 14 leaving the Big East in 2004.

In 2004 the ACC decided to expand to 12 teams and Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech was one of the new additions. The other teams in the ACC may regret the decision because Frank Beamer has led the Hokies to 10 wins or more every season since joining the ACC. In the last five years the Hokies have compiled a record of 52 - 15 with three ACC Championships and three top 10 finishes.

In 2009 Virginia Tech looks like the favorite in the ACC again. The only question is are they simply the best team in a mediocre conference? Or are the Hokies a legitimate National Championship contender? We'll find out the answer to that very quickly because in their first game the Virginia Tech Hokies will face an Alabama team that went 12 - 0 in the regular season last year.

If Virginia Tech beats Alabama then that is a good sign that the Hokies will be a contender but it won't be an easy road. The Nebraska Cornhuskers are no pushover in Week 3. The ACC schedule might not be too difficult although Georgia Tech is definitely good. Florida State will probably be the second best team in the ACC. Virginia Tech avoids the Seminoles in the regular season but they are a very likely opponent in the ACC Championship game.

Every game Virginia Tech plays this year is a game they can win. Even if they win one or two games Frank Beamer will be a good candidate for coach of the year. Frank Beamer is no stranger to coaching awards. During the Hokies 11 - 1 season in 1999 Frank Beamer was awarded nine coaching awards including Big East coach of the year, Woody Hayes coach of the year, Associated Press Coach of the Year and the Paul "Bear" Bryant coach of the year. The Big East coach of the year in 1999 was his third Big East coach of the year award. Since then Frank Beamer has won ACC coach of the year twice.