Frank Beamer was named this week as the winner of the inaugural Joseph V. Paterno Coach of the Year Award.
Beamer has led the Hokies to 11 straight wins, an ACC title, and a spot in the Orange Bowl versus Stanford. More impressively, he brought his team back from the brink of an 0-2 start, showing the poise and leadership that have been his trademarks for almost a quarter-century with the program. He’s the only FBS coach to win 10 or more games in each of the last seven seasons, while maintaining high academic standards and developing young pillars of the community. Virginia Tech’s latest graduation success rate is 79 percent, placing the school in the Top 25 on the field and in the classroom.
“I’ve always admired the job Frank Beamer has done in Blacksburg, both on the field and away from it,” said Paterno, the legendary Penn State coach. “I’ve been especially impressed by his work in the community. He stands for all that’s good in college sports, a great choice for this year’s winner.”
The award, the first of its kind, is designed to honor the spirit of Coach Paterno, whose long-time success on the field has been matched only by his impact away from it. Through a nomination process, each current head coach has been evaluated based on his school’s performance on Saturdays, in the classroom, and within the community. For almost half a century, Coach Paterno has demanded all-around excellence from his student-athletes, as does an award carrying his name.
“This was a vote that was extremely close, indicative of the quality of the final four candidates we sent to our esteemed committee,” said Maxwell Football Club Executive Director Mark Wolpert. “In Coach Beamer, we can’t think of a finer man to represent the meaning and significance of this honor.”
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Chris Graham
