Virginia Tech announced Thursday afternoon that head coach Frank Beamer has agreed to a new 7-year contract that will
keep him at the school through at least 2012. The contract includes an option for three more years beyond that and
guarantees Beamer compensation of $2,008,000 per year, with additional unspecified incentives.
“I
am pleased and proud that this contract will enable Frank Beamer to conclude his coaching career at Virginia Tech,”
said Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver in a
statement released by the university. “He has done an outstanding job building this program and has proven
himself to be one of the nation’s elite coaches.”
Under his old agreement, Beamer was guaranteed $1,437,830 per year, so the new deal represents an increase of over
$500,000 per year. The contract includes raises for Beamer’s assistants that were described in the press release as
“substantial.” The Richmond Times-Dispatch will report Friday morning that the assistants will get an increase
of $100,000 above their current combined pay of $1.204 million on January 1st, 2006, with another $100,000 increase on
July 1st, 2006. The RT-D report will also include details on how the pay increase will be spread among the assistants.
Beamer, who is coaching his 19th season at Virginia Tech this year, currently stands third among active Division I-A
football coaches in victories with 183, far behind Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (356 wins) and Penn State’s Joe Paterno
(349 wins). Beamer’s Tech teams have posted a 117-37 record since the beginning of the 1993 season and have appeared in
12 consecutive bowl games.
“I am very appreciative to the university for allowing me to finish my coaching career at Virginia Tech,”
said Beamer. “This is the only place I want to coach, and it’s a great place to coach because of the administration
and our great fan support. I’m also appreciative to the university for helping me with my assistant coaches. I think we
have the greatest staff in the country and I want to keep them.
“The university has been very generous to this program,” Beamer added, “and I will do my best to
continue leading it in a positive direction.”
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