Strange: Beamer Ball took a while to get rolling

ATLANTA - When Tennessee and Virginia Tech last met, in the 1994 Gator Bowl, Phillip Fulmer was just getting his program up and running.

When Tennessee and Virginia Tech meet again on New Year's Eve in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Lane Kiffin is trying to get his program off the ground.

And during that 15-year interim, through the rise and fall of Fulmer, Frank Beamer has been chugging along, producing high-quality football teams at Virginia Tech.

On the high end Beamer's Hokies might win 11 games. They've done that four times.

On the low end, they might win eight games. Nine or 10 are a safe bet.

He hopes to conclude his 23rd season at Tech with a 10th win - at the Vols' expense. If he does, Virginia Tech will join Texas as the only programs in the nation with a live streak of six consecutive 10-win seasons.

"This is going to be a hard win to get,'' Beamer said Thursday at the Chick-fil-A Bowl Coaches Luncheon.

Beamer took over at Virginia Tech in 1987. Thanks to a patient administration he was able to survive some lean years.

And here he sits today near the pinnacle of his profession.

With Bobby Bowden headed grudgingly into retirement, Beamer ranks second in longevity at one school behind only Joe Paterno.

Beamer is tied for third with Jim Tressel of Ohio State for all-time wins (228) among active Division I coaches, trailing Paterno and Bowden.

So many coaches will advise you not to stay too long at one place. In the age of too much information, the natives tire of you quickly.

Beamer stands as a contradiction, an exception to the rule of diminishing returns.

"When I've had an opportunity to leave, I've found it hard to leave,'' he said. "But I do think it'll be hard for anyone to stay as long as I have, and Paterno and Bowden.

"It's going to be hard to do that again. The money's gotten higher. They expect you to do it quicker.''

Beamer didn't do it quickly. He was 2-8-1 in his sixth year and had never won more than six games in his first five. But starting with his seventh year, he's won year after year.

The Hokies are strong on defense. They set the bar higher than anyone on special teams. Beamer Ball, it's called.

"It becomes more important to the players on special teams when the head coach is involved,'' he said.

Beamer credits the consistent winning to the stability of his staff. He's kept his coordinators and his recruiting director on board long term.

Bud Foster, his longtime defensive coordinator, has been wooed by any number of suitors. Georgia is the most recent.

When Beamer mentioned Thursday that Foster would be staying in Blacksburg, the Tech fans in the luncheon audience applauded.

They would also applaud playing Tennessee more often than every 15 years. The Vols and Hokies are border neighbors with similar lofty aspirations.

A proposed novelty game at Bristol Motor Speedway never materialized. Beamer doesn't sound disappointed.

"I always thought they would have to give you a ticket and sell you binoculars because (the field) is a long way off,'' Beamer said.

"But our fans are excited to play Tennessee. You are close and you read a lot about each other.''

The Chick-fil-A pairing is, in its way, a scheduling gift for the fans of both schools.

And a win would be greatly coveted by both head coaches, for different reasons.

Kiffin, a rookie head coach on the collegiate level, is trying to build a legacy.

Beamer, the relative dinosaur, is trying to protect one.

"When I first came to Virginia Tech and you didn't have the players,'' he said, "losing a game, you were disappointed, but it was OK.

"But now, every loss is devastating. The expectations have gotten a lot higher. But that's the way you want it.''

That's the way he's made it. That's the way Tennessee wants to make it again.

Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.