Shane Beamer to VT...

**gcdevil22** · February 14th, 2011, 05:07 PM

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer announced Monday that longtime assistant Billy Hite has been elevated to a new administrative position as assistant to the head coach and senior advisor, and that Shane Beamer will join the Tech coaching staff and assume Hite?s on-field duties as running backs coach.

?Over the years, I?ve had great confidence in Billy?s judgment and advice,? Beamer said. ?I appreciate the fact that I will continue to be able to rely on him in this regard. He will continue to be a valuable part of our football program and will be a real asset working with our alumni and former players in different ways.?

Hite, who has served as the Hokies? running backs coach for the past 33 seasons, joined the Tech staff under former coach Bill Dooley in 1978. He remained on the staff when Beamer took over in 1987 and was named to the position as assistant head coach by Beamer the following year. He was promoted to the position of associate head coach in December 2000.

Hite has been on the sidelines for more Virginia Tech football games than any other coach and has helped produce nine of the Hokies? top 11 career rushing leaders. The Hokies have averaged nearly 200 yards per game (195.0) over a 398-game span under Hite and developed 26 running backs who have gone on to sign with NFL teams, a number that is expected to grow with this spring?s draft.

?I would like to thank Coach Beamer and the athletic and university administrators for 33 great years as a coach at Virginia Tech,? Hite said. ?I also want to thank all the people who are giving me the opportunity for this new challenge. I?m really looking forward to it.?

Shane Beamer comes to Virginia Tech after spending four seasons on the University of South Carolina?s coaching staff, coaching the Spurs and strong safeties for two seasons after coaching the outside linebackers in 2007 and the cornerbacks in 2008. He also served as the special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Game****s? program.

?I think we are fortunate to get Shane to come back to Virginia Tech,? coach Frank Beamer said. ?He has had the opportunity to develop a good background, having coached at Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Mississippi State and South Carolina.?

Shane Beamer?s first class as the recruiting coordinator (2009) for the Game****s was ranked as the nation?s 12th-best class by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. South Carolina?s 2010 class included running back Marcus Lattimore, the No. 10 player in the country according to Rivals.com, and the 2011 class was highlighted by Jadeveon Clowney, the consensus No. 1 player in the nation.

?I?m extremely excited about the opportunity to return to Virginia Tech,? the younger Beamer said. ?I?ve been gone 11 years and during that time I?ve been around a number of great coaches and great programs and had the opportunity to learn a lot. Now, I look forward to returning to Blacksburg and helping Virginia Tech continue to win championships.

?I?m also excited to have the opportunity to be around Coach Hite. I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for him and I welcome the chance to learn from him.?

Prior to his stint at South Carolina, Beamer spent the previous three seasons at Mississippi State University, where he coached the defensive backs his first two seasons and the running backs in his final year, and was the recruiting coordinator all three seasons. Beamer went to MSU from the University of Tennessee, where he spent three seasons as a graduate assistant helping with the defensive backs; coaching the place-kickers, punters and long snappers; and assisting in all special teams areas. Beamer worked one season (2000) as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech, helping with the Yellow Jacket quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Beamer earned his bachelor?s degree from Virginia Tech in 1999 and was the Hokies? starting long snapper for three seasons. He also contributed as a wide receiver. He played on four bowl teams and three Big East Conference championship squads. He concluded his college playing career by helping the 1999 Hokies to a No. 2 final regular-season ranking and a berth in the national championship game played against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

Shane Beamer named to Hokies' football staff

**Biggin** · February 14th, 2011, 07:16 PM

I think its a great hire for VT, and will pay huge dividends in recruiting.

He did wonders for USC in his short time there, bringing in two elite players in back to back classes.

**GC-1** · February 14th, 2011, 09:49 PM

I'm reading more changes coming also.

**gcdevil22** · February 15th, 2011, 05:31 PM

currently Mike O'Cain recruits NC and SC...he will take over I-81 that Billy Hite as his area, and Shane Beamer will take over in NC and SC where he's had success with his other programs...win-win for VT

hopefully Stinespring is given more recruiting responsibilities in the Tidewater...we need to lock that area back up

**Biggin** · February 15th, 2011, 10:34 PM

S. Beamer has had a ton of success in places like Rock Hill where elite talent is produced regularly. It will be a lil bit harder to get them to VT instead of SC since its a lil further but Beamer has done so well they should still be in on some of those big time players.

**GC-1** · February 16th, 2011, 05:38 PM

Well, since it's already been broken by Kyle Tucker on twitter, Cornell Brown looks to be the most recent addition to the VT coaching staff. Had been speculated about for several days on VT's Rivals site. Two very nice additions to the VT staff IMO.

I've said for quite some time that VT needed to get more than 50% of the staff recruiting and it looks as though Frank still has some fire in his belly by breaking up the "Good Ole Boys Club" and adjusting.

**gcdevil22** · February 16th, 2011, 06:34 PM

between Stinespring, Little Beamer, Torian Gray and Cornell Brown, VT will be able to have 4 really good recruiters out on the road...hopefully this frees up Newsome to work a more specific area in the Tidewater

I'm still hearing Fridge as the 3rd coaching change...many are saying he would be the new OC...but there's also a buyout that he would lose if he is hired this year...so VT may wait a year on that one