VIDEO: Frank Beamer Interview
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer delivered the keynote address for the 2019 Carson-Newman Championship Coaching Clinic on Friday night at the Music Road Hotel.
The long-time college coach shared his three qualities for success – integrity, communication and organization. These three qualities are the same ones he said he strived to live by during his 35-year coaching career with Murray State and, most notably, Virginia Tech.
Beamer delved into how these qualities not only matter for a coaching staff in a team or organization but they also translate to family life to the coaches present, along with their wives.
"If there's ever been a game that we're all in this together, it's football coaches and their wives," Beamer said. "You know, you put so much into it that you have to have that understanding person at home. I was so fortunate to have a great wife all those years, so I appreciate a good, understanding wife that is right in there. Everyone together."
Through his keynote, he elaborated on how crucial it was for everyone involved with a team to know their roles and responsibilities in order to get the unit to the level it wants to reach, especially through continuity, planning and scheduling.
The key to making the three qualities for success a reality came back to one benchmark – be certain to care for and respect one another. If all of this is achieved with continuity and stability while solving problems that arise and giving praise where it is due, that will lead to a successful team on and off the field.
"If you've got (the three qualities for success), you've got a chance. If you don't have any one of the three, you've got a problem that you're probably going to have to fix," Beamer said. "I've given this a lot of thought in all of the leadership talks I've given. There's a lot of things you can get to but those three things are what is critically important to being successful."
Beamer spent 35 years as a college football coach, racking up 280 victories to become the winningest active coach in FBS history when he retired in 2015. He coached Murray State from 1981-86 before returning to his alma mater Virginia Tech in 1987. During his 29 seasons with the Hokies, Beamer won a school-record 238 games and led the team to five 11-win seasons, five top 10 finishes and went to a bowl game every year for at least 20 consecutive seasons.
The Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame member added seven conference championship titles, 11 bowl wins and five conference coach of the year accolades to his resume during his career while coaching 16 first team All-Americans. A former cornerback for Virginia Tech, Beamer's jersey was retired in 2002.
The coaching clinic rolls on this weekend with a full Saturday slate that features speeches from Tennessee Tech coach Dewayne Alexander, ETSU defensive coordinator Billy Taylor and more, all beginning at 8 a.m. from the Music Road Hotel.