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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 19, 2011

Frank Beamer

COACH BEAMER: Boston College is a team that we have a long history with and we have a lot of respect for their program, how they do things, their toughness. They're big, they're physical, and they get after you. They're a real challenge for us, and I know they're going to come in here rested, and we've got to get ready to play another tough ACC football game.
Questions?

Q. Mike Slive with the SEC has proposed going to multiple-year scholarships, away from one-year scholarships. Is that something that should be considered, and should schools have the right to determine the length of scholarship if that is approved?
COACH BEAMER: No, I don't think that's good at all. I don't think there's college coaches right now in the business of running kids off. I just don't think that's there. But I do think coaches are responsible for a lot of things, the conduct of a player, academic progress of a player and so forth, and I think you need to have something in place to help you get these things across for the kid to -- you have something to help with the learning process there.
No, I don't think multiyear scholarships are a good idea at all. I think the system works just fine the way it is right now, one-year renewable, and I think, again, with what we're responsible for and what -- I think you give that up. If a kid knows he's got a scholarship for however many years, he could care less what you're trying to tell him -- not all kids, but some kids could care less what you're trying to get across.

Q. How tough has it been for you to just get a grasp on how good the defense has been playing this year because of so many injuries?
COACH BEAMER: Well, you know, we have. We've played fairly well, particularly with the number of injuries we have. When you've got two true freshmen playing in there at defensive tackle, that's a tough way to go. But it's two guys that are getting better all the time, Marshall and Maddy. You've got a 219-pound defensive end in Wilson that -- I mean, he's fast and it's a good thing he is fast because he's not super big. But he's been playing great.
So I give our defense a lot of credit. Those guys stepping up, Bonner stepped in there for Hosley last week and did a fairly good job, and he's a freshman. In the end, I think it's -- we've only got one senior starting for us on defense, and some young guys are getting a lot of experience, so for the future, I think it's making a good statement.

Q. What's the trick there to building that depth to the point where you can go ahead and throw those young kids in and still be able to go and win on the road?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, you know, and we didn't have a choice, really. But when they got in there, the kids have responded very, very well. Down at Wake Forest, that's a good football team, well-coached football team, you've got to play well to beat them. Thank goodness our young guys did that.

Q. Obviously you have a pretty big frame of reference. How does -- when you look at the injuries you've had this year, is this about as -- is it at the high end of injury situations you've had over your tenure to this point?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, I think so. I can't remember. I mean, we just had a lot of guys, a couple guys out for the year. I can't remember having this many injuries that kept people out of games. We've probably had it over the years, but I just can't remember when.

Q. It's just basically all the luck of the --
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, I think so. I think sometimes it just happens like that. I mean, how the guys got hurt, I mean, GW, when he made the tackle on the fake field goal, made a great tackle and didn't look like anything in particular was wrong, but he goes down; Hopkins is injured, just kind of got turned wrong and didn't really -- wasn't a violent collision, but sometimes it just -- Eric Martin has been having trouble with his shoulder. He came down on it making a catch. Just kind of just the way things have kind of gone.
And they go like that. I think they probably go in cycles a little bit like that. But thank goodness we've had some guys step up.

Q. I was just curious if you thought there was a group kind of issue or problem at the power conference level, just looking at Gus Malzahn, Chad Moore developed their offenses at a high school level, and then you look at Chip Kelly who developed his dynamic offensive philosophy at a lower level in college. Do coaches have the courage of their convictions to try new things or are afraid of failure?
COACH BEAMER: What was the first part of that question?

Q. Just if there's a kind of group dynamic to FBS philosophy and power conference philosophy.
COACH BEAMER: I don't think the level you're on determines whether you're a good coach or not. I think certainly there's some innovative great coaches in high school, and then they get their shot in college. College coaches, NFL, I don't think the level says what kind of coach you are. I think that's determined by who you are and what you are and how you do it. So yeah, it's been interesting, some guys from the high school levels come on and have been very successful, but that's just tells me they were good coaches in high school, too.

Q. Do you see more innovation coming from the bottom up like from high school to college levels, or do you see it typically coming from the top down?
COACH BEAMER: I think it goes both ways. I think -- I know as far as ourselves, we visit with different people, some people in the NFL. I think there's good ideas both places. I think you've just got to be ready to listen and look at them and see if they fit what you want to do.

Q. Do you ever entertain ideas from high school coaches or lower conference level coaches?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, you know, we have high school coaches speak at our clinic here at Virginia Tech every year, and it's interesting to hear what they say and how they do things. If you listen, you can pick up some stuff, some things.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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