Let Me Be Frank: My Life at Virginia Tech

After 26 seasons as head football coach at Virginia Tech University, Frank Beamer is not only the longest tenured but also the winningest active coach of any major college program, and Let Me Be Frank contains his personal reflections on more than a quarter-century leading the Virginia Tech program. Beamer has directed his alma mater to 20 consecutive bowl appearances, including six BCS bowls, five top-10 finishes, and a trip to the National Championship Game in 1999 led by a freshman quarterback named Michael Vick. But success didn’t come immediately: he started his career at VT with four losing seasons in his first six years, including a 2-8-1 record in 1992 when many fans wanted him fired. He relates how he turned a mediocre program into a perennial power while sporting a clean NCAA record and a well-earned reputation as one of the most-respected head coaches in the nation. However, Beamer is regarded as an even better man than a football coach: he created a state-wide program to help children read, and in the aftermath of the deadliest campus massacre in U.S. history, he met with the parents of the victims and visited with each wounded student. He shares stories from his time spent both on and off the gridiron, including memories of generations of Hokies stars such as Vick, André Davis, Jim Druckenmiller, Corey Moore, Jake Grove, and others.

Frank Beamer is the winningest active head coach in Division I college football with 216 wins in 26 years on the Virginia Tech sideline. Under his watch, Virginia Tech has evolved from a struggling independent program in the 1980s into a national power. He lives in Blacksburg, Virginia. Jeff Snook is a freelance writer who has written about college football for more than 30 years. He has authored seven previous books about college football, including What It Means to Be a Buckeye, What It Means to Be a Husker, and What It Means to Be a Sooner. He lives in Hypoluxo, Florida. Bob Knight is regarded as one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, winning three NCAA national championships while at Indiana University. He is currently an analyst for ESPN. He lives in New York City.