BTI's Rants and Ramblings: It's Time for the Frank Beamer Jump

Mark Stoops has a legitimate argument as Kentucky’s greatest football coach. No, he’ll never win national championships like Bear Bryant, but at Kentucky, he’s had a longer string of success than Bryant did. But no matter how you view Stoops’ tenure, I think Bryant is not the proper bar to compare him to. I think we should hold Stoops to the level of a college football coach just a bit to the east: Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer.

Now, at first glance, you might think it is not fair to compare Stoops to a College Football Hall of Fame coach. But that is only if you don’t know the full scope of what Beamer’s tenure at Va Tech was. So follow along with me here…

BEAMER DID NOT TAKE OVER A POWER PROGRAM

Before Beamer took over the program in 1987, Virginia Tech had been to three bowl games in the previous 17 seasons. They had finished ranked in the Top 25 at the end of a season a total of TWO times in program history. Hell, they weren’t even in a conference when Beamer took over the program. They were basically the most basic, forgettable program in the country. It kind of sounds like Kentucky in 2013. Just how bad were the Hokies when Beamer took over? They went 2-9 and 3-8 in his first two years. Rings similar to UK’s 2-10 inaugural Stoops season.

BEAMER TOOK CONTROL OF HIS STATE

I would say that Virginia probably produces a few more elite-level college football players than Kentucky but not a ton. And when Beamer took over, many of those guys began switching to the Hokies. Additionally, Va. Tech took control of the rivalry over Virginia. UVA won 5 of the first 6 meetings against Beamer and Virginia Tech. For the next 23 years, the Hokies won 19 of 23 matchups. He elevated his program so there was no doubt who the best program in that was for two decades. Mark Stoops has elevated Kentucky to a clearly superior level than Louisville as of now. Can he keep it there for 10 years or more? Will Jeff Brohm have any impact on that superiority?

KEY STEP: NEED A MONUMENTAL SEASON (AND KEEP IT GOING)

Here is the biggest key. Eight years into his tenure at Va. Tech, Beamer had yet to win 10 games in a season or win a conference title. All of the pieces came together in 1995, when the Hokies finally dethroned Miami and Syracuse, won the Big East, and earned a bid to the Sugar Bowl, which they won over Texas. But lots of college football programs, both elite and not, have had amazing seasons here and there. Kentucky won 10 games and beat Penn State in 2018. They followed up that year with a 7-5 season and a 4-6 season. They won 10 games again in 2021 and followed it up with a 7-5 season. The momentum of Kentucky as an “elite football program” has been blunted by mediocre seasons after great ones. What Beamer did was follow up his first 10-win season with ANOTHER 10-win season in 1996. Back-to-back 10-win years cemented Va. Tech as an elite college football program; that is what Stoops is missing.

FIND THE PROGRAM-DEFINING PLAYER

For Virginia Tech, it was Michael Vick. He took the Hokies to the national title game in his freshman season and went 11-1 in his second season too. He was what Anthony Davis and John Wall were for Kentucky basketball. Household names. Huge pro careers. A player that will forever be synonymous with your school. Has Stoops really had that guy yet? Yes, we think of Benny Snell, Lynn Bowden, Chris Rodriguez, Will Levis, and Josh Allen as some of this school’s greatest players. But are they seen the same way nationwide? I am willing to bet that most NFL fans don’t know where Allen went to school. None of the other guys have made a dent in the pros yet. It’s not easy to do but Stoops needs to find THE GUY who defines this program.

After Vick left Virginia Tech, the Hokies would go on to win 10 or more games in 9 of the next 11 seasons. They went to five BCS bowls. And I think you can argue Vick was a key figure in all of that. Kentucky needs to somehow find that guy.

STOOPS IS VERY CLOSE

At first glance, it might appear the gap between Frank Beamer (Va. Tech) and Mark Stoops (Kentucky) is cavernous. While Virginia Tech has had its struggles in recent years (and an ESPN article suggests it was a disaster for a while) I think people still view them as one of the better college football programs and a desirable job in the sport. But I think Mark Stoops has shown all of the signs that he could make UK into that type of program. Will he win a national title in Lexington? Probably not. But neither did Beamer. Will Stoops win 10-12 games a year? Probably not. But neither did Beamer. But what Beamer did is have the heavy majority of his seasons as conference champion-caliber teams and the rest were bowl teams. He turned their home field into a nightmare for opponents. He developed a nationwide reputation. And he capitalized on a program-defining player.

Stoops just needs to show the consistency to piece together multiple elite teams in a row and find that nationally recognized player. We can’t follow up 10-win years with 6-6 or 7-5 teams, even in the SEC. Mark Stoops can coach here for as long as he wants in my opinion (barring a collapse or scandal).

This year’s team has a lot of hype coming into the year. Highly touted quarterback. Lots of great returning QBs. Fan excitement is there. Great schedule. Hopefully, the Cats have a great season and win nine or more games. But assuming that happens, 2024 will be the next big hurdle for Stoops’ program. Can we begin piecing together elite seasons? Can we become the Virginia Tech of the SEC? And will Mark Stoops carve out a legendary career at the likes of Frank Beamer when it’s all said and done?