A boost from Beamer: Legendary Virginia Tech coach rallies to kick off school capital campaign
Halifax County High School Comet cheerleaders, band members and encouraging words from former Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer was just the recipe the school system ordered to get the county excited about building a new Halifax County High School.
“I was asked here a while ago why are you here. I said ‘we need to build a school.’ It’s so important these days that we give our kids the best education we can… I’m so impressed with what you all are doing here, and I understand the need,” said Beamer during a lunch at The Prizery to kick off the capital campaign to help pay for the new school.
With an impressive coaching career lasting over 40 years, Beamer said he is often asked about his foundation, and he said Superintendent Dr. Mark Lineburg’s dad was just as influential in his life as anyone.
Lineburg’s dad was a coach at Radford High School and gave Beamer his first job as an assistant football coach.
“He knew football, but he taught me the one thing that was the most important thing — that you need to care about those players. In this business when things go bad and you lose on Saturday, there’s only one group who will get you out of it — it’s the players,” said Beamer.
The coach who led his team to 23 straight bowl games from 1993 to 2015 went on to talk about the three main things that one needs to be successful -- integrity, communication and organization.