Beamer decides to stay at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) _ Frank Beamer is staying at Virginia Tech. <br><br>Beamer said Monday that he will remain coach of the No. 6 Hokies, ending a wild 1 1/2 days that included a visit with North Carolina

Monday, November 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) _ Frank Beamer is staying at Virginia Tech.

Beamer said Monday that he will remain coach of the No. 6 Hokies, ending a wild 1 1/2 days that included a visit with North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour, a widely reported job offer from the Tar Heels for as much as $1.4 million and a series of meetings with Virginia Tech officials.

The announcement was made by Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver at an afternoon news conference.

Beamer's success at Virginia Tech has made him a frequent target of other programs, with Clemson and Alabama among the schools that have courted him.

He was the near-consensus national coach of the year last season after leading the Hokies to an 11-0 regular season record and the national championship game.

The Hokies capped a 10-1 regular season on Saturday with a 42-21 victory against rival Virginia, and are in contention for a Bowl Championship Series berth. It would be their fourth trip to a major bowl in six years, the best such stretch in school history, and highlights the Hokies' remarkable turnaround.

Beamer, nearly fired in 1992 after compiling a 24-39-2 record in his first six seasons at his alma mater, has guided the Hokies to a 74-21 record since. Tech will extend its bowl streak to eight years this season, has won three Big East championships in the past five seasons and become a fixture in the national polls.

For a time Monday, it looked as if Beamer was leaning toward the Tar Heels, who have a glistening new athletic facility and a football history similar to Virginia Tech's.

Earlier in the day, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said Beamer met with his staff and was ``struggling'' with the possibility of leaving after 14 seasons.

``I think the bottom line is we're with him whatever he decides,'' said Foster, a member of Beamer's coaching staff since 1981, when both were at Murray State.

``He has a lot of loyalty to his staff and with his staff,'' said Foster, who turned down Florida's defensive coordinator job before last season. ``He's a guy that knows how to run a successful program, it's not one guy. We as his assistants appreciate that.''