Frank Beamer Selected for Distinguished CoSIDA 2019 Dick Enberg Award
Frank Beamer Selected as the 2019 Dick Enberg Award Winner
Former Virginia Tech head football coach and College Football Hall of Famer Frank Beamer, whose football program shined the national spotlight on the university and who has championed programs and fundraising as a powerful voice for children’s literacy, student-athlete scholarship funds and cancer research, has been named recipient of the 2019 Dick Enberg Award which is presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The Dick Enberg Award, named for the late world renowned and legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster, is presented annually to a person whose actions and commitment have furthered the meaning and reach of the Academic All-America® Teams Program and/or the student-athlete while promoting the values of education and academics.
The award was created in part to recognize Enberg's passion and support of the Academic All-America® program, and more importantly, his dedication to education for more than four decades.
Beamer, one of the most respected and successful coaches in collegiate football, led his alma mater Virginia Tech to an unprecedented era of football success with seven conference championships, and led the Hokies to first-ever national title appearance in 1999, part of 23 consecutive bowl appearances in his final 23 seasons. He was a three-year starter cornerback for the Hokies from 1966-68 and played in two Liberty Bowls.
On October 6, 2018, Virginia Tech unveiled the Frank Beamer statue on Moody Plaza, outside the Hokies’ Lane Stadium, prior to the Virgina Tech-Notre Dame game. Pictured with the statue are Beamer and his wife, Cheryl.
When he retired at the end of the 2015 season after a 29-year career at Virginia Tech, Beamer was one of the longest tenured active coaches in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Series (FBS). At the time of his retirement, he was the winningest active coach at that level. His overall record of 280-144-4 (65.9% winning percentage) places him as the winningest coach in Virginia Tech history. Those 280 victories ranked sixth in FBS history and 15th in the college football record book.
Throughout his tenure, he placed an emphasis on civic involvement and community leadership.
One cause with deep personal ties to Beamer is Herma’s Readers. Beamer founded Herma’s Readers in 2008 as a tribute to his mother, Herma Beamer, an educator for over 30 years and believer in “Make every day a reading day.” Through 2018, the project had purchased, collected, and distributed over 170,000 new and used books to promote literacy throughout Virginia. In addition, Beamer and Virgina Tech student-athletes across all sports raise awareness for the program, collect books at the Hokies home events, and also read to students at local schools.
Over the past 12 years, Beamer has raised over $500,000 for charitable causes and organizations such as the United Way, Hokies United, Breast Cancer Awareness and Uplifting Athletes, Wounded Warriors, Cyrenius H. Booth Library (Sandy Hook), Cycle for Survival, First Book and Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
A constant voice and advocate for others at Virginia Tech, Beamer also provided leadership in helping the campus heal following the devastation of the 2007 campus shooting in which 32 people were murdered. Beamer emerged as a campus leader during the horrific aftermath, meeting with the families of the victims while also reaching out to meet with survivors during Virginia Tech’s darkest hour.
“On behalf of CoSIDA, we congratulate Frank Beamer on being an outstanding recipient of the 2019 Dick Enberg Award,” said Rob Knox, CoSIDA’s 2018-19 President and associate media relations director at Towson University. “While many are aware of the success he had as a Hall of Fame coach in raising the profile of Virginia Tech football during his 28 years as its head coach, it’s also his tireless dedication to the Blacksburg community and commitment to promoting literacy in Virginia that make him a terrific recipient of this prestigious Enberg honor. Frank is a high character individual who has transformed lives and always demonstrated service above self. His Hermas Readers program for elementary school children and all his community engagement is inspiring and is indicative of the many ways in which Frank has left his legacy on and off the field.”
Beamer will receive the honor at the 10th annual CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame® Ceremony. This takes place on Monday, June 10 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Conference Center in Orlando, Florida, site of CoSIDA's annual convention. The CoSIDA Convention is held in conjunction the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention for the seventh consecutive year.
“I’m deeply honored to be selected for an award named in honor of one of America’s most beloved broadcasters,” said Beamer. “In particular, this one is special because it stresses the values of education and academics which have always been important to me throughout my career.”
“I was always a big fan of Dick Enberg and remember his distinct voice describing the action of many of the most memorable sporting events of our time. I’m extremely proud and humbled to join the list of previous honorees and I thank the Enberg family and CoSIDA for such a meaningful honor.”
Upon retiring, Beamer accepted a position as special assistant to the Virginia Tech athletic director, where he focuses on athletic development and advancement. In October of 2018, Virginia Tech paid tribute to Beamer, certifying his legacy when it unveiled a bronze statue of him in front of Lane Stadium on a street named Beamer Way.
This past December 4th, Beamer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during the 61st National Football Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner in New York City. He also is a current member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
“When you stop and consider the many meaningful values that Dick Enberg embraced and, in particular, those represented in the award CoSIDA proudly presents in his name each year, Frank Beamer’s career success clearly checks all of those boxes,’ noted Doug Vance, CoSIDA Executive Director.
“He was a leader and achiever as a coach, underscored by his induction this year into the College Football Hall of Fame, and has represented his profession and school with dignity and respect. Throughout his career, he’s made education a priority for his players and carried that over to his foundation, which promotes literacy throughout Virginia, and also through his many civic endeavors. CoSIDA joins with the Enberg Family in congratulating Coach Beamer as the 23rd recipient of the Dick Enberg Award.”
Previous Dick Enberg Award Recipients
Dick Enberg
- 2018 Bill Walton, UCLA/NBA Hall of Famer
- 2017 Dr. Robert Khayat, Former Chancellor, University of Mississippi
- 2016 Roger Staubach, United States Naval Academy/Pro Football Hall of Famer, Dallas Cowboys
- 2015 Andre Agassi, International Tennis Hall of Famer
- 2014 Ann Meyers Drysdale, Basketball Hall of Famer, UCLA/Vice President, Phoenix Mercury & Suns
- 2013 Mike Krzyzewski, Head Men's Basketball Coach, Duke University
- 2012 Joe Paterno, Head Football Coach Emeritus, Penn State University
- 2011 Jackie Joyner-Kersee, UCLA, United States Olympian
- 2010 Tom Hansen, Commissioner Emeritus, Pac-10 Conference
- 2009 Steve Smith, Former Basketball Standout, Michigan State & NBA
- 2008 Chuck Lee, CEO Emeritus, GTE Corporation
- 2007 Pat Summit, Head Women's Basketball Coach Emeritus, University of Tennessee
- 2006 Gerald R. Ford, Former U.S. President
- 2005 Father Theodore Hesburgh, President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame
- 2004 Dr. Ted Leland, Director of Athletics Emeritus, Stanford University
- 2003 Dr. Tom Osborne, Director of Athletics/Head Football Coach Emeritus, University of Nebraska
- 2002 Judge Alan Page, Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court
- 2001 Dr. Donna Shalala, President, Clinton Foundations; former President, University of Miami/Former U.S. Secretary of Education
- 2000 Bill Russell, Basketball Hall of Famer, University of San Francisco/Boston Celtics
- 1999 Dean Smith, Head Men's Basketball Coach Emeritus, University of North Carolina
- 1998 John Humenik, Former CoSIDA Executive Director, University of Florida/CoSIDA Board
- 1997 Dick Enberg, Hall of Fame Broadcaster/National Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award
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