Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer stands on the sidelines during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Boston College in Boston, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Virginia Tech won 26-10. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee still has four and possibly five games to go this season, but the Volunteers already know they'll face a first-year coach in the second game of next season.
Long-time Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer announced on Sunday he would retire at the end of the season, and the Hokies will have new coach roaming the sidelines for the first time in since 1986 when they play Tennessee in the "Battle at Bristol" at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 10.
Virginia Tech is 3-5 in Beamer's 29th season, and the coach took the program from Division I Independent status in 1987 to seven conference championships in the ACC and Big East and 22 straight bowl games, a current streak that's the second-longest in the country.
"I've enjoyed really building a great relationship with Coach Beamer," Vols coach Butch Jones said Monday. "As a coach in this profession and growing up in this profession you try to research and find out about individuals and successful individuals. Frank Beamer was at the top of my list.
"He's one that I really researched and tried spending a lot of time with that."
In his final season at Cincinnati in 2012, Jones faced off against Beamer, and the Hokies coach mentioned Jones's team in a book that was published in September 2013.
Jones called that "one of the greatest thrills I've had in all of coaching," and Beamer autographed a copy for the Tennessee coach.
"He autographed it to me, and he said, 'Butch, I meant what I said in this book. Good luck at Tennessee,'" Jones said. "That's something that I have sitting on my desk right now.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect. It's very unfortunate because college football is losing one of the greatest individuals of all time and one of the greatest coaches of all time."
Jones actually has been linked to the opening at Virginia Tech by a couple of media outlets due to his relationship with current Hokies athletic director Whit Babcock, who was hired as Cincinnati's athletic director in October 2011 midway through Jones's second season with the Bearcats.
The two also worked together at West Virginia.
"He's a good friend of mine," Jones said, "and I know he'll do a good job there in finding a replacement for Coach Beamer."
Mack and Jack
Freshman Jack Jones played most of the Georgia and Alabama games at right guard with Jashon Robertson (ankle) injured.
But when Robertson re-aggravated the injury on the first series against Kentucky, senior Mack Crowder instead went into the game at left guard.
"It's just the overall development it's your practice and it's the grading of the games," Butch Jones explained. "It's nothing against Jack. Jack has done a good job, but you guys don't see what we see every day. Jack's a good football player. Jack's going to be a great player.
"I love him to death, and he understands the things he needs to work on. Sometimes it's just from a strength standpoint of being a true freshman. Mack has the experience.
"Mack has done some good things and performed very well when he's gone in there, but it's good to have the luxury to be able to play some of those individuals."
Crowder played well against the Wildcats as he had a hand in a couple of Tennessee's biggest run plays, including two long scampers by quarterback Josh Dobbs and Alvin Kamara's 63-yard sprint.
Butch Jones also praised guard Dylan Wiesman for being a "flat-out warrior for us."
Tennessee linebacker Curt Maggitt plays against Bowling Green in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, in NashvilleInjury report
Jones said Robertson (ankle) should be able to play on Saturday against South Carolina.
"It's no worse than than what it's been in the past with his ankle, so we anticipate him being probable and being ready to go, and that's a tribute to him," he explained.
"I can't wait to get a healthy Jashon Robertson back, because the sky's the limit for him."
Receiver Marquez North (back) was a game-time decision and wound up not playing against Kentucky, and the Vols are trying to work him back to bolster a limited rotation at that position.
"We need him," Jones said. "What we're asking our receiver corps to do right now, I don't think there's another school in the country that's asking as much of a group as we are in terms of lack of numbers."
Defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt (hip) will has an MRI scheduled later this week that could determine if he's able to return this season, while receiver Jason Croom (knee) remains doubtful to return this week.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.