Ranking the 10 college football head coaching vacancies

Oct 24, 2015; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Travon McMillian (34) carries the ball as Duke Blue Devils linebacker Ben Humphreys (34) chases in the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

It’s always difficult to replace a legend, and despite relatively disappointing results over the past three-plus years in Blacksburg (7-6, 8-5, 7-6 from 2012-14), the Virginia Tech head coaching job is far and away better than the one Frank Beamer took 29 years ago.

After guiding the Hokies from a Division 1-A independent to three conference titles and a national title game participant in the Big East, and then to eight straight double-digit winning season, 22 straight bowl games and five conference championships in the ACC, Beamer is set to retire at season’s end with more than 234 victories as a head coach.

Beamer leaves a terrific legacy, and also a great situation for the next man in charge, especially with athletic director Whit Babcock one of the best AD’s to work for. Lane Stadium is an electric atmosphere for a college football game. Virginia is one of the top 10 states in the nation for producing FBS talent, and the Hokies have a large fan base, which helped drive money into the program to build some of the nation’s nicest facilities.

“I haven’t seen all the NFL teams, but I know we’re really not hurting for anything here at Virginia Tech,” Beamer said in June in reference to the program’s sparkling new indoor practice facility, according to CoachingSearch.com. “We’ve got everything I need. Everything is in very good shape and looks good. It sells to those recruits.

“That makes a big difference. Not only what the recruits see, but it also says, ‘What are the intentions of Virginia Tech?’ If you look at our facilities, you say, ‘They want to be the No. 1 team in the country.’ That’s where we’re trying to get to.”

Beamer won’t lead Virginia Tech through many more practices at the new facility, but the success the Hokies have had during his tenure helped make this a top-notch job.

Next: South Carolina