The ACC School Mount Rushmores: Virginia Tech

The Confidential has been having some fun with league-wide coaches Mount Rushmores. Football and Basketball, plus polls for each of football and basketball to share your thoughts. In fact, it was so sufficiently fun and controversial that we are going to do school-wide Mount Rushmores now. And we will only put three people on the list, leaving you–our readers–to comment as to who should be the fourth. We will not do polls anymore. For today, let’s go with the school that has carried the ACC in football for the past decade: Virginia Tech.

As we discussed previously, these school-wide Mount Rushmores are limited to sports only–players and coaches. That being said, athletes that have gone on to have careers that have furthered their legend are rewarded also. And negative publicity will also be factored in. We do not believe that USC would put OJ Simpson on its Mount Rushmore. It is what it is. Admittedly, there will be a recency bias too. While historical accomplishments are typically quite impressive, coaching college football (as an example) in 1955 was a lot different than coaching today, where coaches rarely get 5 years to make their mark anymore. Similarly, in an era of up to 14 college football games or 40 college basketball games, as well as daunting pressure from the fans and media, today’s game is more challenging. That’s our opinion and we are sticking to it.

The Confidential gives the first spot to Frank Beamer. Much like Bobby Bowden at Florida State, Frank Beamer is responsible for Virginia Tech becoming relevant in football. Only Beamer is at his alma mater. Just look at his stats: 20 straight seasons at better than .500. And only two of those seasons with 7-win seasons. The rest were 8 or more, 13 with 10 or more. Just an outstanding coach. Ask yourself where Virginia Tech would be without Frank Beamer. Probably not in the ACC, that’s for sure.

The #2 spot for Virginia Tech goes to a football player: Bruce Smith. Smith was the number one pick in the NFL Draft in 1985. Really, Smith was the bright spot in the pre-Beamer football era for the Hokies. He won the Outland Trophy in 1984. Like Jim Kelly, who we discussed yesterday for Miami, Bruce Smith was a fixture on the great Buffalo Bills teams on the early 1990s. Unlike many #1 picks, Bruce Smith lived up to the hype. He is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

The #3 spot is fairly easy for a change: Dell Curry. Now, you may be thinking that Curry is best known for his sons or his wife, Sonya. But look at his accomplishments. Actually, the Confidential can go off memory–Curry would have scored a lot more had the played in the three-point era. Had outstanding range in college. Of course, his NBA career was extensive and he even coached for a spell for the Bobcats.

And that leads us to the number four spot. Michael Vick goes here–does his negative outweigh his positive? Football’s Antonio Freeman. Baseball’s Johnny Oates and Franklin Stubbs. Maybe Bimbo Coles? Well, it seems like Vick’s to lose. Will he? So that is where you come in–let us know who should be #4.

Who will be the Confidential’s fourth Virginia Tech Hokie in its Mount Rushmore?

Other Mount Rushmores:

ACC Football Coaches

ACC Basketball Coaches

Maryland

Boston College

Wake Forest

Miami