[4] Beamer was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina,[5] and grew up on a farm in Fancy Gap, Virginia.

The courtroom shooting left five people dead, including the judge, a prosecutor, and the county sheriff.

Over the next several years, Beamer underwent dozens of skin graft procedures, leaving him with permanent scarring.

[7] Beamer attended high school in Hillsville, Virginia, and earned 11 varsity letters in three different sports: football, basketball, and baseball.

Beamer was hired as the defensive coordinator at Murray State University in 1979 under head coach, Mike Gottfried.

Beamer signed a four-year contract worth $80,000 annually, hired by Virginia Tech's new athletic director, Dale Baughman, also replacing Dooley in that capacity.

[18] The peak year in this stretch was 1999, when the Hokies went 11–0 in the regular season earning a spot to the 2000 Sugar Bowl to play Florida State for the BCS National Championship.

[19] Behind the play of quarterback Michael Vick, Virginia Tech led Florida State 29–28 early in the fourth quarter, but lost 46–29.

[21] In 2000, Virginia Tech had its second straight 11-win season, only losing to Miami when Heisman candidate Michael Vick was suffering a severe ankle sprain and did not start.

[a] As Tech was in a bye week preparing for its annual game with UVA, Beamer says he was contacted by the University of North Carolina and offered the job to replace soon-to-be fired coach Carl Torbush.

Beamer reports in his book, Let me be Frank: My Life at Virginia Tech, that he told UNC that he would accept the job on the off-Saturday the week before the UVA game.

"I never signed a contract, and they wanted me to stay that Sunday night and have the introductory press conference on Monday morning....I know they were thinking if we got on that airplane to come home, I would change my mind.

"[24] Virginia Tech continued its bowl eligibility streak into the new millennium and won the 2004 ACC Championship in its first season in the league.

[28] Memphis' Justin Fuente replaced Beamer as the head football coach at Virginia Tech at the end of the 2015 season.

The Hokies' consecutive bowl appearances streak—the longest in the nation at the time—continued under his successor, Justin Fuente,[30] until the 2020 season.

Beamer led the Virginia Tech Hokies to 23 consecutive bowl games beginning in his seventh season in 1993 until he retired in 2015.

[35] In late 2015, shortly after announcing his retirement at the end of the season, Beamer signed an eight-year contract with Virginia Tech, serving as a special assistant to Whit Babcock, director of athletics at Virginia Tech, focusing on athletic development and advancement.

The panel determines the top four college football teams for the playoff games to decide the national champion.

Located on the west side of Lane Stadium, it is the primary access route to the campus sports facilities.

The Virginia Tech Athletics Department also changed its mailing address to '25 Beamer Way' to commemorate his jersey number as a player at the school.

The honorary jersey became so popular with the players, fans, and coaches that the team continued the tradition beyond the 2016 season.

[49] Ut Prosim Medal On May 11, 2023, and Virginia Tech's spring commencement ceremony, Beamer received the Ut Prosim Medal, the university's highest honor, which recognizes those who embody service, sacrifice, generosity, and esteemed accomplishment that reflect honor on both the individual and the university.

The two met on a blind date, arranged by Cheryl's sister Sheila, while Beamer was a senior at Virginia Tech.