Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 12, 1992 TAG: 9202120260
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
BEAMER DISMISSES 2 COACHES
When Virginia Tech alumnus Frank Beamer became Tech's football coach in 1987, he appointed three of his former Hokie teammates as assistant coaches: Duke Strager, Larry Creekmore and Tommy Groom.One remains.
On Tuesday, Beamer dismissed Strager, who was his defensive ends coach, and Creekmore, the defensive tackles coach, citing the need for a "fresh approach with new chemistry" after Tech went 5-6 in 1991 with what many considered its most talented Beamer-era team.
Beamer described his decision as "very tough, very difficult."
He would not elaborate on why he let Strager and Creekmore go. "I'm really doing what I think is best for the football program," he said.
Strager, a native of Clarksburg, W.Va., and Chesapeake native Creekmore accompanied Beamer from Murray State. Neither Strager nor Creekmore returned phone messages Tuesday.
Beamer is expected to hire former Maryland assistant George Foussekis and former Georgia Tech assistant Terry Strock. Both are Virginia Tech graduates.
"They certainly would be two people I know, and that I know are good coaches," Beamer said.
Foussekis played with Beamer, was a Hokies assistant coach from 1969-71 and is a member of Tech's sports hall of fame. He has been a Maryland assistant since 1972 and was former Terrapin coach Joe Krivak's assistant head coach for the past six years.
Strock graduated from Tech in 1962 and was a Hokies assistant from 1966-70. From 1972-81 he coached under former Tech coach Jerry Claiborne at Maryland, then followed Claiborne to Kentucky before joining Bobby Ross' staff at Georgia Tech in 1990.
One more staff change could occur. Denie Marie, who has been a volunteer coach for three years, was left stranded when the NCAA eliminated the volunteer coach's position. Marie said he has been told he will not be appointed to the full-time staff but may remain with the program in some capacity. Marie said he has been contacted by a couple of colleges about assistant jobs and said the Cleveland Browns have offered him a job scouting college players.
Beamer said his staff's current assignments may change, depending on whom he hires.
Alumni complaints about Beamer's staff began shortly after the Hokies finished the '91 season with a 38-0 loss to Virginia. Tech's hard schedule didn't help, but neither did the fact that the offense had 32 turnovers or that the defense gave up 20.8 points per game - including 28.7 per game in the last three contests.
"Everyone this year was disappointed," Tech athletic director Dave Braine said. "Did we take a step backwards? No, I'm not going to say that. We had a good recruiting year, and Frank's doing the things he needs to do . . . to fine-tune it, to make it better."
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.