Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504250041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
After eight months of negotiation, the Virginia Tech football coach said Saturday he has finalized terms with Hokies athletic director Dave Braine on a new contract that runs through the 1999 season.
The contract essentially is the same one that Beamer signed on Aug.24, 1994, Braine said.
The new contract calls for a base salary of $141,445 for this season, with a 5 percent pay raise each year through 1999. Beamer was making $128,587 in his old contract.
Also in the new contract, Beamer is guaranteed at least $108,000 each year in radio and television income.
The agreement also reveals terms of an annuity, to be worth at least $100,000 by 1999. If Beamer leaves Tech before the contract expires, he forfeits the money. If Beamers fulfills the terms of the contract, he receives the total annuity.
As a bonus to Beamer, the yearly annuity payment would be doubled if Tech plays in a bowl game that awards the school more than $1 million.
In July, Beamer will collect a $100,000 annuity covering the most recent five-year period of an old contract.
``I'm probably getting paid too much,'' said Beamer, laughing. ``Seriously, I can't really complain about anything.''
When Beamer signed the contract in August, he asked Braine to consider several stipulations that included such items as bonus payments for his assistants for a good season, going to a bowl game, etc.
``I wanted some other things, especially for my assistants,'' Beamer said. ``Most of them got turned down, though. The things I asked for depended on us having success, getting on TV, playing in a bowl, selling season tickets or whatever.''
Braine conceded that most of the stipulations were deleted rather than added to the contract.
``We did all we could do. I'm just glad this is all over,'' Braine said.
Beamer will begin his ninth season at Tech in the fall. His Hokies are coming off back-to-back bowl seasons of 9-3 and 8-4.
``I appreciate the five-year deal,'' Beamer said. ``It's good to know people feel comfortable about things.
``But I think this is a very uncertain profession. For us to say we're going to be here whenever, you just can't do it. I'm just going to take next year, coach as hard as I can and see where we go from there.''
by CNB