First, let the great lucus forewarn you about Coach Beamer (who I do love). Frank Beamer, in my opinion only.....has early onset dementia or early Alzheimer's. This is one of those famous lucus posts where I make the statement, and many respond and blast me and say, "you are nuts" or "out there" or get mad and attack and say it's ridiculous. Then of course.......about 3 years later, I follow up after I am proven correct with a "told ya so post." Folks, I am in the field of neuroscience. Am I giving a diagnosis? No I am not. I am giving my opinion of what I see and hear from Beamer on TV, Radio, Interviews, gestures, speech, body language, and responses. I am telling you now, he is not well. I think it is obvious that this year or next year is his last season as the VT Head Coach. You wlll find out after he is gone (give it about 2 years after he is retired) that he has either early onset dementia or early onset Alzheimer's. Strictly my opinion here and I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist and have not performed a physical evaluation, so I am certainly not "diagnosing" the man. I am simply giving one guy's opinion of what I see. And.....what I see is......he is not well. We have a man right now...right now the Head Coach of VT who I feel, has memory loss, periods of disorientation, and has either some form of dementia or Alzheimer's.
Perhaps this post is not one of those far out posts and many may feel the same way I do? I don't know? What I do know is this.....I have lived long enough not to be gullible and to understand that much is possible. Meaning.........some may feel there is no way that a man with dementia or Alzheimer's is coaching VT and the powers that be certainly would not allow that. Folks....it's 2015. Do not be naive. When you get enough power like Frank Beamer has at VT, or like JoePa had at Penn State, people are often scared to even bring the conversation up, much less to approach him personally about it. Now, do I think the man has advanced stages of some form of dementia? No, of course not, but.......do I think he has early stages or early signs? Absolutely, Yes I do, and I also think some qualified professional will render a diagnosis in the next 3 years? Wait and see.
With the above written. A perfect opportunity is for Whit to bring in the new coach for the UT game. A win is monumental and gives the new coach huge momentum and recruiting gains on a national stage. A loss is only chalked up to a new system and not a huge hit. With Coach Beamer, a loss further destroys the program on the national stage and if he were to somehow win, it still does not turn the program around. We still get our at least 4 losses next season with him as HC even if we did beat Tennessee. A great opportunity is in place for Whit and VT to bring in the New Head Coach for the UT Game. The UT game and Bristol is a reason not to allow Beamer to stay one more year, but actually an opportunity and reason for VT to hire a new Head Coach to lead the program on the field in a new era for the Battle in Bristol.