Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer will step down after the season, ending a 29-year run during which he turned the Hokies into one of the most consistently successful teams in the country.
Beamer, 69, is the winningest active major college football coach with 277 victories. He is 235-120-2 since taking over at Virginia Tech in 1987.
While Beamer gave no public indication he was planning to step down midseason, the decision announced Sunday by the school comes as no surprise. The Hokies won at least 10 games each season from 2004-11, but have lost at least five games each year since.