The Polynesian Bowl announced Wednesday that former Virginia Tech head coach and 2018 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Frank Beamer will coach Team Makai (Ocean) in the 2020 Polynesian Bowl The game will be played at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium on Jan. 18, 2020 and will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Founded in 2017, the Polynesian Bowl is a high school all-star game pitting 100 of the top seniors in the nation. The 2020 rosters have already been set, featuring players from across the continental United States, leaning heavily on Hawaii and the West Coast for talent.
“The Polynesian Bowl is an incredible celebration of culture and football,” Beamer said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun coaching the best high school players in paradise.”
Beamer will be joined by fellow College Football Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier, who will lead Team Makua (Mountain). The Polynesian Bowl traditionally asks veteran coaches to lead its respective teams. Jim Zorn and Mike Bellotti served as head coaches for the 2019 game, Dick Vermeil and Terry Donahue did in 2018, and Dick Tomey and June Jones served as the inaugural head coaches.
Beamer retired from Virginia Tech in 2015 with an impressive record of 238-121-2 at his alma mater. He is currently serving his final season as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee. The term “Beamer Ball” became synonymous with Virginia Tech’s innovative approach on special teams as Hokies rose to national prominence thanks in large part to their ability to consistently make game-changing plays in the kicking game.
Revered by his coaching peers across the country and adored by Virginia Tech fans for his success and his humility, Beamer’s contributions to his alma mater have gone far beyond the football field. The 2018 recipient of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the game over three decades, as well as his longstanding commitment to education and preparing student-athletes to be leaders in their communities.
Beamer has long embraced Virginia Tech’s spirt of Ut Prosim (that I may serve) and has enthusiastically supported philanthropic efforts across the region for decades. The son of a school teacher, one of the causes closest to Beamer’s heart is Herma’s Readers, a program named after his mother that provides books and other resources in an effort to promote literacy throughout Southwest Virginia.
Photo credit: Virginia Tech Athletics