Frank Beamer Headlines Additions to College Football Playoff Selection Committee

Former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, Robert Morris President Chris Howard and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith were named new members of the College Football Playoff selection committee Tuesday, CFP executive director Bill Hancock announced. 

“Frank, Chris and Gene will each bring a wealth of knowledge to the selection committee,” Hancock said in a statement on the CFP's official website. “All three played college football. And they will continue the CFP tradition of committee members with high integrity and a passion for college football."

The appointees will serve three-year terms on the committee. They are replacing Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. Alvarez and Rice served on the CFP committee in each of its first three years; Carr stepped away after one season due to health concerns.

Beamer, 70, coached Virginia Tech for 29 seasons before retiring in 2015. The Hokies went 238-121-2 during his tenure, nearly winning a national championship in 1999 and finishing as an AP Top 10 team on seven occasions.

Beamer said he was honored for the appointment in a statement, per Heather Dinich of ESPN.com:

"

College football has been my life's work, and I'm really humbled that I can still contribute to the game in this role. Hopefully the rest of the committee will be interested in my perspective. To join a group with so many great minds and such a diverse range of experience, I just want to pull my weight. The committee has an important role, and I'll do everything asked of me to help rank the best teams in America for the right to compete for the national championship.

"

Howard, 47, is the eighth president in Robert Morris University history. He was a starting running back at the Air Force Academy during his collegiate career, earning Academic All-American honors and winning the first William V. Campbell Trophy (then Draddy Trophy), which is colloquially known as the Academic Heisman.

Smith, in his 12th year at Ohio State, played for Notre Dame's 1973 national championship team. He briefly worked as an assistant coach for the Irish before a long career in athletic administration, which has included stints as athletic director at Arizona State, Eastern Michigan and Iowa State.

"This is a tremendous honor and privilege to be appointed to this committee," Smith said in a statement, per Dinich. "The sport of football has given so much to me and I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to be able to give back."

In addition to appointing new members, the CFP also announced extensions for committee chair Kirby Hocutt and Bobby Johnson. Hocutt and Johnson served incomplete terms, which made them eligible for extensions.

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