SALEM, Va. (WFXR)—Roanoke College announced Monday that former Virginia Tech assistant Bryan Stinespring will be the new head coach of the Maroons football program on Monday, Nov. 20.
Stinespring looks to build up the Maroon’s rebuilding football program. This summer, Roanoke College announced it had raised $1.3 million to support the return of football to the college for the first time since 1942 when the team was forced to disband due to the constraints of World War II.
“Bringing back Maroon football, along with marching band and competitive cheer, will open new doors at Roanoke College, attracting a wider range of students and fostering community spirit and fun in the Roanoke Valley, a region with a deep passion for football,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. “Coach Stinespring’s proven track record as a recruiter and coach, combined with his deep relationships in the region and across the commonwealth, make him an ideal leader to build a successful football program at Roanoke College.”
A native of Clifton Forge, Stinespring has been around Virginia Football for most of his coaching career. Stinespring’s first coaching experience was at the high school level. He coached for three years at Lexington High School (1986-88) followed by one year at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke before heading to Virginia Tech as a graduate assistant. As a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech, he was hired into his first full-time coaching role for Frank Beamer in 1992.
During his 26 years on Beamer’s coaching staff, the program won seven conference championships and advanced to 23 consecutive bowl games. This includes eight trips to BCS Bowl Games and the National Champion game during the 1999 season. During his near 26-year career with the Hookies, Stinespring managed the offensive line (’98-2005), offensive coordinator (2002-’12), and tight ends for his final 10 seasons (’06-’15).
After leaving Tech, Stinespring returned to his alma mater, JMU. He worked his first season at JMU as the tight ends coach and then transitioned to offensive line coach in 2017. He additionally served as the team’s run game coordinator. In year two with the Dukes, Stinespring helped lead the team to another strong offensive campaign, resulting in a second consecutive national championship appearance and back-to-back records of 14-1.
“We are very fortunate to get a person with Coach Stinespring’s background and experience,” said Roanoke College Athletics Director Curtis Campbell. “He is a Virginia native and has established relationships with high school and college coaches throughout the state. Coach Stinespring has name recognition in southwest Virginia, and that will be very important with getting our first recruiting class and establishing our program. We have a great group of coaches on staff, and he will be a welcomed addition.”
Stinespring says he is eager to bring his experience to the new Roanoke College football program.
“It is an honor and a privilege to stand before you as the head football coach of Roanoke College,” he said. “Roanoke has been a second home for me for a long time. So, when I look out and see the familiarity of faces here, it means a lot to me. I want to thank President Shushok, Curtis, this administration and this college for giving me this opportunity.”
