Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, the model of consistency in college football, has completely overhauled his coaching staff.

A week after hiring two young assistants to replace veteran coaches, Beamer today made one of the most significant, and probably toughest, decisions of his 24 seasons at Tech: He demoted offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring after nine up-and-down seasons on the job.

Beamer announced on his paid-subscription website that quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain will take over play-calling duties from Stinespring, who joined Beamer’s staff as a graduate assistant in 1990. Yet Stinespring will retain his offensive coordinator title.

Stinespring, frequently a target of fan criticism during his time as coordinator, will continue to coach tight ends and will add offensive tackles to his responsibilities. Curt Newsome, the offensive line coach since 2006, will now coach just the centers and guards.

“I’ve challenged each member of my staff to take it to the next level, and that’s our approach moving forward,” Beamer said in the announcement.

O’Cain and Stinespring did not immediately return telephone messages.

Beamer talked often in recent weeks about taking the next step. The Hokies have dominated the ACC since they joined the league in 2004. They are 73-21, 46-10 in conference play. They won the ACC title last season for the fourth time.

But their 40-12 loss to No. 5 Stanford in the Orange Bowl underscored their struggles against elite programs. Beamer is 1-19 against top-5 teams, 1-11 when Tech also was ranked. Stanford out-gained the Hokies 534-288, spoiling at least some of the progress that Stinespring’s offense made in 2010.

Beamer said “a big part” of the decision to have O’Cain call the plays is the “comfort level” between him and the new starting quarterback, sophomore Logan Thomas.

“They spend so much time together in the film room, practice field, study sessions, that [O’Cain] just knows what they’re thinking, knows what they like, knows what they can do, knows their body language, knows when to attack,” Beamer said. “And it just makes sense, with Logan breaking in, to try and keep things as smooth as possible. We want to get that quarterback in a rhythm, get him in a groove and we think that as close as Mike is with Logan, it could be a smart move.”

Stinespring’s offense produced some of the best numbers of his tenure last season: 402.3 yards and 33.9 points per game – 41st and 21st nationally. The yards were the most of in Stinespring’s nine seasons as coordinator, while the points ranked second to 35.4 in 2003. Most important, as the Hokies’ inexperienced defense sputtered, they relied on their offense to win at times.

But the Hokies endured lean offensive years from 2006-08, when they ranked 99th, 100th and 103rd in yards per game (295.2, 330.5 and 303.4). Their struggles on the offensive line were part of the problem. Having Stinespring coach some of the offensive line “allows us to take some of the burden off of Curt Newsome,” said Beamer. “We really think that will allow our coaches to give these positions much more individual attention.”

Stinespring is no stranger to the offensive line. As a graduate assistant, he helped with the line. He was a full-time assistant line coach from 1993-97 and served as the head line coach from 1998-2005.

O’Cain’s first offensive coordinator job came under Beamer: from 1981-84 at Murray State. O’Cain was North Carolina State’s head coach from 1993-99, North Carolina’s offensive coordinator in 2000 and Clemson’s offensive coordinator in 2004. He became Tech’s quarterbacks coach in 2006.

Tech’s staff hadn’t changed since 2006, but last week Beamer hired his son, Shane, 33, to coach running backs and his former All-American defensive end, Cornell Brown, 35, to coach outside linebackers and help with the defensive line.

To make room, Beamer moved two longtime assistants to administrative jobs. Running backs coach Billy Hite, 59, is now the assistant to the head coach and senior advisor. He had been an assistant at Tech since 1978 and the running backs coach since 1980. Outside linebackers and strong safeties coach Jim Cavanaugh, 62, is the director of recruiting and high school relations. Cavanaugh’s coaching career began in 1970. (Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray will now coach the strong safeties.)

Cavanaugh, who previously held the title of recruiting coordinator, can no longer recruit on the road, because he is not one of the nine on-field assistants. But he can still recruit on campus and will continue to oversee the Hokies’ recruiting program. “He’ll be involved with every prospect we recruit,” Beamer said.

Beamer today also announced that Shane Beamer will be his associate head coach, a title previously held by Hite. NCAA rules prohibit Hite from continuing to hold that title, as he is not one of the nine on-field assistants.

“That role really comes down to trust,” said Beamer, 64. “If for some reason I’m incapacitated, I have to know that things will operate normally in my absence. I’m hoping it’s something we never have to confront, but in the event we do, I wanted to make sure we have a plan in place to ensure this program continues to operate effectively and efficiently.”

Finally, Beamer announced his assistants’ recruiting territories, which he had to change while adjusting his staff …

** Shane Beamer takes over the Richmond area from Cavanaugh, who had recruited there, for various colleges, every season since 1973, except the six he spent at Maryland (1982-87). Shane also will handle Northern Georgia and Fork Union Military Academy. A proven recruiter, he is familiar with Northern Georgia from his previous job, at South Carolina, where he spent four seasons, including the past two as recruiting coordinator.

** Newsome moves from Tidewater (Norfolk and Virginia Beach) to the Peninsula (Newport News and Hampton), where he grew up, coached high school football and recruited for James Madison, his previous stop before Tech. Cavanaugh had recruited the Peninsula, but Newsome helped out there as well.

** Stinespring returns to Tidewater, where he had plenty of success before Newsome took over the territory. Stinespring also will help in Pennsylvania. He most recently recruited Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville.

** Brown gets Central and Southside Virginia (Stinespring’s previous areas), plus Hargrave Military Academy and western Pennsylvania.

** O’Cain takes over Hite’s schools in Southwest Virginia, in addition to continuing to recruit central North Carolina.

** Staying in the same territories are Bud Foster (Northern Virginia, some of South Carolina); Torrian Gray (Northern Virginia, Atlanta, occasionally Florida); Kevin Sherman (Washington, D.C. area); and Charley Wiles (Southwest Virginia, occasionally Florida).

twitter.com/darrylslater