Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer is on the verge of becoming the newest member of college football's $2 million coaches' club.

Tech athletic director Jim Weaver revealed Monday night that the school has a new contract on the table that would boost Beamer's average annual guaranteed salary from $1.3 million to more than $2 million for the next seven years.

"The university and myself believes that Coach Beamer is the one who built this program and we absolutely want Coach Beamer to be here for the very rest of his career," said Weaver, speaking on Tech's weekly Monday night "Hokie Hotline" radio show at Beamer's restaurant in Blacksburg.

"I happen to think we're kind of close to the end of the line. We would like to get it done before the season starts [Sept. 4 at North Carolina State]. I know [Frank] would like to get it done before the season starts."

The only holdup in negotiations that have been ongoing for three months now is Beamer's steadfast stipulation that he won't agree to any new contract that doesn't include salary raises across the board for each of his nine full-time assistant coaches.

"That's all I'm looking for," Beamer said Saturday. "I don't need all the other stuff."

Weaver said pay raises for the assistants aren't included in the package that was recently presented to Beamer and his agent, Jimmy Sexton of Memphis, Tenn. Weaver said he and the school just recently began the process of analyzing Beamer's request for salary hikes for his assistants.

"That was an issue raised by [Sexton] about 2 ¹₂ weeks ago," Weaver noted. "We were asked to do an analysis and we'll do that analysis. The university has tried to compensate our coaches at a rate commensurate with the excellence they have provided, and we're committed to doing that. We'll look at their peers and analyze, as they have requested, the top 15 or 16 programs and we will make the commitment to compensate our people accordingly."

Weaver said it would take "a little time" for he and school officials to complete their analysis of how Tech's assistants coaches' salaries compare to other top programs around the country.

"I'm not sure when we'll get to the end of the line, but we're committed to getting there," Weaver said.

Beamer, 58, who is starting his 19th season as Tech's coach, signed his current contract in 2000. At the time, Beamer's salary and the combined $1.1 million being paid to his nine assistants ranked among the highest in the sport.

Since then, salaries have skyrocketed on the college football coaching scene. Pete Carroll, head coach of two-time defending national champion Southern California, is making approximately $3 million per year. Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and new Florida coach Urban Meyer signed deals in the $2 million neighborhood in recent months.

Other coaches who have deals worth more than $2 million are Florida State's Bobby Bowden, Texas' Mack Brown and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops.

Al Groh, head coach at archrival Virginia, received a new deal last week that will pay him $1.7 million this season and will be worth more than $2 million when the contract runs out in six years.

When counting bonuses he received for Tech winning the ACC title and earning a bid in the Sugar Bowl last season, plus added income for apparel deals and speaking engagements, Beamer took home approximately $1.75 million last season. The new contract, if consummated, would make Beamer the second-highest paid coach in the ACC behind Bowden.

Compared to other top-25 programs across the country, Tech's assistants are being paid below the norm. Seven schools in the Southeastern Conference paid their assistants' an average total of $1.3 million in 2004.