Even if it was, he would never take the credit for it. That's the kind of person he is. In any event, allowing Beamer to leave would have been a huge mistake for all parties involved. You could argue that Jim Weaver, who likened the negotiations to a game of poker, has been put in his place. If he truly was just playing cards, then he needs to re-evaluate his approach and take into consideration the human elements involved.
Most people don t want to play games with their futures, and they take it personally if others do.
In Weaver's defense, in poker all that matters is who takes home the pot. In this case, Beamer took it home, and that's the best outcome. The one mystery in all this is where President Steger and the Board of Visitors landed. You could argue that Beamer, by nearly leaving just two years after saying that Virginia Tech would be his last college coaching job, has lost some of his luster with Tech fans, who still love him anyway. Strong academics and strong athletics go hand in hand to make a strong university, and if President Steger didn't think that before, hopefully he does now.