WVU Football Coach in waiting

[farmer]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia University has landed the services of Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

According to a source that asked to remain anonymous, Holgorsen will take over as the Mountaineer offensive coordinator next season and then replace Stewart as head coach in 2012-13.

Stewart has agreed to stay on next season.

According to the source, WVU defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and the entire defensive staff will be retained. Current Mountaineer offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen is apparently out whether he lands the open Kent State head coaching job or not.

[Raiderball]

http://westvirginia.scout.com/2/1031117.html

[Raiderball]

http://www.okstate.com/sports/m-footbl/ ... ana00.html

[Raiderball]

http://oklahomastate.scout.com/2/1031136.html

[Raiderball]

I have been reading a lot of reports from various media outlets yet nothing official from either WVU or OSU.

[Yossarian]

Insane. Unless this is Bill Stewart wanting to retire this is off the chart unbelievable. Let's see Stewart wins a BCS bowl game, has a better winning percentage than Bowden, Nehlen, or RR and he is out? Amazing that WVU and the fans demonized RR for his lack of loyalty and now they do the exact same thing to Bill Stewart. I hope there is something more to this. Otherwise WVU deserves whatever it gets. Here is one who admired them for retaining Stewart when they did. Now I will never watch another one of their games.

[Raiderball]

As I said, nothing official from WVU or OSU so we don't really know how this went down.

You can look at Stewarts 3 year record of 28-11 as being impressive but if you look deeper and there has to be some concern:

2008 - preseason top 10 ranking. Losses to Colorado, East Carolina, Cincinnati and Pitt.
2009 - Leading Auburn by 3 td's and losing, loss to FSU in Gator bowl.
2010 - bad losses to UConn and Syracuse. Add to that a gift from Marshall.
Add to that some big time recruits leaving the team and not being able to get commitments from any big time recruits for this years signing class.

Some other concerns I've read about are drop in season ticket sales, alienating some of the big money donors and a failure to take responsibility/fault for lack of offensive production.

Does any of this make this move right? Maybe not but not the first time a coach with a high winning % has been wronged.... Earl Bruce? Frank Solich?

[Raiderball]

Pretty sure Bill Stewart is 58 yrs old.

[Raiderball]

As for the RR/loyalty complaint by WVU... maybe that was it for some fans but with most I don't think it was so much that he left but how he left. If you remember, the year before he took the Michigan job he was on his way to Alabama before WVU gave him more money and made some promises to upgrade facilities. Another thing that didn't set well with anyone was RR contacting recruits about his departure before he met with his current players at WVU.

[Raiderball]

^^^Oh, that discussion board is in meltdown tonight.

[Yossarian]

As for the RR/loyalty complaint by WVU... maybe that was it for some fans but with most I don't think it was so much that he left but how he left. If you remember, the year before he took the Michigan job he was on his way to Alabama before WVU gave him more money and made some promises to upgrade facilities. Another thing that didn't set well with anyone was RR contacting recruits about his departure before he met with his current players at WVU.

Raider,
RR deserves some of what he got. I am not a fan of Rich Fraud. In Bill Stewart's case to me it's a be careful what you wish for kinda thing......I am always a little uncomfortable when a coach is let go who has been loyal, had a certain amount of success, and has apparently run a clean program. In today's enviroment staying clean should be honored more than it seems to be. WVU's future success on these terms is not a given. As I said before I may be getting the horse ahead of the cart here and Stewart wants out. I hope that is the case.

[Raiderball]

As for the RR/loyalty complaint by WVU... maybe that was it for some fans but with most I don't think it was so much that he left but how he left. If you remember, the year before he took the Michigan job he was on his way to Alabama before WVU gave him more money and made some promises to upgrade facilities. Another thing that didn't set well with anyone was RR contacting recruits about his departure before he met with his current players at WVU.

Raider,
RR deserves some of what he got. I am not a fan of Rich Fraud. In Bill Stewart's case to me it's a be careful what you wish for kinda thing......I am always a little uncomfortable when a coach is let go who has been loyal, had a certain amount of success, and has apparently run a clean program. In today's enviroment staying clean should be honored more than it seems to be. WVU's future success on these terms is not a given. As I said before I may be getting the horse ahead of the cart here and Stewart wants out. I hope that is the case.

I agree with what you are saying. Stewart is "Old Gold and Blue" to the core.
Some fans are concerned about bringing in an "outsider" with no ties to WV or WVU. Thoughts are he will use WV as a stepping stone to bigger and better. It is hard to say. RR was born and raised in WV, played and graduated from WVU and look what he did. On the other hand Don Nehlen was hired prior to the 1980 season with no ties to WV or WVU either one and he stayed for 20 years.

It is going to be an interesting year to say the least. If Stewart is not on board with this move will he stay or resign? If he resigns what will happen with recruiting? If he stays how will the new staff with DH mesh? Definitely a lot of questions to be answered. Oliver Luck is no dummy. He knows what he is doing.

[Raiderball]

As for the RR/loyalty complaint by WVU... maybe that was it for some fans but with most I don't think it was so much that he left but how he left. If you remember, the year before he took the Michigan job he was on his way to Alabama before WVU gave him more money and made some promises to upgrade facilities. Another thing that didn't set well with anyone was RR contacting recruits about his departure before he met with his current players at WVU.

Raider,
RR deserves some of what he got. I am not a fan of Rich Fraud. In Bill Stewart's case to me it's a be careful what you wish for kinda thing......I am always a little uncomfortable when a coach is let go who has been loyal, had a certain amount of success, and has apparently run a clean program. In today's enviroment staying clean should be honored more than it seems to be. WVU's future success on these terms is not a given. As I said before I may be getting the horse ahead of the cart here and Stewart wants out. I hope that is the case.

RR is one of those guys who can rub people the wrong way. If he is the coach of your team and they are winning you turn your head... WVU fans. If not.... Mich fans.

Even now when you go to WVU message boards there are some that would love to see RR return. Some are glad he is gone and only want to see WVU football return to the limelight of the 05-07 seasons when we were winning Big East Championships and BCS bowls.

[Charge]

I have never liked the coach in waiting thing. Either you need a head coach or not.

[farmer]

WVU made it officialhe today. Hopefully Stewart will be onboard with this. He is a positive influence. He may not have had the high results but he was always there to take the blame for the loses.

With so many of the colleges wanting the up incoming OC those coaches maybe better as the OC instead of the head coach. The head coach is more of a manager now of all that involves the team on and off the field. Many let the assistants do the coaching during the game anyway. A good head coach gets and maintains good assistants. Which was one of the reason RR complained that his assistants were not being paid well. To be the best team WVU has to pay the coaches not the players well.

[Raiderball]

WVU made it officialhe today. Hopefully Stewart will be onboard with this. He is a positive influence. He may not have had the high results but he was always there to take the blame for the loses.

With so many of the colleges wanting the up incoming OC those coaches maybe better as the OC instead of the head coach. The head coach is more of a manager now of all that involves the team on and off the field. Many let the assistants do the coaching during the game anyway. A good head coach gets and maintains good assistants. Which was one of the reason RR complained that his assistants were not being paid well. To be the best team WVU has to pay the coaches not the players well.

What does that mean?
As for Stewart taking the blame for the losses... not always.


http://westvirginia.scout.com/2/1031532.html

[mister b]

Stewart was offered an administrative position within the WVU athletic department following next season, unless he changes his mind and accepts a buyout for the last 2 years of his contract.

Holgorsen will be paid $1.4 million plus incentives per year as HC.

I think there is an outside chance that Holgorsen may be the HC next year depending on what Stew finally decides to do.

[The General]

Holgorsen is a helluva smart Coach.....Great scheme guy...The question will be can be he bring in Kendall Hunter,Justin Blackmon,Or Dez Bryant type players into Morgantown...If he can..watch out. Rich set the bar awfully high at WVU and the fans want more of it.....

[Raiderball]

http://westvirginia.scout.com/2/1031820.html

[cg 22]

I read that WVU was forcing Stewart out. They are no better then Rich Rod because they are doing the same thing to Stewart that RR did to them. I hope WVU and Michigan never win another game.