Back to Work
January 18, 2007 10:47 AM | General
January 18, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez has had a long laundry list of things to take care of since returning to Morgantown after leading the Aina team to a come-from-behind 18-10 victory in the 2007 Hula Bowl.
 |
||
| Football coach Rich Rodriguez addresses the crowd at halftime of Wednesday's West Virginia men's basketball game against South Florida.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
His first objective was met yesterday when Clemson assistant Ron West agreed to become WVU’s assistant head coach in charge of the offensive line. Rodriguez has two more openings on the coaching staff to fill (wide receivers and tight ends) and he expects to have two quality assistants in place in the coming weeks.
Despite being in the middle of recruiting season, Rodriguez believes it is more important to find the right fits than it is to simply get coaches into the program before signing day.
“I’ve got a lot of qualified candidates and I’m just trying to find the right guy,” he said Wednesday night. “There are so many very, very good coaches out there that we’ll get someone who is good for our program and who is also excited about being here.”
In the meantime, the six remaining coaches have taken on extra responsibilities until the rest of the staff is completed.
“The rest of the guys on our staff and Mike Kerin, our football operations guy, will keep that flowing,” Rodriguez said of West Virginia’s recruiting efforts. “The commitments that we have, I believe, are all sticking with us. We’re so far along in recruiting that it’s not hurting us as much as maybe people would think. I don’t want to say we’re concluding recruiting but we’re winding down like most people.”
Rodriguez believes it’s healthy for a football program to have its assistants in line for promotions. Wide receivers coach Butch Jones was recently named head coach at Central Michigan and tight ends coach Herb Hand was named co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa last Friday.
“It’s flattering for our program when guys go from a position coach to a coordinator or from a position coach to a head coach. I think that’s what makes some of our jobs attractive,” Rodriguez said. “They come here and have success and they can move on. That doesn’t bother me. I just don’t want guys making lateral moves.
“I think we’re in a position now where a move from West Virginia to a similar school is a lateral move or below because of where our program is at,” Rodriguez said. “A move upward is pretty flattering to the program and the individual himself.”
Rodriguez listed his three biggest priorities heading into the spring.
“Our first priority now is recruiting and we’ve got 2 ½ weeks left of that. We’re going to sign a full class of 25,” he said. “Obviously another priority along the same line is finishing my staff. I’ve got one coach completed today and I’ll have two other outstanding coaches done within the next several weeks. And our third priority is to make sure our returning players get better. They’ve already started their workouts. (Strength coach) Mike Barwis says they have a great attitude.”
Rodriguez senses his team has the same hunger they had the past two seasons when they won Sugar and Gator bowls and finished in the Top 10.
“Even though they’ve had some success they want to try to take it to another level,” Rodriguez said. “The difference between zero, one and four is not a whole lot as far as losses go. I think our guys want to win them all but they also understand that we’ve got to be better than they were last year and I think they are committed to doing that.”
The coach announced two mid-semester additions to the team in junior college cornerback Ellis Lankster and high school safety Sidney Glover. Both will participate in spring drills and could be factors in the secondary in 2007.
Lankster signed with Alabama-Birmingham out of high school but wound up at Jones (Miss.) Community College, where he earned second team JUCO All-America honors this season. Rivals.com gives the Whistler, Ala., native four stars.
Glover is a 6-foot, 205-pound safety from Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio. He graduated a semester early and is enrolled at WVU for the second semester. He is a three-star recruit, according to Rivals.
Also, prized 2005 prospect Jason Gwaltney has re-enrolled in school and will be available for spring drills, although Rodriguez cautions that the running back has considerable work to do academically before he can return to the football field.
“He’s walking on but it’s a long shot for him to be eligible (in 2007),” Rodriguez said. “Right now he’s in the weightlifting program and attending classes trying to earn his spot back. He will practice this spring.
“He’s a long way from getting back on the field and he knows that,” Rodriguez added. “But he’s paying his own dime to do it. He wants the second chance and we’re going to give it to him.”
All-American running back Steve Slaton successfully had surgery on his left wrist and should be able to resume regular lifting and running once spring drills are completed.
“The doctors said it went well,” Rodriguez said. “He will not practice in the spring but by the end of spring he should be back to his full workload. I don’t think it was a major thing but more of a hard-to-heal situation where they had to put the pin in. From my understanding they will probably leave the pin in permanently.”
Linebacker Marc Magro also had surgery on his knee and offensive lineman Greg Isdaner is scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder today. Both will be held out of spring drills.
“I’m glad we’re getting these done now,” Rodriguez said.
Quarterback Adam Bednarik, who had shoulder surgery last year, will still be limited this spring.
“I don’t know if we’ll know by the end of this spring if we will be all the way back or not,” Rodriguez said. “It will be more of a summer thing before he will be able to throw like he could before the injury.”
The coach said spring practice has been moved up two weeks to allow more time for construction crews to replace the stadium turf. Spring practice will begin on March 5 and will conclude with the annual Gold-Blue Spring game on April 7.
