Stewart Adds Three
January 11, 2008 05:15 PM | General
January 11, 2008
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| Beatty | Dunlap | Lockwood |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Bill Stewart’s West Virginia coaching staff is beginning to take shape. Today Stewart announced that two former Mountaineers Steve Dunlap and Dave Lockwood are joining his football staff along with Chris Beatty, who most recently coached running backs at Northern Illinois.
Dunlap returns to WVU after spending last season as Marshall’s defensive coordinator. Dunlap has also coordinated defenses at West Virginia, Syracuse and North Carolina State. He has been involved in 14 bowl games during his coaching tenure and had the country’s No. 1-rated defense at West Virginia in 1996. His 2005 N.C. State defense was ranked eighth in the nation, and he coached three first-round picks as a member of the Wolfpack staff, including No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams.
“I’m very, very excited having worked with Steve at West Virginia University and having known him for more than 30 years,” Stewart said. “He was Broyles Award finalist in 1997. And he had very successful tenures at Syracuse, North Carolina State and Marshall University.”
The Hurricane, W.Va., native was a 17-year member of Don Nehlen’s coaching staff at West Virginia, including a 10-year stint coordinating the Mountaineer defense from 1991-2000. As a WVU player Dunlap still holds the school record for tackles in a game with 28 against Boston College in 1974.
Lockwood, a native of Media, Pa., returns to West Virginia after having most recently coached the defensive backs at Kentucky in 2007. Lockwood is a 19-year coaching veteran having also made stops at Delaware, James Madison, Memphis, West Virginia, Notre Dame and Minnesota.
“David has coordinated on the I-A level and has been to a number of bowls and has a great deal of experience,” Stewart said. “He has also coached on the offensive side of the ball.”
Lockwood’s last two seasons at Minnesota in 2005-06 were spent coordinating Minnesota’s defense. Lockwood and Dunlap have a combined 21 years worth of bowl game experience. Lockwood was a member of West Virginia’s 1988 team that played Notre Dame for the national championship in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl.
“Both have been coaching for years,” Stewart said. “Steve Dunlap has coached every position on defense. He brings so much to the table. Steve has a tremendous insight into the game of football. His knowledge is so vast that it confuses me. I go out of the room about halfway through their spiel.”
Dunlap and Lockwood will join a defensive coaching staff that includes defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, who will continue to coach the linebackers, and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich.
“Jeff Casteel in my mind is the best kept secret in America,” Stewart said. “Kevin Wilson the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma who was my GA down at North Carolina couldn’t sleep because he was facing that 3-3 stack. Now with Bill Kirelawich, who is the best defensive line coach this side of the Mississippi and maybe beyond … those two and the addition of Steve and Dave we’ve got a tremendous staff.”
Beatty comes to West Virginia after spending one season on Joe Novak’s staff at Northern Illinois. The 34-year-old coach also worked one season at Hampton University for former WVU standout Jerry Holmes, where he coordinated Hampton’s offense and assisted with the quarterbacks.
“We are very thrilled to have him on board,” Stewart said. “Chris Beatty is a tremendous young football coach. This guy can really relate to young people and he will be a tremendous recruiter. I have spoken to people that I have known for years about him. He’s got winner stamped all over him.”
Beatty spent seven years coaching high school football in Virginia, most recently at Landstown High School where he compiled an impressive 40-2 record and won the 2004 state title. He was also named the state Class 3A coach of the year that season.
“I spoke to Jerry Holmes about Chris and he kept saying A-plus, A-plus, A-plus. I said, ‘Geez oh man Jerry, is there something this guy doesn’t do well?’” Stewart said.
Beatty played at East Tennessee State where he earned all-conference honors as a senior. He also played two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Baltimore Stallions.
“There were two guys that stuck out in my mind about their character and how they played the game while I was at VMI: one was Chris Beatty and the other guy’s name was Mike Tomlin. Those were the two best character student-athletes I ever played against,” Stewart said.
Beatty is a native of Centreville, Va.
Dunlap will have the title of assistant head coach and will be responsible for safeties, Lockwood will coach the Mountaineer cornerbacks, and Beatty will coach West Virginia’s running backs and slot receivers.
“This is a real fine group of character men, men of faith, great teachers and good role models for our entire squad,” Stewart said.
Stewart still has several positions to fill and he said Friday that he will continue to proceed methodically.
“Regarding other people at this point we’re still in conversations with many great coaches throughout America. There has been a lot of hype and a lot of names leaking out. The cart is getting way ahead of the horse,” Stewart said. “We’re going to take our time. I’ve talked to our administration and they have given me great guidance. I have told them my plan. I would rather go wiser and later rather than sooner.
“I wanted to get our defensive staff intact so that way I don’t have to worry and I can concentrate solely on the contacts I know throughout America (concerning the offensive staff),” Stewart said.
“I’m just trying to get the best men I can for these young men no matter what level; no matter how many years of experience they have. We want to get the right fit for this great program here at West Virginia University. That’s our goal, that’s our mission, that’s my marching orders and I’m leaning very, very heavily on the administration,” Stewart said.
Stewart indicated that interviews could continue into next week.
“There are going to be people around in the next week or so. That does not mean they have a job or been offered the job,” Stewart said. “We are currently interviewing people at this time and will continue to do that in a very precise manner. There is no hour glass here pushing this.”
On Monday coaches are permitted to go back out on the road for recruiting.
