Earning Respect
January 04, 2008 03:46 PM | General
West Virginia was forced to overcome incredible odds in pulling out its biggest win in school history with the whole world watching.
It began with a shocking and disappointing home loss to Pitt in the regular season finale. Things quickly snowballed with a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) pairing against a team some considered the best in the nation. Topping things off was the unanticipated resignation of its head coach to Michigan.
The staggering series of events left West Virginia with an interim head coach named Bill Stewart and a vulnerable football team riding a roller coaster of emotions.
Stewart answered the call of duty, however, filling in the only way he knew how – being himself.
“They couldn’t have picked a better guy to take over. To keep us humble, hungry and focused is a tough job,” said senior cornerback Vaughn Rivers. “The (coaching) change could have easily gone down hill. It could have been ugly. Instead, he put the burden on his shoulders and took the pressure off ours.”
“His personality is unlike any coach I’ve ever been around. With what went on, he was the perfect guy to fix the problem,” said kicker/punter Pat McAfee. “The players respect him and have bought into his words since taking over. The best quality about him is his honesty and genuine care for us players.”
The Mountaineers came out and played with a chip on their shoulder against the Sooners, and perhaps most importantly, played for a cause.
“Although it was the last game for our seniors, we all knew this game was played for Coach Stew,” said McAfee. “He’s such a good-hearted guy and to play for him has been very rewarding. There is nobody in this locker room that could have rallied this team together and played the way we did tonight.”
The 55-year-old Stewart was one of six interim head coaches making postseason bowl appearances this year, and the first interim coach in the BCS’ 10-year history. The first five (Houston, UCLA, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech and Arkansas) all lost, leaving Stewart as the lone victor.
“Winning tonight means a lot because Coach Stewart stepped into a very difficult situation. A lot of people have not been in this situation and could not have done the job he has,” commented senior safety Ryan Mundy. “He did everything right in preparing us to beat Oklahoma. His energy and focus wears off, onto both the players and coaches.”
Since taking over the reigns of the program, the Mountaineers have bonded with Stewart, believing in every word from the veteran coach of 30-plus years. And when the final seconds ticked away, Stewart was hoisted on the shoulders of two Mountaineers and carried off the field in deserving fashion.
“Coach Stew is a hell of a guy. We wanted to win this for ourselves, our fans, and most importantly, Coach Stew,” added Rivers. “For him to step up and lead our team to a BCS win, with all the distractions, is simply amazing. He means so much to this program and we wanted to go out and get it done for him.”
In typical Bill Stewart fashion, the Martsinville, W.Va., native tried to shift the focus to his players and coaches.
"It makes me feel good," smiled Stewart. “I have been fortunate enough to coach the greatest group of kids in the country and work with the greatest coaches in the business. We stuck together when times were tough and that is what a family does. I’m so proud of this program and how the players have responded over the last few weeks.”
It was quarterback Pat White who may have summed it up best.
"Coach Stew was there for was when we needed him," offered White. "He told us we could win and he expected us to win. What he’s done the past few weeks is something special. And for that, he has my respect. He has earned our team’s respect. He’s our coach, not our interim coach."
