Staying Home
January 09, 2008 03:17 PM | General
January 9, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In the end the pull to remain close to his family and to continue West Virginia’s football tradition was too much for Jeff Casteel to turn away from. But the Mountaineers’ defensive coordinator the past six years admits that it was very difficult turning down the opportunity to coach at Michigan.
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| Jeff Casteel encourages his defense during West Virginia's 48-28 victory over Oklahoma in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
“It was difficult from the fact that Rich Rodriguez has been very good to me,” Casteel said yesterday evening on Metronews Sportsline. “He gave me an opportunity to coach at West Virginia that most guys probably wouldn’t have taken a chance on a guy who has been coaching Division II and had one year of Division I experience. To take a chance on me and to give me an opportunity I’m always going to be grateful for that.”
Casteel says the fact that his family lives just two hours away in Paden City and his wife’s family is from nearby Uniontown, Pa., made his decision to stay much easier.
“This is home for me. My family is over in Paden City and my wife’s family is up here in Uniontown. It was going to be hard to leave them at this stage in my life,” Casteel said. “I wanted my kids to be around their grandparents and also the way our kids played and battled in that ballgame. It was hard to turn your back on those guys. I just decided that this was going to be the best situation for me to stay here at West Virginia.”
Having grown up in the state’s Northern Panhandle, Casteel is appreciative of his affiliation with West Virginia University and he understands fully the importance West Virginians place in having a strong and competitive football program.
“I’m proud to be a part of the program. I was proud of to be a part of that Fiesta Bowl win and I’m very proud to be a part of the success that has gone on here the past seven years and I’m looking forward to continuing that and trying to make it better,” Casteel said. “That’s what our jobs are.
“To get a chance to coach at West Virginia is a dream for me,” Casteel said.
Casteel says he has had little time to savor West Virginia’s 48-28 victory over No. 3 Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The Mountaineers presently have just three full-time staff members working the phones at the Puskar Center right now along with graduate assistant coach Pat Kirkland.
Head coach Bill Stewart is in the process of putting a staff together that will also include veteran defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich.
“It’s been similar to getting stuck in a blender and somebody pushing the high button on it and spinning it around,” Casteel explained. “It’s been really hectic getting out of the bowl game, Stew being hired as the new coach and making the decision on what you are going to do with your future. Now moving forward, trying to get a staff in here and keeping recruits … we’ve got plenty on our plate and it’s keeping us busy.”
Casteel expects most of the staff to be in place by the time coaches are permitted to go back out on the road for recruiting next Monday.
“By the time we get out on the road next week hopefully we’ll have the guys in here that we are going to be able to get and move forward from that,” Casteel said. “Right now myself, Stew, Kirlav and (graduate assistant coach) Pat Kirkland we are working the phones and staying in touch with the kids that are committed. We’re also working the ones that we’re trying to get to commit. We’ll be OK. We’ll have a full force by the time we’re ready to hit the road next week.”
Casteel is confident Stewart will have a first-rate coaching staff in place when everything is settled.
“Coach Stew has been in the profession for well over 30 years and knows just about everybody in the profession. There are a lot of great football coaches out there and there are a lot of great football coaches that want to be a part of West Virginia football,” Casteel said. “We’re going to find some good coaches to come in here. Believe me, I’ve got cauliflower ear from the phone being to my ear the past four-five days taking calls from guys that are looking to try and get in here to coach.”
West Virginia’s remarkable performance in the Fiesta Bowl has only added to the interest the program is receiving from potential recruits and assistant coaching candidates.
“We’re getting calls from really all over the country from kids that watched the game and want to be a part of our program,” Casteel said. “It has been a blessing the way our kids played and represented our program and that is certainly going to help.
“Having a chance to finish sixth in the polls and the last three years we’ve been in the Top 10 - we’ve got a favorable reputation out there throughout the country and we’re going to try to take advantage of that.”
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NCAA TEAM RANKINGS UNDER CASTEEL IN 2007 |
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| Category | Rank | Average |
| Total Defense | 7 | 301.69 |
| Scoring Defense | 8 | 18.08 |
| Turnover Margin | 9 | 1.00 |
| Pass Defense | 14 | 188.77 |
| Sacks | 15 | 3.00 |
| Rushing Defense | 18 | 112.92 |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 28 | 114.19 |
| Tackles For Loss | 38 | 6.85 |
