In seven years, you will be a different person than you are right now.  

 

Come on, admit it. 

 

It's not a trick statement. All I'm asking is for you to acknowledge that in August of 2024 you will look, act and think differently at some level than you do today. 

 

Whether you want to admit it or not, it's true, and that's why it's quite interesting to watch the 2017 Dana Holgorsen compared to the 2011 rookie-on-the-job Dana. 

 

Just for the record, I'm not talking about hair change; that's for another day. I'm talking about the evolution of a coach who has made massive changes to his philosophy, coaching style and presentation skills during his tenure. 

 

Holgorsen's season opening press conference this past Sunday revealed a coach who was completely at ease with nearly three dozen reporters who encircled him as tight as Rasul Douglas played press coverage. 

 

His answers contained good insight into numerous aspects of his team and the program. You could truly feel he was comfortable and in control.  

 

Seven years ago, his press conferences seemed more like a congressional hearing. Dana wasn't comfortable because, quite honestly, he was walking into a job and a role that was foreign. Deliberate practice is the key for an athlete to be successful and the same holds true for head coaches. 

 

What determines whether or not a head coach has longevity is self-awareness. The guys who refuse to acknowledge their errors never see a second contract. The good ones modify, revise and correct, which is exactly what Holgorsen has done. 

 

The big changes are easy to recognize. Holgorsen admits he never fully respected the stress his bullet-speed offense placed on his own defense. He wasn't only making the opposition's defense tired; he was making his own team's defense tired.  That forced him to lean toward the running game like he never had before. He literally took one for the team so his own defense had a chance to stay fresh. It worked perfectly last season when WVU led the Big 12 in fewest points allowed in league games. 

 

The Mountaineer coach also realized that his initial plan of recruiting Texas and the southwest was heading in the wrong vector. He refocused and headed back to WVU's traditional recruiting areas. Along the way, he also realized that he needed coaches who intimately understood the WVU program. Tony Gibson, Bruce Tall and Tony Dews are each on their second tour of duty here in Morgantown. 

 

When it comes to philosophy, Holgorsen often jokes that his mentor Mike Leach will no longer send him a Christmas card. He's been excommunicated from the Air Raid mob. In the process, Holgorsen has gone from a one-trick pony to a horse of multiple colors. WVU's balance on offense today, especially with the arrival of quarterback Will Grier, is exactly what every coach talks about but rarely is able to achieve.  

 

Lastly, Dana Holgorsen now has a true understanding of our state and what the WVU program truly means to state residents. He now knows how to pronounce Hurricane, Oceana and Monongalia. He's been from Weirton to Welch, Martinsburg to Matewan and all points in between and that's important. 

 

He likes the fact that WVU isn't being given much of a chance to win the Big 12 this season. Six years ago, he may have publically protested and called it a lack of respect; today he just nods his head knowing Mountaineers always perform their best when they're told what they can't do. He'll just use it as motivation. 

 

Dana Holgorsen is a different guy than he was, and that's good news for the Mountaineers.