Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineer Success Starts At The Top
November 12, 2018 04:14 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – How does a team with so many four-year and junior college transfers have such great chemistry?
Well, it starts at the top with Dana Holgorsen.
The energy-drink swigging coach clearly has his fingers on the pulse of this year's 8-1 West Virginia football team, ranked seventh this week heading into Saturday's key game at Oklahoma State.
We saw it 12 days after the Iowa State loss when WVU came out and buried an improving Baylor team that just recently knocked off the Cowboys, and we saw it again last Saturday afternoon when the Mountaineers routed TCU, 47-10. Teams just don't beat the Frogs by 37 points, but West Virginia did.
More impressively, it came just seven days after Holgorsen's decision to go for the two-point conversion led to a 42-41 victory at 15th-ranked Texas that will be talked about around here for many years to come.
All last week that Texas win - not the Horned Frogs - was on the minds of Mountaineer fans from Weirton to Welch, Martinsburg to Matewan and all points in between, but Holgorsen somehow managed to keep that from penetrating the cocoon that he's built for his football team.
The way he has handled the growing excitement and enthusiasm around here is similar to how he's constructed the Mountaineer program over the last eight years – with careful consideration and great thought.
"I think we do a good job as a coaching staff of identifying guys that will fit what we want inside the walls of our program as far as how we do things and what the expectations are as far as being a teammate and understanding the culture of West Virginia," Holgorsen said earlier today.
There is a lot the can be extrapolated from that statement.
Getting good football players is important, for sure, but getting the right good football players is of equal importance.
In the past, we've seen Holgorsen cut loose talented recruits who were not totally committed to West Virginia when they continued to shop themselves around, and we've also seen him take chances on guys who fit the type of players he wants in his program.
"We kind of vet that process diligently," he said. "You've got to make sure these guys fit in."
Such as starting nose tackle Kenny Bigelow Jr., whose final season of college football at WVU after five years at USC has clearly been his best. Lined up next to him is another senior transfer, Jabril Robinson, who left one nationally ranked program at Clemson to try and make a name for himself at another nationally ranked program … and he has.
The Big 12's top touchdown maker, David Sills V, began his college career at West Virginia, left to go to junior college to pursue his dream of becoming a college quarterback and returned to Morgantown when Holgorsen welcomed him back with open arms.
How many other big-name coaches would do that?
And then of course there is quarterback Will Grier, whose journey from Florida to West Virginia has been well-documented. Ultimately, it was Holgorsen's vision that sold Grier and his family on coming to Morgantown.
It's clear Grier and Sills V enjoy playing for Holgorsen, and it's equally clear that they have enjoyed their experiences as Mountaineer football players. They can hardly go anywhere these days without being asked to sign their names to something or having their pictures taken with total strangers.
Which is exactly how Holgorsen prefers it. It's all about his players.
Name the last time Holgorsen's picture was on the front of the media guide? You can't because it's never happened; he won't allow it. The closest his picture has gotten is the inside front of this year's guide when he reluctantly permitted it to appear with four other players.
On the front cover are nine different guys with Grier, Sills V and linebacker David Long Jr. the focal point of the collage. Those things must be earned when you play for Holgorsen.
A couple of weeks ago, Holgorsen grimaced when it was brought up during a press conference that he was approaching Art Lewis for third place in all-time wins at West Virginia.
It was the same grimace he flashed the night before on his weekly radio show when veteran play-by-play man Tony Caridi mentioned it and the same grimace he gave football sports information director Mike Montoro when the publicist referenced it again in his office the next morning.
So, when Holgorsen very quietly passed Rich Rodriguez for second place in all-time victories at WVU with 61 last Saturday afternoon, trailing just Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen, nobody asked him about it after the game.
Which is exactly how he prefers it. It's all about his players - all of them working for a common cause to achieve a higher goal.
And now you know why a team with so many four-year and junior college transfers can have such great chemistry.
Well, it starts at the top with Dana Holgorsen.
The energy-drink swigging coach clearly has his fingers on the pulse of this year's 8-1 West Virginia football team, ranked seventh this week heading into Saturday's key game at Oklahoma State.
We saw it 12 days after the Iowa State loss when WVU came out and buried an improving Baylor team that just recently knocked off the Cowboys, and we saw it again last Saturday afternoon when the Mountaineers routed TCU, 47-10. Teams just don't beat the Frogs by 37 points, but West Virginia did.
More impressively, it came just seven days after Holgorsen's decision to go for the two-point conversion led to a 42-41 victory at 15th-ranked Texas that will be talked about around here for many years to come.
All last week that Texas win - not the Horned Frogs - was on the minds of Mountaineer fans from Weirton to Welch, Martinsburg to Matewan and all points in between, but Holgorsen somehow managed to keep that from penetrating the cocoon that he's built for his football team.
The way he has handled the growing excitement and enthusiasm around here is similar to how he's constructed the Mountaineer program over the last eight years – with careful consideration and great thought.
"I think we do a good job as a coaching staff of identifying guys that will fit what we want inside the walls of our program as far as how we do things and what the expectations are as far as being a teammate and understanding the culture of West Virginia," Holgorsen said earlier today.
There is a lot the can be extrapolated from that statement.
Getting good football players is important, for sure, but getting the right good football players is of equal importance.
In the past, we've seen Holgorsen cut loose talented recruits who were not totally committed to West Virginia when they continued to shop themselves around, and we've also seen him take chances on guys who fit the type of players he wants in his program.
"We kind of vet that process diligently," he said. "You've got to make sure these guys fit in."
Such as starting nose tackle Kenny Bigelow Jr., whose final season of college football at WVU after five years at USC has clearly been his best. Lined up next to him is another senior transfer, Jabril Robinson, who left one nationally ranked program at Clemson to try and make a name for himself at another nationally ranked program … and he has.
The Big 12's top touchdown maker, David Sills V, began his college career at West Virginia, left to go to junior college to pursue his dream of becoming a college quarterback and returned to Morgantown when Holgorsen welcomed him back with open arms.
How many other big-name coaches would do that?
And then of course there is quarterback Will Grier, whose journey from Florida to West Virginia has been well-documented. Ultimately, it was Holgorsen's vision that sold Grier and his family on coming to Morgantown.
It's clear Grier and Sills V enjoy playing for Holgorsen, and it's equally clear that they have enjoyed their experiences as Mountaineer football players. They can hardly go anywhere these days without being asked to sign their names to something or having their pictures taken with total strangers.
Which is exactly how Holgorsen prefers it. It's all about his players.
Name the last time Holgorsen's picture was on the front of the media guide? You can't because it's never happened; he won't allow it. The closest his picture has gotten is the inside front of this year's guide when he reluctantly permitted it to appear with four other players.
On the front cover are nine different guys with Grier, Sills V and linebacker David Long Jr. the focal point of the collage. Those things must be earned when you play for Holgorsen.
A couple of weeks ago, Holgorsen grimaced when it was brought up during a press conference that he was approaching Art Lewis for third place in all-time wins at West Virginia.
It was the same grimace he flashed the night before on his weekly radio show when veteran play-by-play man Tony Caridi mentioned it and the same grimace he gave football sports information director Mike Montoro when the publicist referenced it again in his office the next morning.
So, when Holgorsen very quietly passed Rich Rodriguez for second place in all-time victories at WVU with 61 last Saturday afternoon, trailing just Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen, nobody asked him about it after the game.
Which is exactly how he prefers it. It's all about his players - all of them working for a common cause to achieve a higher goal.
And now you know why a team with so many four-year and junior college transfers can have such great chemistry.
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
WR
/ FootballRich Rodriguez | Dec. 3
Wednesday, December 03
Reid Carrico | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
Jeff Weimer | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
Rich Rodriguez | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
