Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Holgorsen Walks to Benefit WVU Medicine Children’s
April 07, 2018 12:42 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The frigid weather and snowy conditions didn't stop hundreds of local residents from coming out and supporting the new Family Resource Center at WVU Medicine Children's as part of this morning's "Walk the Talk With Coach Dana Holgorsen."
The entire West Virginia University football team also took part in a walk that mirrored the route Holgorsen frequently takes during lunchtime with some of his staff.
"It was great," Holgorsen said. "It was like it is every day. It was 2 1/2 miles, and we got a lot accomplished. There were two things. One, we had security blocking off the roads, which I usually don't get, and two, we had hot chocolate and coffee at Dr. (Gordon) Gee's house.
"I want to thank all those guys for doing that and making this possible, and I told Dr. Gee that I expect this every time we walk now," he joked.
Holgorsen said he can envision this being a yearly thing.
"Jeff Hostetler approached me about this six months ago, and we really kind of came up with this together - merging WVU football with the Hoss Foundation to benefit WVU Medicine Children's - and it's a natural fit," he explained. "Coach (Don) Nehlen started this about 30 years ago, and we're just trying to keep it going."
Runners and walkers were able to watch themselves enter the stadium on the video board as they finished the race in the far end zone near the hospital. There was also an obstacle course set up on the field for the Lil' Mountaineer Kids Dash.
Hostetler and College Football Hall of Famer Major Harris met the participants with high-fives as they entered the stadium.
"This was a good event today, and this is what it's going to be from here on out," Holgorsen said.
"I feel bad about not having the spring game when it comes to our players, their families and the fans, but to be quite honest, spring games are not that important when it comes to trying to make your team better," he continued. "Today was all about WVU Medicine Children's. We try our best to have a great relationship when it comes to that.
"We have merged together with the Hoss Foundation for what is really important - helping the sick kids of West Virginia. We're going to be able to do whatever we can to make that facility over here, which in a couple of years is going to be a $175 million facility that is going to be awesome," Holgorsen concluded.
Briefly:
* Holgorsen addressed not playing the spring game because of the snow accumulation on the field and cold conditions in Morgantown today.
"Everybody is going to ask 'why did you cancel the spring game? Are you worried about injuries?' I don't worry about injuries when it comes to football," Holgorsen said. "Look, football is a sport that we all love, and there is risk involved with it. It's a part of the game. When you play this great game, you might get injured.
"We had a great spring with 14 practices," he added. "Today was our 15th and nobody got hurt on the walk other than maybe Alex (associate athletic director Hammond). He turns ankles all the time. We're going to be 100 percent healthy in August, which is when it counts."
* Because he's got such a veteran team, Holgorsen noted the 14 practices the team got this spring were very beneficial.
"There have been plenty of springs where I've had to teach them what to do," he said. "This spring, we taught them a lot of situational stuff because we've got a veteran team. We're in a good place at this point."
The early conclusion to spring practice gives the staff more time to evaluate personnel and determine what looked good and what didn't look good. It also gives some of the smaller guys extra time with Mike Joseph and his strength staff to get bigger before the start of fall camp.
"In years past, this is probably practice No. 9, and we've got two more weeks of it," Holgorsen said. "Usually, the spring game is what it is and the coaches are running out of here to go spring recruit. We get two weeks to kind of close things, which is very beneficial.
"(The players are) going to get back in that weight room, and coaches are going to be able to have exit interviews, which I think is going to be really good."
* Although Holgorsen usually doesn't talk about untested players, he was prodded to talk a little bit about 6-foot-1, 288-pound sophomore nose tackle Darius Stills, who defensive coordinator Tony Gibson labeled the "surprise of the spring" for his group.
"He's a real guy. He looks like a real guy to me," Holgorsen said. "I don't like talking about guys before they actually make real plays in games, but he's harder to block than guys that we've had at that position in years past.
"I'm excited about him, and we added a guy a week ago (USC transfer Kenny Bigelow Jr.) that's going to make a difference, so I feel as good about that position in the entire D-line as I've felt in some time. A couple of years ago, we had some fifth-year seniors there and you've got to be old and experienced at that position to be successful."
Holgorsen said that was clearly not the case last year.
"Quite frankly, we weren't successful at that position because we were young and we were dumb, and now I think we're old and I think we're smart and that's going to pay off in the fall," he said.
* The coach indicated starting lineups will probably remain in flux right up until a couple of weeks before the season opener in Charlotte against Tennessee.
"Our team is going to keep changing," he said. "We're going to keep adding guys. Guys are going to develop and guys are going to get better, and that means that starting lineup is going to continue to change. I can give you one right now, but it's going to be different."
* Finally, Holgorsen said the coaching staff is going to continue to pursue postgraduate transfers to help fortify the roster, even though it is becoming much more competitive than it used to be.
"That market is continuing to grow," he said. "There have been talks in our head coach meetings in May of getting rid of the rule, and I think it's going to be continued to be talked about, but it's not going to go away, which makes it more competitive.
"I think we're marked as a program that's had success with those guys and will continue to be marked when it comes to those guys coming in and being successful," Holgorsen said.
Signing day used to be very stressful for Holgorsen, but now that postgraduate transfers have become a viable option he no longer sweats it as much.
"I was like, 'We've got to get 20 guys. We've got to get 25 guys' and if we came up three or four short I would go home and be stressed out. Now, I don't even care anymore on signing day because whatever we get we're going to have it. That's going to take care of itself. We're going to get guys that want to be here. We're going to get guys that can help us win in the fall. Period."
Saturday Sound
The entire West Virginia University football team also took part in a walk that mirrored the route Holgorsen frequently takes during lunchtime with some of his staff.
"It was great," Holgorsen said. "It was like it is every day. It was 2 1/2 miles, and we got a lot accomplished. There were two things. One, we had security blocking off the roads, which I usually don't get, and two, we had hot chocolate and coffee at Dr. (Gordon) Gee's house.
"I want to thank all those guys for doing that and making this possible, and I told Dr. Gee that I expect this every time we walk now," he joked.
Holgorsen said he can envision this being a yearly thing.
"Jeff Hostetler approached me about this six months ago, and we really kind of came up with this together - merging WVU football with the Hoss Foundation to benefit WVU Medicine Children's - and it's a natural fit," he explained. "Coach (Don) Nehlen started this about 30 years ago, and we're just trying to keep it going."
Runners and walkers were able to watch themselves enter the stadium on the video board as they finished the race in the far end zone near the hospital. There was also an obstacle course set up on the field for the Lil' Mountaineer Kids Dash.
Hostetler and College Football Hall of Famer Major Harris met the participants with high-fives as they entered the stadium.
"This was a good event today, and this is what it's going to be from here on out," Holgorsen said.
"I feel bad about not having the spring game when it comes to our players, their families and the fans, but to be quite honest, spring games are not that important when it comes to trying to make your team better," he continued. "Today was all about WVU Medicine Children's. We try our best to have a great relationship when it comes to that.
"We have merged together with the Hoss Foundation for what is really important - helping the sick kids of West Virginia. We're going to be able to do whatever we can to make that facility over here, which in a couple of years is going to be a $175 million facility that is going to be awesome," Holgorsen concluded.
Briefly:
* Holgorsen addressed not playing the spring game because of the snow accumulation on the field and cold conditions in Morgantown today.
"Everybody is going to ask 'why did you cancel the spring game? Are you worried about injuries?' I don't worry about injuries when it comes to football," Holgorsen said. "Look, football is a sport that we all love, and there is risk involved with it. It's a part of the game. When you play this great game, you might get injured.
"We had a great spring with 14 practices," he added. "Today was our 15th and nobody got hurt on the walk other than maybe Alex (associate athletic director Hammond). He turns ankles all the time. We're going to be 100 percent healthy in August, which is when it counts."
* Because he's got such a veteran team, Holgorsen noted the 14 practices the team got this spring were very beneficial.
"There have been plenty of springs where I've had to teach them what to do," he said. "This spring, we taught them a lot of situational stuff because we've got a veteran team. We're in a good place at this point."
The early conclusion to spring practice gives the staff more time to evaluate personnel and determine what looked good and what didn't look good. It also gives some of the smaller guys extra time with Mike Joseph and his strength staff to get bigger before the start of fall camp.
"In years past, this is probably practice No. 9, and we've got two more weeks of it," Holgorsen said. "Usually, the spring game is what it is and the coaches are running out of here to go spring recruit. We get two weeks to kind of close things, which is very beneficial.
"(The players are) going to get back in that weight room, and coaches are going to be able to have exit interviews, which I think is going to be really good."
* Although Holgorsen usually doesn't talk about untested players, he was prodded to talk a little bit about 6-foot-1, 288-pound sophomore nose tackle Darius Stills, who defensive coordinator Tony Gibson labeled the "surprise of the spring" for his group.
"He's a real guy. He looks like a real guy to me," Holgorsen said. "I don't like talking about guys before they actually make real plays in games, but he's harder to block than guys that we've had at that position in years past.
"I'm excited about him, and we added a guy a week ago (USC transfer Kenny Bigelow Jr.) that's going to make a difference, so I feel as good about that position in the entire D-line as I've felt in some time. A couple of years ago, we had some fifth-year seniors there and you've got to be old and experienced at that position to be successful."
Holgorsen said that was clearly not the case last year.
"Quite frankly, we weren't successful at that position because we were young and we were dumb, and now I think we're old and I think we're smart and that's going to pay off in the fall," he said.
* The coach indicated starting lineups will probably remain in flux right up until a couple of weeks before the season opener in Charlotte against Tennessee.
"Our team is going to keep changing," he said. "We're going to keep adding guys. Guys are going to develop and guys are going to get better, and that means that starting lineup is going to continue to change. I can give you one right now, but it's going to be different."
* Finally, Holgorsen said the coaching staff is going to continue to pursue postgraduate transfers to help fortify the roster, even though it is becoming much more competitive than it used to be.
"That market is continuing to grow," he said. "There have been talks in our head coach meetings in May of getting rid of the rule, and I think it's going to be continued to be talked about, but it's not going to go away, which makes it more competitive.
"I think we're marked as a program that's had success with those guys and will continue to be marked when it comes to those guys coming in and being successful," Holgorsen said.
Signing day used to be very stressful for Holgorsen, but now that postgraduate transfers have become a viable option he no longer sweats it as much.
"I was like, 'We've got to get 20 guys. We've got to get 25 guys' and if we came up three or four short I would go home and be stressed out. Now, I don't even care anymore on signing day because whatever we get we're going to have it. That's going to take care of itself. We're going to get guys that want to be here. We're going to get guys that can help us win in the fall. Period."
Saturday Sound
Players Mentioned
DL
/ 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
