Dear Mountaineer Nation:
Last weekend, as we embarked on a national search for a new Head Men's Basketball Coach, I had the opportunity to connect with our incredible current men's basketball student-athletes, and many former letterwinners, alumni, donors and fans, all of whom truly love West Virginia University and want the very best for our athletic programs. A common refrain from all of them was for us to find an elite coach who fits our culture and who is ready to build upon our storied tradition.
To that end, I spoke with knowledgeable basketball people around the country over the last week, including coaches, professional basketball executives and others of whom I trust to identify a strong group of candidates to speak with, some of whom I did. But ultimately what I came to recognize, was that conducting this search in late June was difficult for many of our candidates because of the timing and also put our talented student-athletes at a real disadvantage, unsure of what the future held for them.
After consultation with President Gee, we have offered the Head Coach position on an interim basis to current Assistant Coach Josh Eilert, who will proudly and effectively serve through the end of the 2023-24 season, at which time we will begin anew with our search for a permanent head coach. Coach Eilert has spent the last 16 seasons on the Mountaineer Men's Basketball staff, currently serving as an Assistant Coach, and formerly as Assistant Athletics Director for Basketball Operations and as our Video Coordinator. Coach Eilert has played a vital role as he has touched all aspects of our basketball program, from scouting to recruiting, player development to game planning, and we are thrilled to have him lead our program this year and we know, Brandi, Brendan, Emri and Tristan will continue to play a large role in our WVU Basketball Family.
This has not been an easy time for any of us who love our University and our athletics program but I am confident that we have great days ahead of us. I ask all of Mountaineer Nation to rally around Coach Eilert and his staff and, most importantly, the tremendous young men in our basketball program.
Sincerely,
Wren Baker
Vice President and Director of Athletics
