“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
My understanding with Dana and it’s ultimately why he left WVU is the same reason Billy Gillespie flamed out at UK. He wanted to coach and be left alone. Football in WV is like basketball in Kentucky, the fans are passionate and you are the most popular person in the state with the exception of Bob Huggins. Imagine going out to dinner with your wife and people constantly coming up to you wanting autographs and to throw their two cents in on football. Here’s an article about Gillespies time in Lexington and I think you’ll find it similar:
https://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/th...gillispie-era/
I remember when Josh Jenkins was at Parkersburg High and a five star recruit and going to Wheeling to watch him play in the state championship and seeing Urban Meyer (then at Florida) at the game. One of the stories I heard about Jenkins during his recruitment was that Charlie Weis (at Notre Dame) said to him “If you go to WVU you can get a job anywhere in the state of West Virginia but if you go to Notre Dame you can get a job anywhere in the world”. He immediately crossed Notre Dame off the list. He went to WVU under Stewart but I always wonder if he would have gotten to the NFL playing anywhere else.
yeah, I think if you recall Dana had some issues when he first got the WVU at a few facilities that serve adult beverages, and it kind of scarred him. I think he felt he could not go out in WV and have a good time because he was so recognizable as the WVU football coach. In Houston as the U of Houston football coach, he went from being an A list celebrity in WV to a C- list celebrity in Houston which better fit his lifestyle.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
I always thought it was shocking that Rich Rod left WVU to go to Michigan. Not that Michigan isn't a better job, which it is, but that he would leave his hometown school for greener pastures. Granted WVU was in the Big East at the time, but there was still a chance they could have won a national championship.
All that said, if WVU fans treat football like UK fans treat basketball, it's a dangerous job. With every program you have to look at what the realistic expectations are and balance that with the fans expectations. When you look at WVU, they had a shot at the national title once in 20 years, I think that is about right, every once in a while when the stars align, you can have a great season. By its not a program you would expect to be a perennial contender. Its not even a program I would say should be in the mix for the ACC Championship game every season.
If what you said was true up above, it makes sense that Dana left for Houston.
adkindo (01-20-2021)
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
Chip R (01-21-2021)
I knew what WVRed meant, and I do not think it is how you interpret. WVU fans do not demand their football team have similar success as UK's basketball team. He was just saying that most fans view WVU as a football school and that is where the passion lies. Dana may have left because of expectations to a degree, but not so much on the field. I think Dana had high expectations on the field, but in WV the Head Coach has a lot of spotlight and ambassador duties.....often more so that someone that does not reside there would expect. WV has no pro teams, and Marshall is viewed as a lower level of football.....and the fans view WVU Football as more than just a college football team. Dana just never really put himself out there and really never tried to embrace the state culture.....but I think the pressure to be more out there and to assimilate more into WV weighed on him. I think Dana's true role is an OC at a P5 school where he can just coach offense and live his life.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
*BaseClogger* (01-21-2021)
Appears the floodgates to the portal have opened @ Tennessee
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
Rodriguez had flirted with Alabama the year before when they hired Saban. That took a major pay hike to get Rodriguez to stay and when he went back to the well a year later when Michigan came calling it didn’t go over very well.
As for WVU fans, Don Nehlen essentially bought job security from his success in the late 80s and rode it into retirement. The younger fans have a higher expectation though brought on by the RichRod era but most fans are more reasonable and are used to heartbreak such as the Pitt game and Major Harris
That said, WVU going to the Big 12 has likely diminished any chance of them ever fielding a playoff caliber football team. I’m not saying they made the wrong decision given the circumstances once the Big East collapsed but comparatively speaking the Big East was such a crapshoot and they had the guaranteed BCS bid. They do not have the resources to compete with Oklahoma and possibly Texas if Sarkisian gets it rolling.
I disagree....no, WVU is unlikely to ever overtake OK and TX as the annual premier team....but they definitely have a chance to field a Big12 Champion/playoff team from time to time. The Big East before the defections was as strong as the Big12 (late 90's and early 2000's), and we shared a couple Big East Championships during that period (but lost the tiebreakers). The 2007 WVU team could win the Big12/playoff.....the 2008 team rolled Big12 Champion in the Fiesta Bowl. Heck, Will Grier's team as a Senior beats Oklahoma and goes to the B12 Championship Game if Will does not literally lay the ball down on the turf twice and Oklahoma picks them up and return for TD's. I think you are way off in suggesting that WVU will never be able to contend for a playoff spot. I personally think next years team would have a good chance at getting to the B12 Championship game if we had a slightly more dynamic QB.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
The Big 12 runs through Oklahoma. As long as that is happening WVU will have no chance to compete for a Big 12 title or sniff the playoff.
Who has WVU played in the Big East that compares to Oklahoma (or even Texas)? Miami and Virginia Tech are the two closest and like WVU they are shells of their former selves.
PAC12 parted ways with Larry Scott
Bruce Feldman
@BruceFeldmanCFB
Name I've heard from several folks around college athletics about who would be a well-regarded successor to Larry Scott running the Pac-12: Oliver Luck, former CEO of the XFL and WVU athletic director. "He makes a lot of sense... so they probably wouldn't do it."
10:30 PM · Jan 20, 2021
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
right....just like UF runs the SEC...oh wait, Tennessee runs the SEC...oh wait, Alabama runs the SEC. Things change....you do not recall a few years ago when Baylor and TCU split the conference championship? Also, not sure why it matters what Miami and Va. Tech are today....was Va. Tech bad when they had Vick and were playing in the 1999 National Championship Game? Did Miami suck when they won the 2001 National Championship....one of the best college football teams in the history of college football? That Miami team is better than anything Texas or Oklahoma has ever put on the field.
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Assume it was $$. Honestly he has always struck me as a guy that is about the $$.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
When one team in the SEC has 14 conference championships compared to the next team having three then we can talk. Alabama has 28 while Georgia and Tennessee are tied for second most at 13 but keep in mind the SEC has been in existence longer than the Big 12.
It’s pretty telling though that you have to dig back 20 years ago. The game has changed significantly since then.
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