Campus Connection
The Bleacher Report recently listed its top-five football coaches recruits want to play for and guess who was No.2 on their list? That’s right, West Virginia’s Bill Stewart. Here is what the Bleacher Report had to say about Coach Stew: Stewart is a popular figure in the West Virginia area, as there is no one more passionate about WVU Football than him. Well, maybe the guy that dresses up like a Mountaineer, but that's another story. Players really love Stewart because he is like a father to them, really looks after them and is very enthusiastic. He always thinks positively and is extremely loyal. This really has players willing to run through a brick wall for him and makes him a popular figure among the fans. Dana Holgorsen is a great coach and offensive mind, but he will have a long ways to go to match the popularity and admiration that Stewart has garnered in his years at WVU. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/615845-college-football-recruiting-2012-the-top-5-coaches-recruits-want-to-play-for#page/2 - Our Big East tournament bracketologist Bryan Messerly says Seton Hall’s upset win over St. John’s Thursday night has very little impact on West Virginia’s seeding for the 2011 Big East tournament. West Virginia can still finish as high as sixth and as low as 10th based on what happens this weekend. Here are the conference games on tap for Saturday to wrap up the regular season: Louisville at West Virginia (ESPN), Noon Georgetown at Cincinnati (BEN), 2 PM Notre Dame at Connecticut (ESPN), 2 PM Villanova at Pitt (CBS), 4 PM DePaul at Syracuse, 4 PM Marquette at Seton Hall, 6 PM Rutgers at Providence, 7 PM USF at St. John’s, 8 PM - Rivals.com college football writer Tom Dienhart recently picked his conference-by-conference all-star coaching staffs for the 2011 football campaign. From the Big East, Dienhart has West Virginia well represented with Dana Holgorsen as the league’s top offensive coordinator, Bill Bedenbaugh the top O-line coach, Jeff Casteel the top defensive coordinator and Dave Lockwood the top secondary coach … http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1194899 Earlier this week, Dienhart also picked his college football assistant dream team and Casteel made his list as the nation’s top defensive coordinator … http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=rivals-1194405 - The women’s team’s difficulties in February may have cost it a chance at a run in the NCAA tournament. Unless the Mountaineers (22-8) can make some noise in the Big East tournament and improve their seeding, they could be looking at an 8 or 9 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, which would put them against a No. 1 seed in the second round should they advance. Matchups are so very important in the NCAA tournament … http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/bracketology - Should West Virginia advance in the Big East tournament, Saturday’s game against St. John’s will be televised on the Big East Network and will be carried locally on WVFX in Clarksburg and WTOV-DT2 in the Northern Panhandle. Also, WVFX will carry Saturday’s game in HD. - For those of you interested in how the NCAA tournament selection process works here is a pretty good behind-the-scenes look at how the field of 68 will be picked next week … http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-tourneymock022311 - Former Mountaineer fullback Corey McIntyre was in town earlier this week to take in the WVU-UConn basketball game at the Coliseum. Corey said he recently signed a new three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. McIntyre has spent the last three seasons with the Bills after a year with the New Orleans Saints in 2006. Also, it was announced yesterday that Darius Reynaud has signed a contract extension with the New York Giants. Reynaud has 20 games worth of NFL service with the Giants and Minnesota Vikings after making the Vikings squad as a free agent in 2009. - Conference USA and Fox Sports recently agreed to a media rights deal with $43 million but ESPN and CBS College Sports are not going down without a fight … http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/02/20110228/Media/Conf-USA.aspx So, why is ESPN so interested in keeping the broadcasting rights to Conference USA football games? It needs inventory for its non-traditional weekday slots on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Friday and it will be very interesting to see how much ESPN values those weekday games. - Most of the recently departed assistant football coaches have now found jobs. Chris Beatty is now at Vanderbilt as wide receivers coach, Dave McMichael recently accepted a job on Darrell Hazell’s staff at Kent State to coach the Golden Flash tight ends and Jeff Mullen has rejoined Brad Lambert as his new offensive coordinator at UNC Charlotte. Charlotte will begin playing football in 2013. Also, former football aide Pat Kirkland was named head coach at the University of Charleston on Wednesday. Kirkland was the coordinator of recruiting operations for the past three seasons under Bill Stewart. - Do you remember former Mountaineer defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian? Well, he’s got another job. Elmassian was recently hired as Purdue’s linebackers coach, his second go-around with the Boilermakers. Elmassian has also served two stints at Virginia Tech and has been a defensive coordinator at five different schools. Here is Elmassian’s updated coaching chronology: Purdue, 2011 Illinois State, 2009-10 Louisiana-Monroe, 2008 Nebraska, 2004-07 Purdue, 2003 Marshall, 2002 West Virginia, 2001 LSU, 2000 Wisconsin, 1997-99 Boston College, 1995-96 Virginia Tech, 1993-94 Syracuse, 1991-92 Virginia, 1987-90 Virginia Tech, 1985-86 Minnesota, 1984 East Carolina, 183 Ferrum College, 1979-82 Richmond, 1976-78 William & Mary, 1974-75 The guy has had 19 different jobs during his coaching career. My older brother has made a career in the military, advancing to the rank of Colonel, and he hasn’t come close to moving as many times as Elmassian has. Incredible. - Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal had an interesting story on the practice of oversigning college football players that has become popular in the south. In 2009, Mississippi coach Houston Nutt signed 37 players – 12 more than was allowed by the NCAA during a given year. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704444604576172954187357370.html Have a great weekend! |
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 WVUSportsBuzz |
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