As of Dec. 1, Bill Stewart’s only head coaching experience was an 8-25 stint at Virginia Military Institute from 1994-96.
How does a guy with that kind of record land the West Virginia job? By pummeling Oklahoma 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl as interim coach, as Stewart did Wednesday after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan.
The immediate benefit to hiring Stewart was obvious on the field in Tempe, Ariz. Stewart was Rodriguez’s associate head coach and has coached tight ends and quarterbacks at West Virginia, so he is equipped to keep the read option offense moving forward.
With quarterback Patrick White and tailback Steve Slaton scheduled to return in the same system, the Mountaineers immediately become a favorite to reach their third BCS game in four seasons now that the “interim” tag has been removed from Stewart’s title.
The hire will be popular with players and should keep a talented nucleus in place. But in terms of the long-term future, hiring Stewart is risky because he doesn’t have a proven track record as a head coach.
Stewart’s ability to build a strong staff and recruit are unproven. This hire has the feel of Carl Torbush’s replacement of Mack Brown at North Carolina, and we all know how that turned out.
– Ken Tysiac
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Hiring Stewart risky for Mountaineers
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3 comments:
Yes, Ken. Yes we do. We had to fire Torbush twice, thanks to Baddour.
Later,
JAT
UNC '87
Stability and loyalty is why he's a good choice. Recruits and their parents like that. Torbush? Man, it's kinda funny listening to UNC fans rip him...since they've won so many games since he's left. They hired Mack from ASU, and now so many years later Mack's replacement has ASU as the best coached team in NC. Stability is the key.
Mack came from Tulane....Carolina would have NEVER hired a guy from ASU. Maybe Wofford but never ASU.
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