Post by elp525 on Dec 17, 2009 5:45:01 GMT -5
December 16, 2009
WVU will have plenty to pay new assistant
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN - The departure of Doc Holliday from West Virginia's football coaching staff creates some obvious and glaring holes.
But could it also create some intriguing possibilities?
When Holliday is introduced as Marshall's head coach today, it will take from West Virginia's staff its most visible and successful recruiter in talent-rich Florida. Holliday was also West Virginia's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, so it will also leave two major administrative holes on the staff.
Then again, it will also free up Holliday's $406,000-per-year salary to do with whatever West Virginia coach Bill Stewart and the school's administration deem necessary. While that could mean spreading a little bit more wealth across the board to WVU's other assistant coaches, it could also be used as an incentive to draw another high-profile coach and/or recruiter to the staff.
The bottom line is that Holliday's salary at WVU was close to being among the top 10 in the nation, which means if the salary for his replacement is anywhere close to that neighborhood there will be no shortage of quality candidates. Even if the school chooses to spend perhaps only half of that $400,000 on a new coach and spread the rest among the current staff, the $200,000 that would remain is still fairly substantial.
The key, of course, is to still spend that $400,000 and not look at Holliday's departure as an opportunity to save money. On Wednesday night, West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong said that should Holliday's position become vacant, there would be no reduction in the resources available to the football program.
"We made a commitment to our football program two years ago as far as staff and salary are concerned,'' Pastilong said. "We have no intention of reducing that commitment now.''
As for the direction in which the school might go without Holliday, Pastilong said he met with Stewart Wednesday and discussed the situation. He would not, however, go into details.
"We are like everyone. We're always looking at what-ifs,'' Pastilong said. "Billy and I met [Wednesday] and we discussed some what-ifs.''
In house, there would already seem to be a handful of candidates to move around. Running backs coach Chris Beatty, always a hot prospect for other jobs, would seem a potential candidate as the recruiting coordinator. JaJuan Seider, who this year is a graduate assistant and also has strong Florida recruiting ties, could be a candidate to move into Holliday's slot as coach of the team's fullbacks and tight ends. That might also serve to smooth the transition as West Virginia attempts to hold on to its current verbal commitments from Florida.
But those two, and perhaps others, might also be tempted to follow Holliday to Marshall if it means a step up in responsibilities - perhaps Beatty as a coordinator and Seider with a full-time job if is passed over by WVU.
As far as high-profile assistants across the country, there aren't many who aren't currently employed, but a potential bump in pay could make them available. There might also be coaches out there with West Virginia ties who could be interested.
One such intriguing name is that of former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, who grew up in Morgantown while his father, Bobby, was the coach at WVU. Tommy Bowden has been out of coaching since he resigned at Clemson midway through the 2008 season. At first glance, it might seem awkward to have a high-profile coach like Bowden as an assistant, but Stewart has already shown a willingness to handle awkward situations like that if it means hiring the best available candidate. Before being hired as an assistant, Holliday was one of the top candidates for the WVU head-coaching job when Stewart was hired.
nn
West Virginia has practiced only twice since the regular-season finale against Rutgers and is off most of this week because of final exams. That changes Friday night when the team reports back and begins practice Saturday for the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl against Florida State.
"We're going into camp mode,'' Stewart said earlier this week. "It will be just like preseason camp.''
The team will practice hard Saturday through Wednesday before being excused for a few days to go home for Christmas. The Mountaineers will assemble in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 26 and begin practice at the University of North Florida the next day.
WVU will have plenty to pay new assistant
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN - The departure of Doc Holliday from West Virginia's football coaching staff creates some obvious and glaring holes.
But could it also create some intriguing possibilities?
When Holliday is introduced as Marshall's head coach today, it will take from West Virginia's staff its most visible and successful recruiter in talent-rich Florida. Holliday was also West Virginia's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, so it will also leave two major administrative holes on the staff.
Then again, it will also free up Holliday's $406,000-per-year salary to do with whatever West Virginia coach Bill Stewart and the school's administration deem necessary. While that could mean spreading a little bit more wealth across the board to WVU's other assistant coaches, it could also be used as an incentive to draw another high-profile coach and/or recruiter to the staff.
The bottom line is that Holliday's salary at WVU was close to being among the top 10 in the nation, which means if the salary for his replacement is anywhere close to that neighborhood there will be no shortage of quality candidates. Even if the school chooses to spend perhaps only half of that $400,000 on a new coach and spread the rest among the current staff, the $200,000 that would remain is still fairly substantial.
The key, of course, is to still spend that $400,000 and not look at Holliday's departure as an opportunity to save money. On Wednesday night, West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong said that should Holliday's position become vacant, there would be no reduction in the resources available to the football program.
"We made a commitment to our football program two years ago as far as staff and salary are concerned,'' Pastilong said. "We have no intention of reducing that commitment now.''
As for the direction in which the school might go without Holliday, Pastilong said he met with Stewart Wednesday and discussed the situation. He would not, however, go into details.
"We are like everyone. We're always looking at what-ifs,'' Pastilong said. "Billy and I met [Wednesday] and we discussed some what-ifs.''
In house, there would already seem to be a handful of candidates to move around. Running backs coach Chris Beatty, always a hot prospect for other jobs, would seem a potential candidate as the recruiting coordinator. JaJuan Seider, who this year is a graduate assistant and also has strong Florida recruiting ties, could be a candidate to move into Holliday's slot as coach of the team's fullbacks and tight ends. That might also serve to smooth the transition as West Virginia attempts to hold on to its current verbal commitments from Florida.
But those two, and perhaps others, might also be tempted to follow Holliday to Marshall if it means a step up in responsibilities - perhaps Beatty as a coordinator and Seider with a full-time job if is passed over by WVU.
As far as high-profile assistants across the country, there aren't many who aren't currently employed, but a potential bump in pay could make them available. There might also be coaches out there with West Virginia ties who could be interested.
One such intriguing name is that of former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, who grew up in Morgantown while his father, Bobby, was the coach at WVU. Tommy Bowden has been out of coaching since he resigned at Clemson midway through the 2008 season. At first glance, it might seem awkward to have a high-profile coach like Bowden as an assistant, but Stewart has already shown a willingness to handle awkward situations like that if it means hiring the best available candidate. Before being hired as an assistant, Holliday was one of the top candidates for the WVU head-coaching job when Stewart was hired.
nn
West Virginia has practiced only twice since the regular-season finale against Rutgers and is off most of this week because of final exams. That changes Friday night when the team reports back and begins practice Saturday for the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl against Florida State.
"We're going into camp mode,'' Stewart said earlier this week. "It will be just like preseason camp.''
The team will practice hard Saturday through Wednesday before being excused for a few days to go home for Christmas. The Mountaineers will assemble in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 26 and begin practice at the University of North Florida the next day.
