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We have the talent to go 11-1

You must be living in the same world as Bill Stewart was. Where will you ever find 100% retention in one year... much less over 4 or 5?

You must live in a world where people struggle with the definitions of words like "ideal", "perfect", or "context". You research those and get back to me.
 
2008:
13 of 28 finished 4 years 46%
2009:
11 of 25 finished 4 years 44%
2010:
7 of 20 finished 4 years 35%
Total:
31 of 73 fnished 4 years 42%

First off, I'm not sure why you replied with what you did while quoting my post. My post wasn't defending the attrition rate of Bill Stewart's classes. I mean would you rather sign 17-20 players a year because of stability in the program or be forced to sign 28 every year to try to fill holes by people leaving. Obviously 17-20 a year is more ideal because it shows your program is at a healthy level of attrition and development instead of a revolving door of new faces. Which was the entire point that was trying to be made....

As for the attrition numbers above, yeah they are bad but attrition is nothing new for us... especially during coaching changes. Look at the 2007 class for instance (RR's last full class) it was:

12 of 28 finished 4 years 42%

When you consider the 2008 class was thrown together in less than a month while RR and his staff were trying as hard as possible to destroy it, it's actually not terrible. Let's compare it to the 2012 class (Holgorsen's first full class)... By my count it already has 13 members of that class MIA.
 
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To better understand my point, if you look at the scholarship numbers of our last 4 classes:

2012 - 29
2013 - 26
2014 - 22
2015 - 21

Looking at current scholarship numbers this year will be another small class around 20 I would think. The fact that we are not signing 25+ every year is a healthy sign that we are able to retain players and develop them.

When you don't have to take risks on questionable acadmics to fill your class, when you are able to redshirt more players because of depth, etc you are forced to sign smaller classes. All coaches would prefer being forced to sign 17-20 players a year because its a positive sign from a numbers perspective.
 
I still can't believe this is being discussed. That's not actually at all what he said. In the interview that has been the source of this common talking point by people that complain about Stewart, he states that in an ideal situation he would like to sign 17 players every year... For those that wanted something to complain about, that became a rallying cry but in the context of the article you can clearly see he is saying that in a perfect world you would have every person qualify, redshirt and stay for 5 seasons. (5 * 17 = 85)

So when someone asked him what an ideal recruiting class would look like, he was responding that signing 17 would be ideal because that would mean that you haven't had any attrition and all of your recruits qualified from previous classes, showing the stability of the program. The funny thing here is that comment has been beaten to death so much at this point, but if you actually look at Stewart's classes while here none of them were small classes.

1) He said it and he DID say it the way you report.
2) But Stew did in fact recruit smaller classes which in turn became smaller after losing players.
3) When Holgorsen took over the team was virtually a whole recruiting class short of players.

Stew recruited smaller classes. What he did matched what he said. I'm sorry if you find this to be inconvenient.
 
1) He said it and he DID say it the way you report.
2) But Stew did in fact recruit smaller classes which in turn became smaller after losing players.
3) When Holgorsen took over the team was virtually a whole recruiting class short of players.

Stew recruited smaller classes. What he did matched what he said. I'm sorry if you find this to be inconvenient.

2008 - 29
2009 - 26
2010 - 20

Stew recruited smaller classes? What he did, doesn't match what you say.
 
I sincerely hope you're right. But this team has to replace its QB, its two leading WRs and a lineman or two. And that's just on offense. The defense returns, but that's like saying that my Kia is one year older and therefore can win the Indy 500. They were 68th in total defense, 74th in scoring defense and 122nd in turnover margin at minus-15. We kick the ball really well, even if we don't cover those kicks well. Frankly, this team is not even a bowl team as I see it. Maryland probably beats them, and we'd be an automatic underdog in 5 Big XII games tomorrow (TCU, Baylor, OU, Texas, K State, Okl State). Even if we have the talent to go 11-1, we have the coaching to go 5-7, which is about where I think they'll be. Until we are a 65% run team, we will not win much in the Big XII.
 
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You must live in a world where people struggle with the definitions of words like "ideal", "perfect", or "context". You research those and get back to me.


Your world is filled with fantasy and includes a scarecrow, a tin man and a wizard!
 
First off, I'm not sure why you replied with what you did while quoting my post. My post wasn't defending the attrition rate of Bill Stewart's classes. I mean would you rather sign 17-20 players a year because of stability in the program or be forced to sign 28 every year to try to fill holes by people leaving. Obviously 17-20 a year is more ideal because it shows your program is at a healthy level of attrition and development instead of a revolving door of new faces. Which was the entire point that was trying to be made....

As for the attrition numbers above, yeah they are bad but attrition is nothing new for us... especially during coaching changes. Look at the 2007 class for instance (RR's last full class) it was:

12 of 28 finished 4 years 42%

When you consider the 2008 class was thrown together in less than a month while RR and his staff were trying as hard as possible to destroy it, it's actually not terrible. Let's compare it to the 2012 class (Holgorsen's first full class)... By my count it already has 13 members of that class MIA.
I wasn't say'n anything.....just posted numbers. Numbers that suggest he could recruit, he just could not recruit players that stuck around very long. Thats all. The few that stuck were very, very good.
 
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I wasn't say'n anything.....just posted numbers. Numbers that suggest he could recruit, he just could not recruit players that stuyuck around very long. Thats all. The few that stuck were very, very good.

Yep, and hopefully my response didn't come across as a douche... because we are in total agreement.
 
I wasn't say'n anything.....just posted numbers. Numbers that suggest he could recruit, he just could not recruit players that stuyuck around very long. Thats all. The few that stuck were very, very good.

Yep, and hopefully my response didn't come across as a douche... because we are in total agreement.
 
To better understand my point, if you look at the scholarship numbers of our last 4 classes:

2012 - 29
2013 - 26
2014 - 22
2015 - 21

Looking at current scholarship numbers this year will be another small class around 20 I would think. The fact that we are not signing 25+ every year is a healthy sign that we are able to retain players and develop them.

When you don't have to take risks on questionable acadmics to fill your class, when you are able to redshirt more players because of depth, etc you are forced to sign smaller classes. All coaches would prefer being forced to sign 17-20 players a year because its a positive sign from a numbers perspective.


Anyone can plug in numbers to make their point. I don't believe these numbers. Irish "Lady"
 
In the Big 12.............WV also has the talent to go 4-7. It takes a lot of breaks, great coaching and lots of heart from the players to go 11-1.
 
You just had to mention the 07 Pitt game right before my dinner. If I upchuck, it's on you. WVU would have beaten Ohio State that year and then the national opinion of the Mountaineers would have changed forever. Once you win the national title, you get respect. WVU has NEVER won the national title in football or basketball (unless you count the 1922 football team or the 1942 NIT team), so respect is hard to come by.

And Oliver Luck did set the bar for 9-4, 9-4, 9-4 not being good enough. No amount of character assassination of anyone who reminds you of that can change that fact.

Dana beat 9-4 only once, at 10-3 in the Big East and annihilating Clemson in the Orange Bowl, and that was with Bill Stewart's recruits. Dana hasn't won diddly with his recruits yet. Hell, 4-8 and 7-6 are more common than 9-4. It's time for Dana to prove he's an excellent head coach (he IS an excellent offense coach) or, horrors, we'll have to endure a new coach without solving the problem.
Exactly!! 9-4 was not acceptable in the Big East!! Dana went 10-3!! Then the ballgame changed when we entered the Big 12. 9-4 is no longer the floor.
 
I predict DH will be successful during his next 20 years coaching whether that's at WVU or somewhere else, primarily because he's just now learned what it takes to be a HC and that has come at our expense. He really didn't know what he didn't know with all the extra duties that come with being the HC. He didn't have all the assistant coaches on the bus and certainly not in the right seats. He did inherit some great athletes in Geno, Tavon and Stedman, but not consistently good athletes, 2 deep that were geared toward play in the Big 12. If and when he leaves, he will take most of his assistants with him, the recruiting contacts, the knowledge and skill set to get along with the media and administration, the ability to delegate along with all a million other bits of knowledge that no one ever actually realizes they learn from on the job training until you try to teach that "experience" to someone you're mentoring. Hope we don't
"Bobby Bowden" him, at least not without giving him another 3 years at WVU. I feel he is just now coming into the beginning of his prime.
 
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I 'liked' your post.....with a small exception.

EERS fans always refer to the Bowden blunder...but really, how do we know if he would have even been an above average coach if he stayed at WVU ? We don't ( but we do know Jim Carlen was MUCH better in only a couple seasons prior for WVU)..

Unlike WV, there are certain OBVIOUS advantages for a coach in FL.
 
I wasn't say'n anything.....just posted numbers. Numbers that suggest he could recruit, he just could not recruit players that stuck around very long. Thats all. The few that stuck were very, very good.
Let's clear this up, Doc Holliday is the reason Stewart had good players his first couple classes. After Holliday left, Stewart had nothing. Brian Athey was his qb in waiting lol
 
2008 - 29
2009 - 26
2010 - 20

Stew recruited smaller classes? What he did, doesn't match what you say.


OK .... I'll concede your point to a significant degree. But as many who signed on the dotted line how many of those 1) Actually joined the team as a player? And 2) how many of those who joined the team stuck around their whole first season?

In reality the number of players who stuck around pretty well matched up with the numbers that Stew floated in that "ideal" scenario. Thus ... the bottom line on his recruiting matched up with what he said.

Stew's recruiting left a depleted roster for the next head coach.
 
2008 - 29
2009 - 26
2010 - 20

Stew recruited smaller classes? What he did, doesn't match what you say.
Stewart only had two classes..09 and 10..he was named HC after the bowl game Jan 08.signing was the first week in Feb..look at the commitment dates for the players.he just held the class together.
 
I am tired of folks bashing Coach Stewart. Let the man rest in peace and let's thank him for the excitement and wins he brought us during his all to brief tenure. The only bad thing Coach Stewart did was to deplete the brains of some WV fans. You want evidence? Talk a look (read) around.
 
Talent to go 11-1, what are you smoking? This team is average in both talent in coaching.

Fortunately the conference is average also so this years team may be able to eek out an 8-5 record.
 
Let's clear this up, Doc Holliday is the reason Stewart had good players his first couple classes. After Holliday left, Stewart had nothing. Brian Athey was his qb in waiting lol
no he wasn't..Brunetti was a highly rated QB prospect..he would have had to sit three years behind Geno..your disrespect of Bill Stewart knows no bounds
 
no he wasn't..Brunetti was a highly rated QB prospect..he would have had to sit three years behind Geno..your disrespect of Bill Stewart knows no bounds
Telling the truth isn't disrespectful. I liked Stew. I thought he was very charming and old school. But he was slowly killing our recruiting. He had three or four players that never even signed but boosted his recruiting numbers for three consecutive classes, several "highly touted" recruits who never saw the field, and the ones who did make the field were projects after they transferred to Marshall or wherever else they went to, and he flat out messed up by signing way to few kids. Did he do it because he couldn't find enough quality kids to play for WVU or because he honestly thought he could win that way? Doesn't matter it was wrong on both counts!

I would give you the list of reasons why I think Dana is an average coach at best just top prove you don't have to be a "Stew" guy or a "Dana guy". But those have been posted on here countless times. No need beating a dead horse. Besides I'm actually optimistic about a winning record this season. Even though I would be hoping for a bit more out of a coach who should be hitting his stride because this is "his" program now.
 
You just had to mention the 07 Pitt game right before my dinner. If I upchuck, it's on you. WVU would have beaten Ohio State that year and then the national opinion of the Mountaineers would have changed forever. Once you win the national title, you get respect. WVU has NEVER won the national title in football or basketball (unless you count the 1922 football team or the 1942 NIT team), so respect is hard to come by.

And Oliver Luck did set the bar for 9-4, 9-4, 9-4 not being good enough. No amount of character assassination of anyone who reminds you of that can change that fact.

Dana beat 9-4 only once, at 10-3 in the Big East and annihilating Clemson in the Orange Bowl, and that was with Bill Stewart's recruits. Dana hasn't won diddly with his recruits yet. Hell, 4-8 and 7-6 are more common than 9-4. It's time for Dana to prove he's an excellent head coach (he IS an excellent offense coach) or, horrors, we'll have to endure a new coach without solving the problem.

My favorite Mountaineer myth of all time is underlined above. You don't even know who would have coached WVU, if WVU had beaten four touchdown underdog Pitt, let alone which school would have won the hypothetical NCG. It must really suck for you to be stuck in Ohio after the Buckeyes have just hung another National Championship banner, and all that you can do is respond with woulda, coulda, shoulda. LOL!
 
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