Believe he was an offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. When he became coach the football program was way down. He came in and turned it around in three or four years and ended with a Peach Bowl victory and if my recall is correct the only loss was to Penn State when they were in the national championship contention for several years at that time. Of course Carlen used it as a stepping stone. If he had come in with the potential that this year's team has (and maybe some of us are elevating this team much too high) I think he would have been even more successful. So if it is a coordinator with football savy (Rich Rod) or a proven coach such as ISU's Campbell from a smaller program someone is out there that would love to coach WVU. Carlen, Rod, and Dana were coordinators. Don Nehlen was a proven coach from Bowling Green and took us to a National Championship game. Bottom line there are good coaches out there should Dana leave for whatever reason, that could step in keep us competitive. And if they have success and move on we can find someone else to come in to keep the ship upright. And if ISU can get players to Ames, then West Virginia should be "Almost Heaven." to recruits.
Any out there remember Jim Carlen?
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Ever notice that a woman against abortion is a woman you wouldn’t want to.....in the first place?
I remember Carlen. Also remember the peach bowl victory. Then he left for Texas Tech. Tied the peach bowl game. Moved on to South Carolina.
Of course, you’re right. But it’s a crap shoot. Say, like a Dan Dakich. Was he really a good coach, or did he just have a lucky run. Beilein, on the other hand was a good coach. Not as good as Huggins, but pretty good.
He left for TTU and then SC...where he got involved with a cheerleader. I think he ended up as a spokesman for Coke. He turned the program around at WVU, got us out of the old Southern Conference, recruited some of the all-time greats at WVU...Gresham, Braxton, Ford, Crennel...just to name a few. I always felt that if he stayed around WVU would have been an eastern power like Pitt, PSU and Syracuse, all 3 which had some great teams in the '60 and the '70s. WVU just wouldn't pay him. One of the best things he did was to get the students to stop wearing their "Sunday Best" to the games.
PS: The Peach Bowl or mud bowl was noted for us running the wish bone and Ed Williams setting a bowl rushing record of 208 yards.
He was the OC when Carlen was HC. Then he became HC. Was run out of town by the same type crowd we still have pretending to be Mountaineer fans (and being unkind and abusive to Dana.) we have far too many 'fans; with, what appears to be, minimal intelligence who have very big egos and mouths. The utter lots of words but really say very little that is worth the tome to listen to.
I remember. I meant that Carlin left. Yes you are correct. We have never in years had this high level
of recruiting nor anything near such a difficult schedule. Some are nuts and want to add two juggernauts
to the league to make 12. No other league does that. Why would we not want Houston, based in
the 4th most populated city in USA, and a CIN or a UCONN for big time markets, and not have such
a killer schedule. WISC has no ranked teams remaining til BIG Champ, and I am not sure Al does.
Unfortunately, WVU's history is that its coaches are either successful here and leave (don't bring up Nehlen; he was set to go to Ohio State before the deal fell through and I wouldn't have blamed him), or unsuccessful and get dumped.
We are where we are on the totem pole, like it or not. I enjoy the games anyway, particularly now that we're in the Big 12. No, I'm NOT settling for "mediocre," because that's not what we have with Dana. But I do enjoy Texas or Oklahoma in Mountaineer Field every year and the Big 12 shootouts in every Big 12 home game.
We are where we are on the totem pole, like it or not. I enjoy the games anyway, particularly now that we're in the Big 12. No, I'm NOT settling for "mediocre," because that's not what we have with Dana. But I do enjoy Texas or Oklahoma in Mountaineer Field every year and the Big 12 shootouts in every Big 12 home game.
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Carlen cam here after Gene Corum was fired. Corum's career record was 1 game under 500. I do not consider that to bad because he started with a depleted team when Pappy Lewis left and went 0-8-2 in his first year. He followed that up with an 4-6, 8-2. 4-6 in the centenial year of 1963 that was over scheduled to celebrate the special season, 7-4 bowl season and 6-4. I would say that WVU was already headed in the right direction when Carlen took over the program. Transportation was still a problem before the interstates but he moved the program toward the eastern independents and away from the Southern Conference which was soon to be demoted to Division 1-AA.
Good to hear from you Woody. This board can use your insights and history knowledge more often.
In reference to your comment that Carlen was at one time involved with a cheerleader....
I remember Coach Carlen very well. He was extremely religious but deeply sincere. We used to call him "Morality Fats." No drinking. No sex before marriage. No nothing. When coach first arrived he was committed to running the option. Our quarterback at the time was Pete Secret. Coach was big on defense and but we weren't very imaginative on offense, especially in the red zone. In 1967 when we played Pitt we just couldn't get it into the end zone. Kenny J kicked five field goals that afternoon and thank god we won 15-0. Bobby Bowden was the OC at the time and in 1969 we were playing Pitt again at home. This game Coach Bowden called the hurry-up offense. So almost 40 years before the Rich Rod Spot the Ball days we were running to the line without huddling and it was 1969. I firmly believe we just flat out wore out Pitt and thanks to a couple of blocked punts we won 49-18. Bowden was a real innovator and Carlen was the real deal. I miss those days. Carl Crennel, Dickie Roberts, Bob Gresham, Jim Braxton, Oscar Patrick, etc. What a great time to be a Mountaineer!!!
Indeed a great time to be at WVU.
The best player in the Deacon's era was Oscar Patrick. Too bad he got a playing ending injury. Carlen wanted students to come to the game. He went to all the student housing and discussed the game and what he wanted to do. He took staff with him to encourage involvement. It was great for me who only knew football from watching TV. My GHS did not have the game while I was there. Gilbert did have success when they eventually fielded a team.
To encourage student activity, Carlen allowed us to be on the practice field(don't get run over on a play). The DC was Bob(?) and he was a blast. I went to all practices and mainly stayed in Defense huddle. Probably spent less time in a huddle with Bowden.
Tremendous opportunity to learn the game from those two coordinators. And as a bonus, West and Schaus were still there and I watched all of their practices. Don't know how the coach did not pay any attention to me being in his closed practices. I learned more of the game watching those practices than I did from playing 5years.
Yes, a good time to be a Mountaineer.
Richard Bell was the defensive coordinator under Carlen. West and Schaus were long gone.
Carlen required players to go to church. Players submitted a list and the team rotated every Sunday.
As a freshman in the fall of 1971, there were very few days when you didnt see Oscar Patrick in the Mountainlair playing cards, just saying. He was a genuinely nice guy and darned good poker player.
As a freshman in the fall of 1971, there were very few days when you didnt see Oscar Patrick in the Mountainlair playing cards, just saying. He was a genuinely nice guy and darned good poker player.
I thought that Bobby Bowden went straight to FSU?
Carlen changing from the I formation to the wishbone was ingenious on his and Bowden part.
Carlen changing from the I formation to the wishbone was ingenious on his and Bowden part.
Bob(?), Richard Bell, of course was DC. You are right about West and Schaus- I was also there in '59 and'60. Probably the reason I didn't get out until both summer terms of '69. Good time to be in morgantown. Appears I did have a good time too long. Watched some great basketball during the first stretch. Grew into a fair student with a couple years working on a sawmill to get my attention. Hard labor @ minimum wage is a good combination to inspire one to study. But there was a good education to be had on the football practice field with Carlen and staff working hard instructing.
We ran the split back veer offense and all of our WR'S were hurt. The weather really helped us in the bowl game. The blocking stayed the same for the line. We just subbed a FB for a WR and kept on trucking.
I do not recall missing a practice session on either tour. Always got a kick of Bell jumping into tackle location screaming, "get up, get up". He would not allow them to linger on the ground. That was much different than the teams by Pappy and Corum. They had to rest some way because they didn't appear to be in the greatest of shape, but I would take this team as the best of beer drinkers. And they didn't appear to be on really good terms. They were described by themselves as 3 different groups. One wants this, the other wanted that, and the third didn't give a fuk for either. It appeared they had their designated place to drink.
Carlen's boys were not that much of drinking all the time. Never heard of anyone getting out of hand, but they did imbib too.
