Had WVU attempted to retain Holgorsen he likely would have remained. TWICE they hurt his recruiting /coaching efforts by not extending him. Yet Brown loses and was extended inexplicably with years remaining on his contract. Holgorsen noticed the complete lack of appreciation and scorn WVU had towards him if it wasn't the lies about his character it was dismissing every success with vilification and hate, and chasing off his attempts to bring in recruits.--there was no reason to remain and let's not pretend WVU didn't push him towards the door in various ways at every chance.
You've got your viewpoint which you articulate quite well, I also have mine. I am neither pro or anti Dana Holgorsen or any other coach who has been at WVU. He had his successes and failures like everyone else, still does.
When UH was in need of a new football coach and donor Tilman Fertitta decided Dana Holgorsen was the answer the rest simply became contract details. I wish Dana hadn't badmouthed WVU when he took the Houston job, but I am no one to judge anyone's reactions to life changing events. Typical Dana:
"Houston football capped a 12-win season with a 17-13 win over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday. The Cougars continued the streak of ranked opponents beating a ranked opponent in the game by handling the Tigers, but head coach Dana Holgorsen was not in a good mood at the postgame press conference.
He and his team was forced to wait. Auburn head coach Brian Harsin and his players were invited to speak first, while Holgorsen and his two player representatives stood out in the hallway."
Apparently he told the Tigers to hurry up. You could hear him from the hallway at Harsin's press conference. The rest is on Twitter! Typical Holgorsen, and I don't really blame him but he was never accused of not having balls.
In all fairness this much is indisputable:
• Holgorsen closed his tenure at West Virginia as the second-winningest coach in Mountaineer history with an eight-year record of 61-41. His 61 wins trailed only College Football Hall of Famer Don Nehlen for most wins in West Virginia history.
• He led the Mountaineers to bowl games in seven of his eight seasons including each of the last five seasons. His first season at West Virginia ended with a 70-33 rout of Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
• Throughout his career, Holgorsen has had 21 players earn All-America honors, win 10 national awards and 14 national award finalist honors.
• He has displayed his ability to prepare players for the next level as West Virginia had 10 NFL draft picks in first three rounds in the past seven years, second most in Big 12 with at least one Top-15 draft pick in four of the past seven years. In all, he had four NFL Top-15 draft picks during the past seven years, the most in the Big 12, and 20 players drafted in seven years at WVU, tied for second-most in the Big 12 during that span.
• An offensive genius, his passing offenses and total offensive output have ranked in the Top 10 nationally all but four years during the 14-year span since he became offensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2005.
• He's had eight quarterbacks pass for 4,000 or more yards and 10 throw for 30 or more touchdowns in a season with 20 receivers finishing with 1,000 or more yards in a season, including 11 finish with 90 or more receptions and 16 finish with double figure TD receptions in a season.
• He is the only coach in West Virginia history to have coached a team with at least 450 rushing yards in a game (Oklahoma, 2012) and at least 450 yards passing in a game (six times).
• He had 10 wins over Top 25 opponents in his eight-year tenure at WVU.
• West Virginia has been ranked in both major polls at least one week in seven of his eight years including the entire 2018 season with several weeks inside the top 10.
• In 2018, Holgorsen led a West Virginia team that was ranked every week during the season and finished the regular season with a No. 15/16 ranking in both major polls.
• Under his leadership, quarterback Will Grier finished No. 4 in the Heisman Trophy race and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Senior CLASS Award and the Manning Award. Grier was ranked in the top 10 nationally in 11 offensive categories and seven categories in the top five.
• In addition to Grier, three players earned All-America honors in David Long Jr., David Sills V and Yodny Cajuste while Dante Stills was named a Freshman All-American.
• Long was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award while Cajuste was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year.
• West Virginia had a school-record eight players named to the All-Big 12 teams, including five on the first team with 16 players named to the Academic All-Big 12 first and second teams.
• The 2018 offense ranked No. 3 in passing offense, No. 4 in passing efficiency, No. 8 in total offense and fourth-down conversion, No. 9 in scoring offense, No. 12 in completion percentage and passing yards per completion and No. 25 in third-down conversion. The defense ranked No. 11 in tackles for loss, No. 28 in turnover margin, No. 28 in passes intercepted and No. 36 in third-down conversion defense.
• Outside of football, Holgorsen served as the chair of the WVU Medicine Children’s capital campaign, raising $60 million to build a new home for pediatric and maternal services.
• In 2017, he led the Mountaineers to a 7-6 record and 5-4 in the Big 12 Conference. WVU participated in its fourth-straight bowl game and sixth in the seven years under Holgorsen’s direction as it took on Utah in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
• In 2016, the AFCA District 4 Regional Coach of the Year and Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year finalist led the Mountaineers to a 10-3 overall mark and 7-2 record in the Big 12.
• His 2016 team achieved the ninth 10-win season in school history, becoming one of six WVU teams to do it in the regular season. Holgorsen is one of three WVU coaches, along with Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez, to post multiple 10-win seasons. The seven Big 12 wins were the most in a season, tying for second place in the standings, WVU’s highest finish. In the national rankings, WVU’s offense was ranked No. 17 in total offense, No. 20 in first down offense, No. 25 in rushing offense, No. 31 in pass efficiency, No. 37 in passing yards per completion and No. 42 in pass offense.
Defensively, WVU was No. 24 in turnovers gained and fumbles recovered, No. 35 in passes intercepted and scoring defense and No. 38 in turnover margin. WVU placed 10 players on the Big 12 All-Academic teams and 16 of his 21 seniors had their degrees when they played in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
• In 2015, Holgorsen guided the Mountaineers to eight wins, the most since becoming a member of the Big 12 Conference, and finished the season with an exciting, 43-42 Cactus Bowl victory over Arizona State. The Cactus Bowl appearance saw the Mountaineers tie or break 19 individual or team, school and Cactus Bowl records and produced 11 NCAA top 10 bowl rankings.
Nine players earned All-Big 12 Conference honors, including two being named to All-America teams. There were seven All-Big 12 Academic team selections and 17 players already had their degrees in hand when they played in the bowl game, ranking among the top 10 nationally in number of graduates playing in a bowl game.
• Holgorsen led the Mountaineers to a Liberty Bowl berth in 2014, his third bowl in four seasons at WVU. West Virginia posted a 7-6 overall record and 5-4 in its third year in the Big 12 Conference and finished in a tie for fourth place in Big 12 action.
• In 2013, Holgorsen coached the Mountaineers to victory over No. 11 Oklahoma State, marking his fifth win over a Top 25 team at WVU. He also had six players earn All-Big 12 Conference honors, including the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
• In 2012, Holgorsen led WVU into its first year of competition in the Big 12 Conference, guiding West Virginia to a 7-6 overall record and an appearance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Five Mountaineers earned 25 All-America honors and three were drafted in the top three rounds of the NFL draft. Holgorsen is the only WVU coach to have had a first-round NFL draft choice for two consecutive years (2011 and 2012).
• Holgorsen had a successful first season at WVU in 2011, coaching the Mountaineers to a 10-3 record, the Big East championship and a 70-33 Orange Bowl rout of Clemson. The victory was WVU’s third Bowl Championship Series championship in school history and earned Holgorsen the First-Year Coach of the Year award by the Football Writers Association of America.
In his 3 seasons at Houston, he has finished 4-8, 3-5, 12-2. When he was hired at UH, he said things that Tilman Fertitta wanted to hear. Smart move for him, but f**k WVU. He is who he is.
