Top 10 coaches in WVU football

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

Clarence “Doc” Spears probably was the best coach in WVU football history. In 3 of his 4 seasons he went undefeated in 1922 at 10-0-1 and won the East-West Shrine Game, precursor to the Rose Bowl, against Gonzaga and lost ONCE in 1923 (7-1-1) and 1924 (8-1). His first season was “only” 5-4-1. Spears NEVER had a losing season at WVU and was 25-2-2 in 3 consecutive seasons. That’s Nick Saban number!

The numbers rank WVU’s football coaches this way:

1922 10-0-1 Coach Clarence “Doc” Spears. Beat Gonzaga in East-West Shrine Game, precursor to the Rose Bowl, so I consider it a national title long before polls determined such things.

1988 11-1 Coach Don Nehlen. Plays Notre Dame for mythical national title but lost partly because QB Major Harris dislocated his shoulder on the 3rd scrimmage play of the game. Also lost bowl game for 11-1 after 1993 season.

2005 Coach Rich Rodriguez. 11-1 and won Sugar Bowl against Georgia.

1969 Coach Jim Carlen 10-1 in 4th & final season at WVU.

1925 Ira Rodgers 8-1. “Rat” was 8-2 in 1928. He was my phys ed teacher during my WVU undergraduate days (I am Class of 1954).

1954 Coach Art “Pappy” Lewis. 8-1.

1905 Coach Clark Forkum 8-1.

1937 Coach Marshall “Sleepy” Glenn. 8-1-1.

1903 Coach Harry Trout 7-1.

1898 Coach Harry Anderson 6-1.

What about Bobby Bowden? He never did better than 9-3. Bobby earned his reputation at Florida State after leaving WVU.

Dana Holgorsen’s best seasons at WVU were 10-3 in 2011 (won Orange Bowl) and 2016 (lost bowl game).

 

[mofo]

149

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Top 10 seasons?

 

[mofo]

11- 1, 88. ...11- 0 season

11- 1, 93 ..... 11 - 0 season

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

149

ONLY HALF THE STORY AND YOU KNOW IT. I LIKED DON. HE DID A LOT FOR MY ALMA MATER. HE HAS THE MOST W'S AND THE MOST L'S IN HISTORY -- 93. YOU KEEP POSTING 149 BUT LEAVING OUT 93. IT DOESN'T MEAN DON WASN'T A GOOD COACH. BUT IN WINNING PERCENTAGES RANKED BELOW SPEARS AND RICH. WHY DO YOU ONLY GIVE HALF NEHLEN'S NUMBERS? I DON'T CHERRYPICK NUMBERS. I JUST GO WHERE THEY TAKE ME. 1988 AND 1993 WERE FANTASTIC (I WAS THERE TO ENJOY THEM) BUT HE AVERAGED 7-4 SEASONS. IF NEAL BROWN GOES 7-4 WOULD YOU BE HAPPY?

 

[mofo]

149

 

[WVUALLEN]

ONLY HALF THE STORY AND YOU KNOW IT. I LIKED DON. HE DID A LOT FOR MY ALMA MATER. HE HAS THE MOST W'S AND THE MOST L'S IN HISTORY -- 93. YOU KEEP POSTING 149 BUT LEAVING OUT 93. IT DOESN'T MEAN DON WASN'T A GOOD COACH. BUT IN WINNING PERCENTAGES RANKED BELOW SPEARS AND RICH. WHY DO YOU ONLY GIVE HALF NEHLEN'S NUMBERS? I DON'T CHERRYPICK NUMBERS. I JUST GO WHERE THEY TAKE ME. 1988 AND 1993 WERE FANTASTIC (I WAS THERE TO ENJOY THEM) BUT HE AVERAGED 7-4 SEASONS. IF NEAL BROWN GOES 7-4 WOULD YOU BE HAPPY?

Yes I would. Cause there would be 1 more conference game and a bowl game to have a shot at 9-4.

Percentage can be tricky because of the number of games coached. They played 11 regular season games in Nehlens tenure. They played 11 during 1/2 of Rod Frauds years.

Your hatred for Brown is showing. I thought you loved all Mountaineers. I guess you pick and choose according to what fits your story.

You left out Bill Stewart who averaged 9 wins a season and coached a Fiesta Bowl victory under difficult mental conditions.

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

ONLY HALF THE STORY AND YOU KNOW IT. I LIKED DON. HE DID A LOT FOR MY ALMA MATER. HE HAS THE MOST W'S AND THE MOST L'S IN HISTORY -- 93. YOU KEEP POSTING 149 BUT LEAVING OUT 93. IT DOESN'T MEAN DON WASN'T A GOOD COACH. BUT IN WINNING PERCENTAGES RANKED BELOW SPEARS AND RICH. WHY DO YOU ONLY GIVE HALF NEHLEN'S NUMBERS? I DON'T CHERRYPICK NUMBERS. I JUST GO WHERE THEY TAKE ME. 1988 AND 1993 WERE FANTASTIC (I WAS THERE TO ENJOY THEM) BUT HE AVERAGED 7-4 SEASONS. IF NEAL BROWN GOES 7-4 WOULD YOU BE HAPPY?

ONLY HALF THE STORY AND YOU KNOW IT. I LIKED DON. HE DID A LOT FOR MY ALMA MATER. HE HAS THE MOST W'S AND THE MOST L'S IN HISTORY -- 93. YOU KEEP POSTING 149 BUT LEAVING OUT 93. IT DOESN'T MEAN DON WASN'T A GOOD COACH. BUT IN WINNING PERCENTAGES RANKED BELOW SPEARS AND RICH. WHY DO YOU ONLY GIVE HALF NEHLEN'S NUMBERS? I DON'T CHERRYPICK NUMBERS. I JUST GO WHERE THEY TAKE ME. 1988 AND 1993 WERE FANTASTIC (I WAS THERE TO ENJOY THEM) BUT HE AVERAGED 7-4 SEASONS. IF NEAL BROWN GOES 7-4 WOULD YOU BE HAPPY?

And, in 1988, Nehlen had the advantage of playing only TWO teams with winning records in the regular season.

Bowling Green was 2-8-1
Cal Fullerton was 5-6
Maryland was 5-6
Pitt was 6-5
Virginia Tech was 3-8
East Carolina was 3-8
Boston College was 3-8
Penn State was 5-6
Cincinnati was 3-8
Rutgers was 5-6
Syracuse was 10-2
Notre Dame was 12-0

 

[mofo]

Don Nehlen ass kicker Name Taker.

Major best player in WVU History.

Major Harris and Don Nehlen are college football hall of Fame Members.

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

Don Nehlen ass kicker Name Taker.

Major best player in WVU History.

Major Harris and Don Nehlen are college football hall of Fame Members.

I SAY DARYLL TALLEY ON DEFENSE AND TAVON AUSTIN ON OFFENSE WERE #1 ALL-TIME AT WVU. TAVON WAS THE MOST ELUSIVE WITH THE BALL IN MOUNTAINEER HISTORY. HIS 500 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS IN THE 50-49 LOSS TO OKLAHOMA IN MOUNTAINEER FIELD, WHICH I WITNESSED, OF COURSE, WAS THE MOST ASTOUNDING PERFORMANCE BY MY ALMA MATER IN IT FOOTBALL HISTORY, AKIN TO JERRY WEST SCORING 38 AGAINST CALIFORNIA TO LOSE THE NATIONAL TITLE GAME BY 1 POINT.

HALL OF FAME MEMBERSHIP DEPENDS ON HOW YOU NETWORK, TOO, NOT ONLY ON YOUR RECORD. NUMBERS ARE A MORE RELIABLE BAROMETER. IT TAKES THE IRRATIONAL FAN OPINION OUT OF IT.

CLARENCE "DOC" SPEARS WAS THE BEST COACH IN WVU HISTORY. HE LOST TWO GAMES ... TWO! ... IN 3 SEASONS OF HIS 4 AT WVU AND HAD THE ONLY WVU TEAM IN HISTORY THAT DIDN'T LOSE A GAME IN 1922 WHEN HE WON THE SHRINER EAST-WEST CLASSIC, PRECURSOR TO THE ROSE BOWL, AGAINST GONZAGA AND WOULD HAVE BEEN DECLARED NATIONAL CHAMPS BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE THEN.

NEHLEN HAD 2 OF THE 3 UNBEATEN REGULAR SEASONS (SPEARS HAD THE OTHER AND WON THE BOWL GAME, TOO, WHICH DON DIDN'T DO BOTH YEARS) SO THAT'S A FABULOUS ACHIEVEMENT. BUT 7-4 WVU CAREER SEASON AVERAGE IS NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT, AND THAT WAS NEHLEN'S RECORD AT WVU.

 

[mofo]

How would you personally know, what it takes for HOF Membership?

Sounds like excuses in this discussion.

 

[mofo]

Daryl Talley another HOF player.
Don Nehlen player.

Lonnie Galloway recruited Tavon
under Bill Stewart.

Major never had to Network for his HOF Induction. Major Harris play talked for itself.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

OP still hasn't realized that the Rose Bowl started in 1901...
There wasn't any football game that was a precursor to the Rose Bowl.


He is a Troll.. Why people continue to waste their time with him

 

[WVUALLEN]

Some of Doc Spears power house schedule in 1922

WV Weslyan
Washington & Lee
Washington & Jefferson
Marietta