Who on this site is left that still feels Dana is the right coach?

[eers1foru]

I hear people saying we don't have the money to buy him out and we're stuck with him. Don't hear too many saying he is the man we want at the helm anymore. Me personally I quit going to games after his second year. Didn't even DVR todays game while I was out doing some trail riding with some family I had in from out of state. Tuned in the ol' FM radio at halftime and we were already getting smoked by 24. By the time I checked on it again we were giving up 63 points in a loss. Never even got mad about it. Went on with my day and had a blast. Maybe I'll give a dam after Dana is gone. Just can't bring myself to do it any longer with him as head coach. Same crappy results every year. Everyone in our conference runs at least a version of Dana's offense. And dam near all of'm do it better than Dana.
Anytime you think we've improved or he has rounded the corner he pulls the patented conference swoon. He has lost the team. That's why he's burning redshirts and sticking all kinds of new guys in mid season. He knows that everyone else knows he's done here. Even if he makes it 'til his contract expires he's a dead man walking.

 

[pressvirginia]

I'm not quite as apathetic but I am equally if not more dissastistified.

If money is the issue I'm not sure why WV joined the BXII & cashed in for this unprecedented revenue stream.

I root for the players, but I've been off the Dana train since 2012, same as you.

As discussed before, WV is at no schematic advantage running the same offense to lesser success as the rest of the league. In reality, this team now has no identity at all & is not air raiding.

Burning redshirts & playing backup QBs at WR is despearte, but at this point, we'll take anything we can get.

Riding this contract out to expiration & no extension prohibits recruiting, but the present is a bigger issue than years ahead in the future.

 

[Surbadger]

What is the current status of Dana's contract? How many years does he have left?

 

[eers1foru]

Two more years. And there is no buyout. We'd have to pay him every dime even if he is fired. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 8.5 million dollars

 

[dolemitebmf]

Two more years. And there is no buyout. We'd have to pay him every dime even if he is fired. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 8.5 million dollars

Maybe we should fire eFore, and bring in a head coach in waiting...

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

Actually it was a 10 point game at halftime - not 24. There is plenty of criticism that Dana deserves, but he hasn't lost the team. They are playing hard, they just suck at football.

 

[Pushingtin]

actually the 8.5 mil was the cost of all the buy outs for HC and assistants....I wouldn't give him a dime that he doesn't have to show up for work each morning!!!! You do to him what was done to Stew.......Bring in a HC in waiting but give him complete control, Dana becomes just a figure head and you fire his entertainment buddy that has been stealing a half a million dollars from WVU!!!!

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

actually the 8.5 mil was the cost of all the buy outs for HC and assistants....I wouldn't give him a dime that he doesn't have to show up for work each morning!!!! You do to him what was done to Stew.......Bring in a HC in waiting but give him complete control, Dana becomes just a figure head and you fire his entertainment buddy that has been stealing a half a million dollars from WVU!!!!

Yea, let me know how that "plan" works out. Here's a great idea, we humiliated the old coach during his firing and he had a heart attack a couple months later. Lets do the same exactly thing to our current coach! That will make us look great and all the good candidates will be lining up to come here!

 

[Low Mountains Drifter]

I heard talk on the pregame yesterday that we should give Dana an extension but in exchange make him accept a 1 million dollar buyout. Would he take that? Under his current contract we pay him approximately $250,000 a month and he has about $6.5 million left-- guaranteed.

If he accepted such a deal then got fired, say 1 year from today, he'd only get approximately 4 million from us. That would be a very good deal for us compared to the Luck contract, but why would he agree to that?

 

[TruWVblu]

Yea, let me know how that "plan" works out. Here's a great idea, we humiliated the old coach during his firing and he had a heart attack a couple months later. Lets do the same exactly thing to our current coach! That will make us look great and all the good candidates will be lining up to come here!

I didn't hear you complaining about the "coach in waiting" plan back then. In fact, you were all for it. OL could do no wrong. You certainly did not voice your concern that the plan humiliated Bill Stewart.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

I hear people saying we don't have the money to buy him out and we're stuck with him. Don't hear too many saying he is the man we want at the helm anymore. Me personally I quit going to games after his second year. Didn't even DVR todays game while I was out doing some trail riding with some family I had in from out of state. Tuned in the ol' FM radio at halftime and we were already getting smoked by 24. By the time I checked on it again we were giving up 63 points in a loss. Never even got mad about it. Went on with my day and had a blast. Maybe I'll give a dam after Dana is gone. Just can't bring myself to do it any longer with him as head coach. Same crappy results every year. Everyone in our conference runs at least a version of Dana's offense. And dam near all of'm do it better than Dana.
Anytime you think we've improved or he has rounded the corner he pulls the patented conference swoon. He has lost the team. That's why he's burning redshirts and sticking all kinds of new guys in mid season. He knows that everyone else knows he's done here. Even if he makes it 'til his contract expires he's a dead man walking.

You don't give a damn, but yet you're habitually posting rants.

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

I didn't hear you complaining about the "coach in waiting" plan back then. In fact, you were all for it. OL could do no wrong. You certainly did not voice your concern that the plan humiliated Bill Stewart.

I joined the forum in 2013, and you must have me confused with someone else because I am no fan of Oliver Luck. I like Dana and thought he'd be a great coach, but at this point I can call a spade a spade. Bill shouldn't have been hired in the first place, but the way he got treated by Oliver Luck was disgraceful and made our program look like a laughingstock.

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

This topic has soooo much potential for growth and solutions. 9 replies in and it's going straight to hell.

Carry on.

 

[Pushingtin]

I joined the forum in 2013, and you must have me confused with someone else because I am no fan of Oliver Luck. I like Dana and thought he'd be a great coach, but at this point I can call a spade a spade. Bill shouldn't have been hired in the first place, but the way he got treated by Oliver Luck was disgraceful and made our program look like a laughingstock.

Damn.....I rarely agree with Numbers on anything but he is correct sometimes

 

[hancockeer]

got to wait until the season is over I still think we are short on talent Lineman are needed Running Back better QB play and what about the DB's? with no interior rush they have to cover forever Dana's fault? This is a tuff league to compete u gotta have players we got gouged for 10 yards at a time by baylor QB gotta have players to pressure QB and block for our RB's

 

[ColoradoMountaineer]

Does the contract state the time period the money would have to be paid back if he was terminated? Most contracts don't. I know that when East Carolina fired Steve Logan they where still paying him years after his termination

 

[Pushingtin]

I really don't want to assume hear but most are paid out over 5 years but anyone that thought giving Dana this kinda of contract may not have been as forward thinking as one should have been and pushed payment out over 5 or 6 years

 

[Low Mountains Drifter]

Holgorsen's contract provides that we have to pay him if he's not the coach the same amount on the same schedule as if he is the coach. IOW, in equal installments between now and 12/17. The only difference is that he would have no chance of earning any bonus money if not coaching. I believe he's not earned any of the potential bonus money except the almost insignificant "retention bonuses" (as I recall only $35 thousand a year) since 2012.

 

[wbgvwbgv]

I hear people saying we don't have the money to buy him out and we're stuck with him. Don't hear too many saying he is the man we want at the helm anymore. Me personally I quit going to games after his second year. Didn't even DVR todays game while I was out doing some trail riding with some family I had in from out of state. Tuned in the ol' FM radio at halftime and we were already getting smoked by 24. By the time I checked on it again we were giving up 63 points in a loss. Never even got mad about it. Went on with my day and had a blast. Maybe I'll give a dam after Dana is gone. Just can't bring myself to do it any longer with him as head coach. Same crappy results every year. Everyone in our conference runs at least a version of Dana's offense. And dam near all of'm do it better than Dana.
Anytime you think we've improved or he has rounded the corner he pulls the patented conference swoon. He has lost the team. That's why he's burning redshirts and sticking all kinds of new guys in mid season. He knows that everyone else knows he's done here. Even if he makes it 'til his contract expires he's a dead man walking.

The game has changed and blowouts and high scoring games happen all the time now - doesn't mean much and you can't stay stuck in the 90's. Dana wants to be here and is our best chance at fielding a competitive team in the Big 12. I realistically haven't even heard of a better name (Saban or Fisher returning is a joke).

WVU is 2-2 against Baylor since joining the conference and that is a better record than any other conference school has against them in that time frame. There absolutely nothing embarrassing about losing to the #2 team in the nation at their stadium . You may have forgotten that we lost to Penn State 25 years or so in a row. And there were few who wanted to adopt a Marshall like schedule just so WVU could have more wins. I think that most or our fans like playing the best of the best even though we are going to lose our fair share of games.

Holgorsen is our coach and a replacement is not going to happen until the end of his contract. All this message board talk is silly. After the TCU game (#3 team in the nation), the schedule gets a lot easier and WVU could even possibly win out and go to one of the great Big 12 bowls. 3-3 with 6 more games to be played.

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

The game has change and blowout and high scoring games happen all the time now - doesn't mean much and you can't stay stuck in the 90's. Dana wants to be here and is our best chance at fielding a competitive team in the Big 12. I realistically haven't even heard of a better name (Saban or Fisher returning is a joke).

WVU is 2-2 against Baylor since joining the conference and that is a better record than any other conference school has against them in that time frame. There absolutely nothing embarrassing about losing to the #2 team in the nation at their stadium . You may have forgotten that we lost to Penn State 25 years or so in a row. And there were few who wanted to adopt a Marshall like schedule just so WVU could have more wins. I think that most or our fans like playing the best of the best even though we are going to lose our fair share of games.

Holgorsen is our coach and a replacement is not going to happen until the end of his contract. All this message board talk is silly. After the TCU game (#3 team in the nation), the schedule gets a lot easier and WVU could even possibly win out and go to one of the great Big 12 bowls. 3-3 with 6 more games to be played.

If Dana goes 3-9 or 4-8 there's not a chance in hell he's back next year.

 

[MountaineerWV]

The game has change and blowout and high scoring games happen all the time now - doesn't mean much and you can't stay stuck in the 90's. Dana wants to be here and is our best chance at fielding a competitive team in the Big 12. I realistically haven't even heard of a better name (Saban or Fisher returning is a joke).

WVU is 2-2 against Baylor since joining the conference and that is a better record than any other conference school has against them in that time frame. There absolutely nothing embarrassing about losing to the #2 team in the nation at their stadium . You may have forgotten that we lost to Penn State 25 years or so in a row. And there were few who wanted to adopt a Marshall like schedule just so WVU could have more wins. I think that most or our fans like playing the best of the best even though we are going to lose our fair share of games.

Holgorsen is our coach and a replacement is not going to happen until the end of his contract. All this message board talk is silly. After the TCU game (#3 team in the nation), the schedule gets a lot easier and WVU could even possibly win out and go to one of the great Big 12 bowls. 3-3 with 6 more games to be played.

So are you willing to say 8-4 should be our record? Because 7-5 is unacceptable in year #5. Sorry if that offends you, but I expect the university that I love to be a little bit better than mediocrity.

 

[I-70 Roadkill]

If Dana goes 3-9 or 4-8 there's not a chance in hell he's back next year.

And you know this..how? Mother-in-law survey?

 

[MountaineerWV]

And you know this..how? Mother-in-law survey?

A 4-8 season = less ticket sales next year. Guarantee it.

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

And you know this..how? Mother-in-law survey?

Obviously it's my opinion but how can Lyons justify keeping a coach who goes 10-3, 7-6, 4-8, 7-6, 3-9? That would be a complete disaster, but if we finish with that record, I would expect Dana and WVU to "depart on mutual terms" with a reduced buyout.

 

[Wvu21795]

I used to support Dana mainly because I've seen better recruits but it's obvious he is in over his head. We have no identity on offense and it just seems he is guessing now with burning 4 star qb's redshirt to play receiver

 

[Low Mountains Drifter]

I'm willing to say it is "acceptable" for WVU to have down years, even the very occasional losing record. I think it would also be "acceptable" for the 10+ victory seasons to be relatively infrequent and the years in which we make the 4 team playoff a once a generation (20 years or so) thing.

What's not acceptable to me is long stretches of 4-5 years where we are mediocre at best and worse than that when we aren't mediocre. It's also not acceptable to me to simply see with my own eyes we are not improving and continue to be plagued by the same problems that have been previously been excused with learning curve and lack of talent and depth arguments. On the former, I don't think we should be a program where untested and immature assistant coaches get on the job training. On the latter, I don't think the lack of talent and depth excuse held water when he took over and to the extent anyone believes that, do you not think that "fixing" that is a primary responsibility of a head coach and that 5 years is more than enough time for a decent coach to do that?

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

I'm willing to say it is "acceptable" for WVU to have down years, even the very occasional losing record. I think it would also be "acceptable" for the 10+ victory seasons to be relatively infrequent and the years in which we make the 4 team playoff a once a generation (20 years or so) thing.

What's not acceptable to me is long stretches of 4-5 years where we are mediocre at best and worse than that when we aren't mediocre. It's also not acceptable to me to simply see with my own eyes we are not improving and continue to be plagued by the same problems that have been previously been excused with learning curve and lack of talent and depth arguments. On the former, I don't think we should be a program where untested and immature assistant coaches get on the job training. On the latter, I don't think the lack of talent and depth excuse did not hold water when he took over and to the extent anyone believes that, do you not think that "fixing" that is a primary responsibility of a head coach and that 5 years is more than enough time for a decent coach to do that?

Sometimes it's better to completely suck than to be mediocre. Right now Dana isn't bad enough at his job to be fired, but I wouldn't say he's doing a good job either. If you have a coach like Kragthorpe it's easier to fire him because you know he's a bum.

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

Even if WVU is as bad as Kansas I will never quit going to Mountaineer Field because it's my alma mater playing football. I don't quit on family.
As I unhappy with Dana. Of course.
But I also realize that losing to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor (2 of them games that were winnable till the very end), and even TCU, isn't the end of the world.
If WVU loses to Texas Tech, Texas, Kansas, Iowa State and Kansas State, THEN we have a serious problem.
But WVU still could finish 8-4 or 7-5. In the Big 12, that's not chopped liver.
Face it, Baylor is way better than WVU, maybe the best team in the country. If the Bears win the national title, we'll know for sure.
Tony Gibson has done a remarkable job on defense (I know, 62 points, but if you watched the game you saw good patches of defense against maybe the best offense in the country; and Karl Joseph was a tremendous loss).
Dana is playing a lot of freshmen and underclassmen on offense, just as he did on defense a year or two ago. That means more mistakes than usual.
Turnovers are the result of this mishmash of inexperienced offensive players with veterans.
I sure doesn't look like WVU has found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But we're not in Dante's Inferno, at least not yet.
I'll be there, even if WVU is tied with Kansas for last place in December. That's called loyalty.



M ighty defense throttled Georgia Southern, 44-0

O utstanding defense obliterated Liberty, 41-17

U nilaterally decimated Maryland, 45-6, on defense and offense

N oxious offense & special teams against Oklahoma, 44-24

T urnovers lose to Oklahoma State, 33-26 in OT despite impressive comeback from 15-point deficit.

A wesome Baylor too much, 62-38.

I nch by TCU

N ip Texas Tech

E scape Texas

E rectile dysfunction Kansas

R oll past Iowa State

S lip past Kansas State

 

[Low Mountains Drifter]

That's a fair point. Of course, Kragthorpe only got 3 years at 15-21 before the axe fell. Holgorsen is now 14-17 during the three most recent seasons. How much better than 15-21 does he need not to be a no-brainer fire like Kragthorpe? Is 17-20 good enough? It would make more sense to fire, if we're going to do so, before a meaningless bowl game if we finish 6-6 so we don't risk someone else taking a guy we want.

I'd say 17-20 over three years is simply not good enough for WVU. If we finish 7-5, I will be on the fence and it will depend on how we look going down the stretch.

I'd also say UL pulling the plug and then hiring Strong and Petrino put them in a better position as we speak than if they had given Kragthorpe 6 seasons to show whether he could do the job. Yet, some here seem to argue, we are better off retaining him simply because there is no absolute guarantee we can get a better coach. Nothing is guaranteed (except contracts, unfortunately) but nothing ventured , nothing gained also applies.

 

[Nova Mountaineer]

From what I'm reading on the board - we have a bad "O" line, less than acceptable QB, not good pass rush and coaches are focus and
not providing adequate leadership to team. I could understand all that if this was Dana's first year but it's his fifth year and I suggest
should be his last. year as Head Football Coach for the Mountaineers.

 

[WarezEER]

Actually it was a 10 point game at halftime - not 24. There is plenty of criticism that Dana deserves, but he hasn't lost the team. They are playing hard, they just suck at football.

The group of players at WVU this year do not deserve such criticism. In fact they are very talented athletes that face another group of very talented athletes every week. The opposition and their fans want a win equally as bad as do the WVU fans. Now, let's get ready for the next game.

 

[VaultHunter]

To answer your question.

Yes

 

[WiiWii]

The game has changed and blowouts and high scoring games happen all the time now - doesn't mean much and you can't stay stuck in the 90's. Dana wants to be here and is our best chance at fielding a competitive team in the Big 12. I realistically haven't even heard of a better name (Saban or Fisher returning is a joke).

WVU is 2-2 against Baylor since joining the conference and that is a better record than any other conference school has against them in that time frame. There absolutely nothing embarrassing about losing to the #2 team in the nation at their stadium . You may have forgotten that we lost to Penn State 25 years or so in a row. And there were few who wanted to adopt a Marshall like schedule just so WVU could have more wins. I think that most or our fans like playing the best of the best even though we are going to lose our fair share of games.

Holgorsen is our coach and a replacement is not going to happen until the end of his contract. All this message board talk is silly. After the TCU game (#3 team in the nation), the schedule gets a lot easier and WVU could even possibly win out and go to one of the great Big 12 bowls. 3-3 with 6 more games to be played.

The flaw in your argument is logic...that will be rejected forthwith...

 

[TruWVblu]

I joined the forum in 2013, and you must have me confused with someone else because I am no fan of Oliver Luck. I like Dana and thought he'd be a great coach, but at this point I can call a spade a spade. Bill shouldn't have been hired in the first place, but the way he got treated by Oliver Luck was disgraceful and made our program look like a laughingstock.

I may very well have gotten you confused with someone else, and if so, I apologize. With that said, I will say that Bill Stewart was the right hire at the time. As I recall, there were no real big names knocking down our door, and he kept our program viable. Enough so that we were able to hire what everyone thought was one of the up and coming young assistant coaches.

 

[eers1foru]

You don't give a damn, but yet you're habitually posting rants.

I love my kids, doesn't mean I wanna hang around and watch the neighborhood kids kick their teeth in.
Two rules to being happy: 1) If it makes you miserable change it! 2) If you can't affect a change in it, separate yourself from it.
Since I can't affect a change in who the coach is other than "ranting" I have begun to separate myself from the aggravation he causes me. I take no pleasure in watching my beloved Mountaineers flail around undisciplined and outperformed. I've seen this show before. It started in 2012 and has been replayed every season since. They don't need my blood pressure to be up and my top ready to blow to win or lose. And my day goes much better not having to suffer through fumbles, interceptions, sacks, missed passes, wide open receivers running lose in our secondary and losing. And it is my opinion that as long as DANA is our head coach that will not change. The second I hear that he has been let go I will be a wide open Mountaineer nut again. Until then I'll wait on basketball season and hope Huggs can work his magic again!

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

I may very well have gotten you confused with someone else, and if so, I apologize. With that said, I will say that Bill Stewart was the right hire at the time. As I recall, there were no real big names knocking down our door, and he kept our program viable. Enough so that we were able to hire what everyone thought was one of the up and coming young assistant coaches.

unreal. Bill Stewart, ( RIP ) was a horrible coaching hire. Ed Pastilong screwed this program as badly as RR did.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

I love my kids, doesn't mean I wanna hang around and watch the neighborhood kids kick their teeth in.
Two rules to being happy: 1) If it makes you miserable change it! 2) If you can't affect a change in it, separate yourself from it.
Since I can't affect a change in who the coach is other than "ranting" I have begun to separate myself from the aggravation he causes me. I take no pleasure in watching my beloved Mountaineers flail around undisciplined and outperformed. I've seen this show before. It started in 2012 and has been replayed every season since. They don't need my blood pressure to be up and my top ready to blow to win or lose. And my day goes much better not having to suffer through fumbles, interceptions, sacks, missed passes, wide open receivers running lose in our secondary and losing. And it is my opinion that as long as DANA is our head coach that will not change. The second I hear that he has been let go I will be a wide open Mountaineer nut again. Until then I'll wait on basketball season and hope Huggs can work his magic again!

I understand your point of view and I empathize with your frustrations. We just have different attitudes about it and mine isn't better than yours.

WVU sports is pretty much my only recreational outlet these days. I'm self-employed, have young kids, a house to maintain, ect., and the WVU football games are the only time I clear for myself and reserve for enjoyment. Whether it's attending the game or watching from home, I just look forward to it. Their record or performance doesn't change much for me. I can't really separate myself from it, as WVU is where I got my bachelor's and most of my close friendships were made there. I don't want to separate from all that simply because we aren't playing well.

I just try to take the bad with the good and accept that fact that if you're a fan of a team, it's won't always be great. Overall I feel WVU fans have a lot to be happy about. Recent BCS bowl wins, an invitation into a really great athletic conference, Sweet 16's, a Final 4, some great individual football victories, ect.

My concern is that Lyons doesn't get the next hire right. He's never made this decision before and considering things haven't been the same @ WVU since RR left, his selection will be very important. Winning at WVU isn't as easy as many posters make it to be. We are a great program with some limitations and we need a coach that understands how to work around them and gain a competitive advantage. Bob Huggins is doing that now. RR did it too.

Personally, I want RR back. I think his departure ripped out some of WVU's soul (and his own) and only his return can repair it. He's a good coach - period. Even when his teams were bad, they were mean and prepared. His system works here. He can recruit properly for it. We can get good option QB's and backs and lineman to run it. JMO.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

unreal. Bill Stewart, ( RIP ) was a horrible coaching hire. Ed Pastilong screwed this program as badly as RR did.

I just read Casazza's Waiting for the Fall and he implies it was mostly Garrison's decision, but EP and Manchin (close supporter's of Stewart) bulldozed him into it. There was a list of other candidates (Skip Holtz, Bowden, Fisher, Butch Jones) and Garrison didn't want to pull the trigger on Stewart, but he felt overly pressured. Not exactly a shining moment of leadership on Garrisons part. He also implies the player support (Pat White mainly) for Stewart also played a role, which is another failed moment of leadership (major decisions should not be swayed by the preferences of 19 year old).

Ideally Stewart would have coached the team in the Bowl game, taken the victory and the Leave No Doubt speech and walked into the sunset as a real WVU hero and folklore legend.

 

[KeatonsCorner]

I feel that Dana Holgorsen is the right coach for WVU Football.

 

[ThunderCat98]

And there were few who wanted to adopt a Marshall like schedule just so WVU could have more wins.

This is ironic coming from a fan of a team whose most successful seasons came in a watered-down Big East.