Wishing Dana well, but this article tells why he needed to go

[SeronimusPratt]

Did you even read the article? Both of their coaches said the kids started out with wvu as their first choice. When a couple of top 10 programs got involved, Dana gave up and didn’t fight for them.

That was Dana’s problem from the get go. He’s HC at the #13 all-time winningnest program but he walked around with this inferiority thing going on. He felt like we were a bottom tier power 5 program when, at the time he had come in, we had just won more BCS bowl games in the last 10 years than just about anybody.

Brown, in contrast, is asking why isn’t everyone around here talking about being in the top 15 programs in the country. He thinks we should be getting 4-star recruits with a 5-star every now and then, just like we were getting with Rrod.

It’s one of those things where whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re probably right. Dana didn’t think we were good enough to play with the big boys and it showed. Neil Brown tells his kids at Troy they can win at Nebraska and LSU and they go out and win. That’s the mindset you need as a HC and Dana didn’t have it for recruiting or on the field. I’m not saying we are a top 10 program, but we ought to be in the discussion when you’re talking top 20.

Did you even read the article? Both of their coaches said the kids started out with wvu as their first choice. When a couple of top 10 programs got involved, Dana gave up and didn’t fight for them.

That was Dana’s problem from the get go. He’s HC at the #13 all-time winningnest program but he walked around with this inferiority thing going on. He felt like we were a bottom tier power 5 program when, at the time he had come in, we had just won more BCS bowl games in the last 10 years than just about anybody.

Brown, in contrast, is asking why isn’t everyone around here talking about being in the top 15 programs in the country. He thinks we should be getting 4-star recruits with a 5-star every now and then, just like we were getting with Rrod.

It’s one of those things where whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re probably right. Dana didn’t think we were good enough to play with the big boys and it showed. Neil Brown tells his kids at Troy they can win at Nebraska and LSU and they go out and win. That’s the mindset you need as a HC and Dana didn’t have it for recruiting or on the field. I’m not saying we are a top 10 program, but we ought to be in the discussion when you’re talking top 20.

Wow. Where did you get your bowl victory info? Since 1981 (38 years) WVU has been in 29 bowl games. Overall bowl record is 11-18 in those games. As to the 10 years prior to DH the record was 6 wins and 4 losses. 2 of those bowl wins were in what would be considered "BCS" bowls. Gator, Meinke would not be considered "BCS." So I doubt WVU had more BCS bowl wins over that time period than just about anybody. In fact, 6 wins out of 10 probably is not more than just about anybody.

Only 1 record you need to worry about. 0-12

 

[deedoubleyou]

No doubt Holgerson fell short big time in that area, as well as many others. I've been following football since I was old enough to be able to, and I dont know how many kids I've seen over the years choose a school due to the loyalty and effort the coaches showed them compared to other schools. Most of them do actually. What Wright and Nestor say makes perfect sense. Its amazing anyone even attempts to argue that actually. Thank God Brown doesnt have the self-defeating negative attitude that many of our own residents have.

 

[WVUALLEN]

Answers to what...
The ACC.
I visit quite a few ACC message boards.

There is a growing concern about their network. Schools like Pitt and Boston College are easy targets because according to some they don't know how you cook a ham.

Why don't you pick one and stay on it just like you have here.

 

[tarponeer]

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/sport...cle_40fcfa66-b4dc-5318-a3a3-8c241fc91afd.html

Two in-state five-star recruits that wanted to stay closer to home, but head coach never visited. Unbelievable.

 

[tarponeer]

Say what you want about the mind-set of these two youngsters, it was NEVER too late to become a Mountaineer. What did they want, a years long courtship? Some smoke being blown with their replies as to why they didn't pick WV. Not enough time to establish a relationship with the WV coaching staff. Baloney!

Jefferson could make us all forget about this saga.

 

[deedoubleyou]

Being left alone by Dana vs regular contact with others schools. Brown recruiting them for 3 weeks as opposed to 3 years with other schools. 3 weeks is 21 days vs 1095 with schools who had been recruiting these kids for 3 years. All the while with WVU falling short under Dana in a year he had his most talent ever. Whats there to not understand....

 

[DAN79]

Did you even read the article? Both of their coaches said the kids started out with wvu as their first choice. When a couple of top 10 programs got involved, Dana gave up and didn’t fight for them.

That was Dana’s problem from the get go. He’s HC at the #13 all-time winningnest program but he walked around with this inferiority thing going on. He felt like we were a bottom tier power 5 program when, at the time he had come in, we had just won more BCS bowl games in the last 10 years than just about anybody.

Brown, in contrast, is asking why isn’t everyone around here talking about being in the top 15 programs in the country. He thinks we should be getting 4-star recruits with a 5-star every now and then, just like we were getting with Rrod.

It’s one of those things where whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re probably right. Dana didn’t think we were good enough to play with the big boys and it showed. Neil Brown tells his kids at Troy they can win at Nebraska and LSU and they go out and win. That’s the mindset you need as a HC and Dana didn’t have it for recruiting or on the field. I’m not saying we are a top 10 program, but we ought to be in the discussion when you’re talking top 20.

Wow! Well said! Excellent post!

Unfortunately, you can expect a backlash as some on this board can't handled the truth. Others just have to be negatively Nellie trolls.

 

[WVpride304]

Neal Brown will keep more top WV kids home. Period. He will build relationships earlier and be all over these kids like white on rice from 9-10 grade. If Neal Brown we’re here 2-3 years ago Nester and Wright would be WVU Mountaineers. Dana and Gibson both suck at coaching and both suck at recruiting.

 

[TexasTrill2018]

1) Evaluating the talent.
But when you have a player keep things secret. There is a bit of statecraft in college football recruiting.
For example Tyler Owens with Texas. The guy ran a sub 4.4 at a Texas camp in the summer.
Texas offered him and got a silent commitment from him after his September.

They didn't tell anyone the talent of Owens and kept the offer quiet until September


2) Finding places under the radar that produces a lot of talent.
Used to be Maryland. Not anymore.


3) Finding players that fit the scheme.


It is not so much one player as the entire class .

 

[88rocco]

Somebody buy Dana's house.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/214-Mystic-Dr-Morgantown-WV-26508/98318955_zpid/

 

[Darth_VadEER]

Somebody buy Dana's house.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/214-Mystic-Dr-Morgantown-WV-26508/98318955_zpid/

Beautiful home.....but photo 15 with the jerseys in the stairwell, the spacing of the frames are all uneven, that drives me nuts. I couldnt even sleep the night there without fixing that. Id need to leave or offer to help him with it.

 

[WV Bruno]

The first two years in the Big XII forced Dana in a horrible position.
Either get fired or find talent.

That is why he had to bring in transfers and couldn't fully develop players.

Three star players for the most part don't walk onto campus as stars.
They have to be developed. This takes around 2 years.

For Neal Brown to start winning 10 games every year he will need 2-3 years to develop those 3 star players into future NFL draft picks.

You can't say Dana didn't develop talent.
Texas
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Make up over 50% of the Big XII invitees to the NFL combine.

But overall he couldn't develop that level of talent on the 2 deep.
You need 40+ players playing at that level and not 20.

People are setting themselves up if they expect ten wins every year. This is how I see things working out.

2019 7-5
2020 10-2
2021 8-4
2022 9-3
2023 10-2

 

[WVUDisciples]

Wow. Where did you get your bowl victory info? Since 1981 (38 years) WVU has been in 29 bowl games. Overall bowl record is 11-18 in those games. As to the 10 years prior to DH the record was 6 wins and 4 losses. 2 of those bowl wins were in what would be considered "BCS" bowls. Gator, Meinke would not be considered "BCS." So I doubt WVU had more BCS bowl wins over that time period than just about anybody. In fact, 6 wins out of 10 probably is not more than just about anybody.

What I’m saying is from 2003-2013 (counting Dana’s first year with Bill Stwart’s Team) wvu had three BCS wins and was 6-4 overall. Only 8 teams in college football had more than that. Just EIGHT! So if you consider there are over 120 schools vying for those wins, that puts us in the top 8%. It doesn’t matter what rubric you use, we were elite when Dana started bringing in his first recruiting class. Sorry to disappoint you. I know you’d like to Waller around in Dana’s “poor little old us” mindset. I’ll say it again, it comes back to leadership. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re probably right. From what I can tell, Neil Brown believes that in a good year, we can win the big 12. For most of us realists who are not over the top optimistic, and those who have inferiority complexes, one Big 12 Championship every 5 years is a realistic goal. We should average 9 wins a year, 11-12 in our best year, 7-5 in our worst.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Is UCF elite....
Look at their five year window.
2 NYD wins
3 NYD Games
Last two years they have been 27-1.
27-1 is the best record in CFB

UCF is not elite.
UCF would struggle to win 8 games in any P5 conference.

Playing BigEast football is not playing in the Big XII.
Dana wasn't able to take WV to the next level.
Maybe Neal Brown can .
It starts with recruiting. WV has to recruit at a higher level.
They need to be Top 4 maybe Top 3 every year.

8+ win seasons every year will come if you can out recruit your competition.

 

[WVUALLEN]

How's Texas doing? Oh that's right. You have no idea because you only stay on a WVU board.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

I am on every board.

Texas is holding their Junior Day this weekend.
Probably 100 recruits going to Austin.
Zach Evans just cancelled his UOV to Clemson.

The future Heisman winner 2021 QB Preston Stone will be in Austin.
Watch his highlights. Can throw 30 yard strikes on the run.

Doesn't have the arm strength of Lawrence but is a lot more mobile.

 

[WESTBGVA]

Beautiful home.....but photo 15 with the jerseys in the stairwell, the spacing of the frames are all uneven, that drives me nuts. I couldnt even sleep the night there without fixing that. Id need to leave or offer to help him with it.

Might be some DNA in that hot tub.