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Tackling The Bill Stewart As West Virginia's Athletic Director Angle

This idea has come up many times, previously on this blog (in the comments) and message boards across Mountaineer Nation.  Pastilong is still tentatively set to retire, and even people who don't like Stewart as a head coach generally like Stewart as a person and don't want to see him thrown out into the cold.  Therefore, the handy-dandy "Stewart as Athletic Director" campaign begins.

Here are several reasons why that isn't a good idea:

  • Stewart would make for an excellent ambassador for the state and this program.  That's a wonderful quality to have, and it would certainly benefit the athletic department in some capacity.  That's where the bulk of this idea comes from.  But there is much, much more to being an athletic director than being a great guy.  Just as there is being a major head football coach.

Star-divide

  • Results aren't 100%, but major programs have been moving towards businessmen as athletic directors, not former players or coaches.  At Notre Dame, Jack Swarbick is an attorney and former leader of Indianapolis's efforts to bring the Super Bowl, NCAA headquarters, and Pan Am Games to town.  Just down the road at Indiana, the Hoosiers hired attorney Fred Glass to lead their department, who like Swarbick, was instrumental in bringing the Super Bowl to Indy and also helped build Lucas Oil Stadium for the Colts.  Rutgers hired a former player in Tim Pernetti, but his last position was as CBS College Sports Vice President.  Athletic departments today are like major corporations, commanding huge revenues and expenses, and need to managed as such.  While I understand that it doesn't necessarily take a CEO or attorney to run, it should take more than simply coaching football your entire life.
  • Hiring a former coach to oversee an athletic department is fraught with problems.  For a legendary coach moving to the press box, it can overshadow the successsor to the program (see: Mike Belotti/Chip Kelly at Oregon and Barry Alvarez/Bret Bielema at Wisconsin).  Belotti has been roaming the sidelines at Autzen Stadium like he's still the coach, making for a sometimes tense situation.  In West Virginia's case, however, it could be the complete opposite.  Stewart would lack a lot of power assuming the athletic director role after being essentially demoted from head coach.  The new coach probably wouldn't think much of Stewart, and Huggins certainly wouldn't feel beholden to answer to him.  We need power at that position, something that Stewart would not bring.
  • Those are just a few reasons.  Thankfully, it is not my job to select the athletic director (we all know I would appoint myself -- talk about lack of power and influence).  But it will be the president's responsibility, and this is an outsider president that might not feel the same compassion for a West Virginia boy as might Pastilong, etc.  We need strength and experience at the position, and the two most logical names that come up are Oliver Luck and Whit Babcock, both of whom have extensive experience in major athletics.  That's what West Virginia needs right now.

    0 recs  |  Comment 22 comments |

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    Interesting...

    I really like this post. It’s very interesting.

    Do you think Oliver Luck would come back to WV, though?

    With his son quarterbacking in Palo Alto, CA, and his business interests in the southwest, Luck would be giving up plenty to come back to Morgantown.

    WVU MPA '07
    WVU Ph.D. '10

    by roolgol90 on Nov 17, 2009 12:16 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    Honestly, I have no idea.

    I mean, he would be giving up his business interests for sure. But with Andrew playing at Stanford, it’s still a flight from Houston regardless, just a shorter flight. Though, with WVU football season, it would certainly be tougher to make it to see him play. Those are all personal questions for him that I simply can’t answer.

    by Dr. Charley West on Nov 17, 2009 12:21 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    Hell no

    I like Bill as a man with character. I used to like Bill as a head coach who oversees a football program, but lets his assistants do the lions share of the coaching and playcalling (provided he can remove the ones that aren’t getting the job done).

    I DO NOT like Bill as a man to run an entire athletic department. That job takes a great deal of business sense and experience. I don’t think Bill is qualified for such a position by any stretch of imagination.

    by Q-tip Motha on Nov 17, 2009 1:02 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    lead scout/talent evaluator

    one thing we should all remember is that the recruiting calsses, particularly on the offensive side, are still very good. we arent going as far backwards as everyone thinks but if we dont make a change next year and the year after could be ugly. keep him on as lead scout. a new coach could do wonders with this team if he had the proper skill set.

    " Lord Stanley, scratch thier names on your fabled cup" Mike Lange june 12, 2009

    by oldtimehockey09 on Nov 17, 2009 1:42 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    We're going up in talent, not down.

    Unfortunately, the use of that talent doesn’t seem to following suit.

    by Dr. Charley West on Nov 17, 2009 1:44 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    I kike the man, but...

    He’s not really good AD material at the D1-level. The next AD needs demonstrated business acumen, and a passable understanding of the entire gamut of college sports, not just the revenue-generating ones. It would be a great plus to find an alumnus who has both.

    by MtnEer_in_SC on Nov 17, 2009 1:53 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    Lets keep the ethnic slurs to a minimum.

    by The 25314 on Nov 17, 2009 3:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions   0 recs

    I like Bill, too...

    But I can’t lie….I keep thinking that Gary Patterson would look pretty good on a West Virginia sideline.

    by jim_e25 on Nov 17, 2009 4:52 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    My suggestion is.....

    to keep Bill Stewart as the special teams coach……..er, wait a minute.

    by WVUColumbus on Nov 17, 2009 5:15 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    Jimbo Fisher

    would be the perfect coach at WVU (I know this is an article on AD, but still). I’ve heard from close sources that Fisher is so “handcuffed” in a F***ed up situation that he isn’t getting a fair shake, due to Ol’ Grandad. We need young blood w/ ability to recruit, bring back the Alex Gibbs of the collegiate level (Rick Trickett).

    Also, it is becoming more and more clear that IF WVU loses these final 2 games then a decision won’t have to be made…..Hearing Bill Stewart would step down. (fingers crossed)

    by WVUColumbus on Nov 17, 2009 5:19 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    Showing your true colors

    Crossing your fingers that WVU gets beat the final two games of the season? Really Columbus? Really? You should be really proud of that view. Saying that you want WVU to fail really strenghtens your opinion about Mountaineer sports.

    Jimbo is doing a much better job of running FSU’s offense than Mullen is of running WVU’s…

    Leave no doubt tonight! Leave no doubt tonight! No doubt! They shouldn't of played the Old Gold'n Blue.

    by 5th Year Senior on Nov 17, 2009 5:54 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    but he's handcuffed...

    didn’t you read? *sarcasm (we don’t have the burlywood option)

    by WVUIE97 on Nov 17, 2009 6:28 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    Ability to recruit?

    Because Stew and co. are failing oh so miserably in that department….
    Heck, that’s the one area where I thought everyone could agree that he was succeeding.

    As for Trickett, Stew tried to bring him back and Trick declined.

    by Country Roads on Nov 18, 2009 8:33 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    He's not even on the hot seat ...

    well there is definitely something wrong with this post – bill stewart isn’t getting fired or stepping down anytime soon. as much as that sucks for some of you out there it’s a reality. he could lose out the season and he still wouldn’t be on the hot seat. think about how many 7-5, 8-4 seasons don nehlen had and it took twenty years to kick him out.

    wait until next year when geno is behind center and the stewart offense is finally solidly in place. west virginia will continue to be a top 25 team, continue to have top 25 recruiting classes and will continue to be a contender in the big east and we’ll continue to go to a bowl game every year and win 8 or 9 plus games a season … fans will continue to buy tickets, people will continue to donate to the athletic club and the administration will continue to be satisifed …

    the new president at wvu isn’t focusing on athletics or wvu football right now … afterall and however hard it is to imagine wvu is a UNIVERSITY for learning and shaping minds not just a saturday trip to morgantown in the fall to watch a football game

    i know this post was probably just wishful thinking by some especially the poster or all those Doc Holliday bandwagoneers that seem to want to seem him as coach and think he’d be great, but yet he sits up in the box every game right next to mullen and helps him with play calling (and everyone here just loves him right?) … BILL STEWART IS GOING NOWHERE FOR ATLEAST THE NEXT TWO SEASONS AND IF WE BRING HOME THE BIG EAST AT LEAST ONCE IN THAT NEXT TWO YEARS THEN PROBABLY ANOTHER FIVE YEARS … swallow it down and deal or cheer for the team down south

    by RyanWVWC1983 on Nov 17, 2009 9:30 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

    A telling quote:
    wait until next year

    Makes my stomach turn a little, not because Stewart would be here next year, but because it’s a sad rallying cry.

    by Dr. Charley West on Nov 17, 2009 10:58 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    It’s also the same rallying cry I heard last year.

    by The Double U on Nov 18, 2009 7:33 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    I was part of that group.

    I thought, with a more passing oriented quarterback, a strong returning defense, and one more year under the belt of a new regime, that this year would be a step in the right direction. Outside of recruiting, it’s been lateral at best.

    by Dr. Charley West on Nov 18, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    would you rather have lateral

    or the steps backward that Pitt took….or VT, years ago?

    by WVUIE97 on Nov 18, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    He is taking a step back from his own program, not Rich's

    Last year was understandable, this year he’s regressing from his own less than satisfactory self.

    by Dr. Charley West on Nov 18, 2009 4:16 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

    Do you really believe that?

    If we lose to Pitt and Rutgers, I’ll agree with you. But I don’t think we will. If we split, we’ll be 8-4, same as last year. If we win both, that’s 9-3, which is an improvement.

    And, IMO, the schedule is more difficult this year. Pitt, Cincy, and Rutgers are all improved. Auburn is certainly better than they were last year. Everyone else is about the same.

    by Country Roads on Nov 19, 2009 9:26 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

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