He knows when I'm awake.
He knows when Coach Stew's been bad or worse,
So fire him for goodness sake.
Mitch Vingle today writes what will most likely be the definitive piece on Billy's first year as head coach guy on the sideline. It really is a fantastic article, hitting on a lot of the same points extolled by WBGV (or at least myself and The 25314) over the past few weeks. And, of course, it mentions the USF press conference, which will be emblazoned on Billy's tombstone and serve as his legacy once he's actually fired next season.
Maybe WVU will defeat North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Would be a nice ending to the season for the Mountaineers.
But it will not erase the disappointment of this season. WVU lost a third of its games. Perhaps only the 1989 Mountaineer team with Major Harris was close to being as disappointing. But, really, that isn't so close.
You can point to WVU offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen and line coach Dave Johnson for falling down as well. But the buck stops at Stewart.
He simply did not get the job done.
Talk about transition nonsense all you want, Billy didn't get the job done. You can't argue that. You can't, you can't, you can't. Don't even try.
He didn't even come close. He took an ultra-talented football team and mired them in medocrity.
Perhaps as disturbing is he hasn't taken responsibility. He hasn't figuratively raised his hand and said, "Hey, this is on me. Blame me.'' Instead, he's "fired back'' - and burned whatever good will remained from the Fiesta Bowl.
Billy has done the exact opposite of what he said he was going to do. Instead of being honest with himself and us fans about his performance, he has become increasingly angry and defensive, lashing out at the media, the fans, and even recruits. Not only has he burned through the good will remaining from the Fiesta Bowl, he has started to run a debt of hostility that lingers in many fans in this state. Quite a turnaround for a man who prides himself on his Christian faith.
Yes, Stewart looked better along the sidelines as the season progressed. He looked more the part.
But this isn't about showmanship. This isn't about passion. This is about coaching.
Specifically, head coaching.
Billy isn't a head coach, he just plays one on TV. And not very well, I might add.
On camera, Stewart seemed to improve, although many times during press conferences he slipped a la George Bush. He took a big step backward in that area after the South Florida game by oddly talking about our state's oil supply, which could "lubricate the world.'' He stormed off in a manner suggesting, "take that!''
This will go down as the most rediculous moment in Mountaineer history. For someome who is on the verge of losing his job -- and trust me, once the season starts next year, he will be -- that press conference was the worst possible decision he could have made. He has made himself the laughingstock of college football, which actually wasn't all that hard because he was already the laughingstock of college football.
Let that sink in for a moment. We employ, as the head coach and most visible member of our proud football program, the ultimate, hands-down laughingstock of the entire sport. Simply breathtaking, and not in a good way. Like I landed on a football and you then punched me in the groin.
What he must start to understand is WVU fans and donors don't need bravado. They don't need their coach strutting and talking about fossil fuels. They need a guy who will right a sinking ship. To lead.
He isn't capable of this. He will become more hostile, more defensive with each passing day, until this athletic department has absolutely no other choice but to fire him. And trust me, with the love that Pastilong & Co. have for Billy, fans will be on the verge of riot before the firing. But it will still happen. He's just that bad.
I am, indeed, driving the ant-Billy bandwagon. I know that. But I have confidence in the fact that I will never, ever be presented a choice whether to jump back on as his supporter. He won't give me that chance. He will continue to drive this program into the ground with poor coaching, questionable recruiting comments, and a public image that would make Hitler blush.
So go ahead, defend him. Please do. In a year, when we're seriously discussing new coaching candidates, I won't be there to say, "I told you so." I will be in the corner, crying, knowing that all of this could have been one less year in the making.
[Seriously, give the entire article a read. It's very good.]