Archive for January, 2013

Bob Huggins and some his players react to WVU’s 71-50 victory against TCU.

WVU Head Coach Bob Huggins

WVU Forward Deniz Kilicli

WVU Guard Eron Harris

WVU Guard Jabarie Hinds

WVU Gaurd Terry Henderson

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Today WVU Head Coach Dana Hologorsen announced the return of Lonnie Galloway to the coaching staff. Galloway returns to WVU after two seasons at Wake Forest. He will be the receivers coach.

“We are excited to welcome Lonnie back to West Virginia,” said Holgorsen. “During his three years here, our players had great respect for him, and he brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm with him to work every day. I look forward to the positive infusion his coaching and recruiting will bring to our program.”

During his three seasons in Morgantown (2008-2010), Galloway was an established recruiter for West Virginia. He recruited both standout Mountaineers, Tavon Austin and Bruce Irvin.

“I enjoyed my previous three years living in Morgantown and working for West Virginia University. I am pleased and excited to have the opportunity to return,” Galloway said. “This is a strong and successful program with a lot of history and tradition, and hopefully I can make a positive impact. I look forward to coaching in the Big 12 and in Coach Holgorsen’s offensive system.”

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Tony Gibson officially is rejoining the West Virginia football staff. Announced earlier by WVU Head Coach Dana Holgorsen, Gibson will now be the safeties coach. Gibson comes back to Morgantown after stints at Michigan, Pitt and Arizona.

“Being a native West Virginian and having already coached here at the University and successfully recruited western Pennsylvania for many years, he brings a familiarity that will be an asset to our program, said Holgorsen. “He worked with Keith (Patterson) at Pitt two years ago, so he already is well-versed with his defensive philosophy so that should help make for a smooth transition.”

Gibson worked at WVU under Rich Rodriguez from 2001 to 2007 as a defensive backs coach and was the recruiting coordinator in 2007. Gibson coached former Mountaineer great and All-American, Adam Jones who has played with Tennessee, Dallas, and Cincinnati throughout his eight year NFL career.

“Being a West Virginia native, I am happy to be back in my home state. West Virginia football means a lot to me and my family,” Gibson says. “I am looking forward to working with Coach Holgorsen and being reunited on the defensive side of the ball with Coach Patterson. I also look forward to being a part of the future of this program and advancing what I helped start years ago.”

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West Virginia senior Tavon Austin has been named the 2012 Jet Award Return Specialist winner. The Jet Award is given to the best return man in the country. Austin finished second in the country in All Purpose Running averaging more than 220 yards a game combining rushing, receiving, punt and kick return yards. The former Mountaineer averaged more than 25 yards a kickoff return with both a kickoff and punt return touchdown.

Austin set a Big 12 single game record for All-Purpose back in November against Oklahoma. This is one of many accolades Austin has received following the 2012 season. Below is a list of all of Austin accolades:

-8th in Heisman Race with 6 first place votes, 4 second place votes, & 21 third place votes
-Paul Hornung Award Winner
-Jet Award Winner
-Co-Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year
-AFCA All-American (All-purpose)
-AP 1st Team All-American (All-purpose)
-SI.com 1st Team All-American (All-purpose)
-CBS Sports 1st Team All-American (All-purpose)
-Fox Sports 1st Team All American (All-purpose)
-Walter Camp 2nd Team All-American (WR)
-Coaches 1st Team All-Big 12 (WR, KR, PR)
-AP 1st Team All Big-12 (All-purpose)
-AP 2nd Team All Big-12 (WR)
-ESPN.com All-Big 12

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Earlier today, West Virginia Head Coach Dana Holgorsen announced the addition of Brian Mitchell to the Mountaineer coaching staff. Mitchell will serve as cornerbacks coach. Mitchell comes to WVU after serving as the defensive coordinator at East Carolina the past three seasons.

“Brian is an excellent addition to the West Virginia football staff and has a wealth of experience as a cornerbacks coach,” Holgorsen said.”

Mitchell who played in the NFL for three seasons with Dallas and Atlanta had coaching stints with ECU, Texas Tech and his alma mater BYU.

“It’s an honor to be associated with a program that has a great winning tradition such as West Virginia,” Mitchell said. “I believe the fans are second to none; the state is second to none. It is a privilege to earn the right to go through this process to be a part of this family.”

Mitchell draws from his experiences as a coach and player while looking ahead at his new task at WVU’s cornerbacks coach.

“It’s a natural fit for me, coaching cornerbacks, because I played the position at all three levels, in high school, college and in the NFL. I was fortunate enough to play in the NFL with some very dominate football players such as Deion Sanders,” Mitchell added, “I was able to learn, absorb, see, hear and put together and formulate a plan to help young men be very successful at the NCAA Division 1 level at the cornerback position.”

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According to Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail, Dana Holgorsen will add Lonnie Galloway to his West Virginia offensive staff.

Galloway returns to Morgantown after two seasons at Wake Forest. He is expected to become WVU’s wide receivers coach. That means WVU offensive coordinator, Shannon Dawson will become quarterbacks coach. Dawson fills the void of the departed Jake Spavital who left just two days ago for Texas A&M.

Lonnie Galloway from 2008 to 2010 was WVU’s Passing Game Co-Coordinator and wide receivers coach under Bill Stewart. Galloway, a notorious recruiter brought both Tavon Austin and Bruce Irvin to Morgantown.

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Bob Huggins, Kevin Noreen and Deniz Kilicli talked toady about WVU’s matchup against Kansas State tomorrow.

WVU Coach Bob Huggins

WVU F Kevin Noreen

WVU F Deniz Kilicli

Sources confirm with The Daily Athenaeum that West Virginia University Quarterbacks Coach Jake Spavital has accepted a position with Texas A&M to be the Aggies’ quarterback coach and co-offensive coordinator. Spavital, who has been with Dana Holgorsen and West Virginia for the last two seasons, worked for Texas A&M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin as a grad assistant in 2009 at Houston.

Spavital, in his first career assistant job at WVU, coached quarterback Geno Smith to an All-Big East Conference selection in 2011 as well as a 2012 Discover Orange Bowl MVP performance. He will now go from coaching Geno Smith to Heisman Trophy Winner Johnny Manziel.

Spavital will step in the shoes of Kliff Kingsbury who groomed Manziel during his Heisman Campaign.

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West Virginia senior Tavon Austin has been named the recipient of the 2012 Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the nation’s most versatile player. Austin compiled 2,910 all-purpose yards during the season along with 17 total touchdowns playing wide receiver, inside receiver, running back, punt returner and kick returner for WVU. Perhaps the best performance in Mountaineer history came from Austin on November 17th against Oklahoma when he registered 572 all-purpose yards including 344 rushing while scoring two touchdowns.

“Whether I am on the field as a receiver, in the backfield or as a returner, I have high expectations for myself, and I have always tried to use my versatility to help my team be successful. I want to thank my coaches and teammates for helping me achieve this honor,” Austin said.

The Baltimore native, Austin finished in ahead of Marqise Lee of USC, Dri Archer of Kent State and Antonio Andrews of Western Kentucky. This is also the second individual award in WVU school history. In 2006 center Dan Mozes won the Rimington Award.

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Longtime West Virginia assistant coach, Steve Dunlap has been dismissed by WVU Head Coach Dana Holgorsen according to Allan Taylor, who first reported it of MetroNews. In two different stints, Dunlap served 22 years on the West Virginia coaching staff.

Dunlap who played at West Virginia from 1975 to 1978, returned to his alma mater to coach in 1984 where he started out as an inside linebackers coach. Promoted to defensive coordinator in 1991, he would stay in that position until 2000. Then after brief stops at Syracuse, NC State and Marshall, Dunlap was rehired at WVU by Bill Stewart. On staff through Stewarts departure and the first two seasons of Hologrsen’s tenure at WVU, Dunlap served primarily as an outside linebacker coach and special teams coordinator for the 2012 season.

Through this staff overhaul, Dunlap is second coach from the 2012 staff to be let go. On December 8th, cornerbacks coach Daron Roberts was not retained by Holgorsen.

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