By Adam Abramson
One of the first things West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart did when I picked up the phone was thank me for taking his call and giving him exposure in the big city of New York. He asked about me and when I told him I’m a Virginian, we quickly found out he has a long-standing relationship with a legendary coach from my high school, Charlie Hovis. I immediately knew it was going to be a great interview.
Stewart is a throwback to the older days of college football. Modern-day coaches and players have become so tight-lipped that sometimes the only thing you’ll hear from a program is clichés. Stewart is anything but. He had plenty to say about Rich Rodriguez’s departure, the Fiesta Bowl experience, what it takes to maintain a wining program and what his major concerns are in Morgantown.
“When Rich decided to got o Michigan, we wished him nothing but the best. I worked for him for seven years. There were some people upset, but I told them we had to get ready to for this game we had to win,” he said of the fallout before January’s Fiesta Bowl.
“I told the guys we have 20 minutes and I’ll see them on the practice field. Most went to shake coach’s hand and went out to practice … We had great practices. Sharp. Crisp. We got out there and started weaving our magic. I didn’t have to say much, I turned it over to the senior class.”
The quick turnaround and intense preparation led to a stunning and dominant 48-28 victory over Oklahoma.
Stewart told a funny story about the practices leading up to the BCS game: “Patrick White said ‘Let’s get it moving!’ He was shooting his eyes to the left, shooting them to the right and everyone was following. Then he cut his eyes to me and I said ‘Damn, I better start running. He’s talking to me!’ Pat says let’s get to work. We went to work. They just did it. You know why? They knew deep down that it was the right thing to do. It’s that simple.”
It really is that simple. You can just tell less is more with Stewart as the boss, and it works. It worked out in the desert against the Sooners.
“I told them we owed it to the people behind this program. This is a lot of pride. We’re gonna do all the right things. They bought into it hook, line and sinker. We were out there for eight days and seven nights and we had just one curfew bust. Not many know that. These guys were on a mission. We put Oklahoma in our crosshairs,” Stewart said.
He then admitted with a chuckle: “I wouldn’t want to play Bobby Stoops and OU again.”
But if things keep going the way they’re headed for West Virginia, they’ll quickly be a fixture among the Oklahomas, Ohio States, Southern Californias and Floridas of the country. Jumping out all over Georgia and Oklahoma on the stages they did are the stepping stones.
But it won’t be easy. Those stones were traversed with Rodriguez at the helm, who was able to breathe a ton of life into the program. The torch is now in Stewart’s hands, and he understands the challenge. The team wrapped up its spring on Thursday with a team meeting and the coach had a simple message.
“I said, ‘Guys, there’s no more 35, 53, 10. No more Ryan Mundys. Who is going to step up and take the bat off their shoulder? Patrick can’t carry this team. You seniors have to be just that – team-leading seniors. You can’t stand in the background.”
He stressed the importance of leading by doing things the right way and not just vocally. The right way being finishing practices hard, working together, showing up for summer workouts and showing up ready to play in the fall.
“Thirty minutes into the meeting, 1600 hours, I said ‘You’re in the right place at the right time with the right people. I believe that with every fiber. We have a great bond and a great chemistry.’ ”
Stewart then told his team they’re the focal point of the second Golden Era of West Virginia athletics. The first was led by names such as Jerry West and Sam Huff, “The only football player I recall seeing on the cover of Time magazine.”
The coming season is crucial if Stewart and his staff want to keep that hope of a second Golden Era alive. Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, Marc Magro, Darius Reynaud and Ryan Mundy are among a group of extremely talented players now moved on.
But with the spirit of the whole state at the forefront of the program, the future looks promising. Ask any West Virginia football fan.
“We’re going to keep the same kind of plan we had out in the desert. Keep our guys healthy … Good things will happen.”
Comments (1)
Adam, great work! Can't wait to read the second installment!
Everyone who meets coach 'Stew' and writes about him always has the same thing to say about him. That he's a true leader. A guy that guys will charge into battle behind.
I hope he's the kind that can rally a team in tough times too.
His background at military institutions will do him well.