West Virginia football has a large hype machine rolling into the 2018 football season. Can Dana Holgorsen find high major success with the Mountaineers?
The West Virginia football program has undergone changes since legendary coach Bobby Bowden arrived in Morgantown, WV in 1970. West Virginia was an independent in those days, and what Bowden used as his stepping stone to the Florida State job after a Peach Bowl victory in 1975. Frank Cignetti took over for Bowden and a downturn followed.
In 1980 the country roads aligned as Don Nehlen, a former Bowling Green quarterback, took over the job at West Virginia. Under Coach Nehlen the Mountaineers played in thirteen bowl games and won a total of 149 ball games. The Nehlen era ushered in a move into the Big East conference, a national presence with Heisman Trophy candidate Major Harris, and two 11-1 seasons (1988, 1993).
After Coach Nehlen retired Rich Rodriguez was tabbed with the head coaching job. Rodriguez was a former Mountaineers defensive back and had coached in Morgantown in 1985 and 1989. Before taking the head football position at his alma mater, Rodriguez was the offensive coordinator at Clemson. Once running things, Rodriguez replaced Nehlen’s option offense with the famous spread attack that fans remember with quarterbacks like Pat White running a shotgun triple option and run-pass option scheme.
Rodriguez’s tenure saw a top-five finish and an 11-1 season as Coach Rod won 60 ballgames from 2001-2007. Once Rodriguez left for Michigan, longtime Mountaineer Bill Stewart was tabbed head coach and finished 9-4 three consecutive years before being replaced by current head coach Dana Holgorsen.
Coach Holgorsen has posted a 55-37 record at West Virginia. However, a 2-4 bowl record and stymied success with the move to the Big 12 have put him on the hot seat heading into a hyped up 2018 campaign. The Mountaineers finished 2017 with a 7-6 record and as the 63rd ranked team per the S&P+.
Can the Mountaineers answer the hype this season?