snuffy
01-03-2008, 07:28 AM
West Virginia hiring Stewart after big Fiesta win
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: January 3, 2008, 9:19 AM ET
West Virginia interim coach Bill Stewart will be named the school's full-time head coach Thursday morning.
The school will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. ET at its Scottsdale, Ariz., hotel to announce Stewart's hiring, just hours after he led the Mountaineers to a 48-28 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma.
That win followed weeks of tumult at West Virginia following the departure of coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan.
Stewart's deal is for five years and $800,000 per year. The contract is heavy on incentives, according to a source, who said if they're all met, Stewart "could almost make Rod money," referring to the neartly $2 million a season Rodriguez was earning before he left Morgantown.
Stewart, 55, native of West Virginia, has been an assistant coach most of his career, at colleges and in the Canadian Football League. His lone head coaching job was at Virginia Military Institute, where he went 8-25 over three seasons.
Don Nehlen, the former Mountaineers coach who hired Stewart, said Thursday he was glad his former assistant had landed the job.
"He's just such a good person and the kids love him," Nehlen said. "It's such a good fit with the program."
Stewart's players openly campaigned for him to get the job on a full-time basis after the Mountaineers' win over Oklahoma.
"He deserves it," quarterback Pat White said. "A great man. A great coach. All the players respect him and all the players love him. You couldn't ask for a better man to lead us to victory today."
"He's the glue that kept us together," added senior fullback Owen Schmitt. "West Virginia would be stupid not to hire him as head coach."
Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
______________________________________
It was awful nice of Stoops to work so hard to help Stewart get a job.
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: January 3, 2008, 9:19 AM ET
West Virginia interim coach Bill Stewart will be named the school's full-time head coach Thursday morning.
The school will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. ET at its Scottsdale, Ariz., hotel to announce Stewart's hiring, just hours after he led the Mountaineers to a 48-28 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma.
That win followed weeks of tumult at West Virginia following the departure of coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan.
Stewart's deal is for five years and $800,000 per year. The contract is heavy on incentives, according to a source, who said if they're all met, Stewart "could almost make Rod money," referring to the neartly $2 million a season Rodriguez was earning before he left Morgantown.
Stewart, 55, native of West Virginia, has been an assistant coach most of his career, at colleges and in the Canadian Football League. His lone head coaching job was at Virginia Military Institute, where he went 8-25 over three seasons.
Don Nehlen, the former Mountaineers coach who hired Stewart, said Thursday he was glad his former assistant had landed the job.
"He's just such a good person and the kids love him," Nehlen said. "It's such a good fit with the program."
Stewart's players openly campaigned for him to get the job on a full-time basis after the Mountaineers' win over Oklahoma.
"He deserves it," quarterback Pat White said. "A great man. A great coach. All the players respect him and all the players love him. You couldn't ask for a better man to lead us to victory today."
"He's the glue that kept us together," added senior fullback Owen Schmitt. "West Virginia would be stupid not to hire him as head coach."
Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
______________________________________
It was awful nice of Stoops to work so hard to help Stewart get a job.