There has been an overabundance of fine plums available for plucking from the coaching tree this offseason (stay with me here), and West Virginia AD Oliver Luck wanted one badly enough to completely torpedo the chemistry of his current coaching staff in the name of future success. You've heard by now of the bargain struck in the athletic department that will insert Oklahoma State OC Dana Holgorsen in at that position for the 2011 season, then put Bill Stewart out to pasture and hand Holgorsen the reins in 2012. That the Mountaineers needed a shakeup on the sidelines is not in dispute, but Stewart is said to be "uncomfortable" with the arrangement.
Oliver Luck, who was not in power when Rich Rodriguez made his acrimonious exit and who, one senses, would have gone in a different direction if he had been, sees your discomfort and raises you a public hamstringing that would make a marauding hyena proud. Luck's language from the university's official release:
West Virginia AD Not A Fan Of Bill Stewart, At All
“I think the transition year for coach Holgorsen will be very beneficial to the football program, and the opportunity to learn from coach Bill Stewart should not be underestimated,” Luck says.But let’s hope he doesn’t learn too much:
“I didn’t believe we had an opportunity to win a national championship with the direction of the program,” Luck said.
[...]
Luck said there were two options with Stewart, who is 28-11 and earned a Big East co-championship this year but no BCS bowl berth in his three seasons.
Luck said Stewart must resign after the current season, or he could stay on for one more year.
Rather than fire Stewart, Luck said he decided at the conclusion of the regular season to let Stewart keep his job next season after the Mountaineers finished with four straight wins.
The facts are these: Stewart was a sentimental hire from the start who did a respectable job with Rodriguez’s players, but this year’s outfit lost to -- wait, they only finished with three losses, albeit idiotic ones? Scratch where the previous sentence was headed: Oliver Luck is cold metal, y’all.
