Bill Stewart Resigns Under Fire At West Virginia, According To Report

Nobody is quite sure what to call the reported Bill Stewart dismissal/resignation on Friday, but it’s clear he left under fire after a hectic week in Morgantown. The week began with word that Stewart was allegedly behind the leaked Dana Holgorsen and ended with word Stewart had stepped down. Holgorsen, already the coach-in-waiting, will reportedly be named the head coach and receive a sizable pay raise.

Shortly after reports began to trickle out indicating Stewart had resigned, Sporting News’ Matt Hayes tweeted the West Virginia coach had been “fired for conduct detrimental to the team.” Smoking Musket, our West Virginia blog, took notice, and though the school will let Stewart exit with grace, it’s clear the earlier reports of his attempt to undermine Dana Holgorsen weighed heavily on Friday’s decision.

This type of language may never be used in an official annoucement, but it’s clear sign that Stewart’s behavior was egregious. Wherever you stand on Stewart as a coach, the time had long come for this coaching saga to end. The allegations of underhandedness of Stewart made it impossible for him to continue roaming the WVU sideline.

It’s a sad end for Stewart as West Virginia learned the perils of naming a coach-in-waiting. Stewart never wanted to leave, and the Mountaineers plan for a smooth transition backfired in the worst way, leading up to the turmoil of the week and Friday’s news. Whether he was quietly fired or actually resigned doesn’t matter; this whole saga was anything but conventional and the way it ended was far from dignified.

For the latest on the West Virginia soap opera, stay with this StoryStream. For more on the Mountaineers, head over to SB Nation’s SSmoking Musket.