User Rating: / 7
PoorBest 

Tuesday, 03 August 2010 00:34

Written by Colin Dunlap

There isn't a whole lot more to add to this piece than the story itself.

Seems West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart -- perhaps one of the 10 nicest people on the planet -- just can't make everyone happy. Granted, his job isn't to be one of the nicest people on the planet; it is to win football games -- which he does at a fairly decent rate.

All that said, if you are to ask his players -- which I did -- the ultimate way to judge this man isn't by wins and losses, but the way he interacts with them.

A sample:

• "...you don't understand how this man has our back, how he wants the best for us, how he cares about us like sons."

And there is also this:

• "Coach Stew, he's a different kind of coach. He's the kind of coach there needs to be more of in college football, I'll just put it out there like that. It isn't just about me, the football player, with him. It is about me, the man with him."

Pretty strong stuff, coming from the guys who probably -- outside of his family -- know Stewart best. In saying that, that, though, even Stewart would most likely admit that he's got to do better than another nine-win season if he wants to be fully embraced, if he wants most Mountaineer fans to wholly accept him.

Take the time to read the story linked above, let it sink in for just a bit, then come back here and comment .... I am fascinated by what you have to say.  

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by KeyserCouchburner, August 04, 2010 - 11:53 PM

Lots of young fans think we (Colin hates when I use that word) should be knocking out 11 win seasons and BCS bowl wins with regularity after the White/Slaton run. I don't entirely agree, but I do feel like WVU may have missed a golden opportunity to really assume top dog status in the Big East when VT and Miami left and Pitt was down. This is a big year for Stew and the team. Another 9 win season will keep most fans pleased, but not satisfied. Ten or more wins would be good and seems quite attainable. Eight or less wins and I think Stewart deserves to be on the hot seat as a coach, although he is without question a wonderful man.

• 
• +0
• 
•