http://wvmetronews.com/2019/12/05/n...ng-it-more-obvious-wvu-lucked-out-with-brown/
Then time passed, as it always does. And it makes one realize Holgorsen should actually be thanked.
As college football enters another coaching silly season, it is clear that the greatest gift Holgorsen provided the program, save for that blowout Orange Bowl win over Clemson, was the perfect timing of his departure.
If Holgorsen didn’t exercise his opportunity to leave early for Houston, West Virginia would have been stuck changing coaches this offseason. And in this job market, it seems unlikely Brown would have made his way to Morgantown.
Last year there were no head coaching vacancies in the SEC. This year, there are three — Arkansas, Ole Miss and Missouri.
And while West Virginia could have correctly marketed itself as a program in better overall health had it been forced to compete against those schools for Brown’s services, it does not have the bankroll that comes with playing in the SEC.
Arkansas pulled in $130 million in revenue last year. Ole Miss made nearly $111 million. West Virginia made $102.6 million — a figure good for fourth in the Big 12, but still not in position for a bidding war against anyone from the SEC West.
It’s also conceivable that those schools would not have been Brown’s most likely destination.
If Houston hadn’t been prompted to replace Major Applewhite after just two years thank to an embarrassing 70-14 bowl loss to Army, and if Brown had put together another nine- or 10-win season at Troy, there is a chance West Virginia would be opening the 2020 season against Neal Brown. It’s hard to think of a more ideal fit for Florida State in the current job market.
The vast majority of West Virginia fans are no doubt thankful history did not play out that way.
Then time passed, as it always does. And it makes one realize Holgorsen should actually be thanked.
As college football enters another coaching silly season, it is clear that the greatest gift Holgorsen provided the program, save for that blowout Orange Bowl win over Clemson, was the perfect timing of his departure.
If Holgorsen didn’t exercise his opportunity to leave early for Houston, West Virginia would have been stuck changing coaches this offseason. And in this job market, it seems unlikely Brown would have made his way to Morgantown.
Last year there were no head coaching vacancies in the SEC. This year, there are three — Arkansas, Ole Miss and Missouri.
And while West Virginia could have correctly marketed itself as a program in better overall health had it been forced to compete against those schools for Brown’s services, it does not have the bankroll that comes with playing in the SEC.
Arkansas pulled in $130 million in revenue last year. Ole Miss made nearly $111 million. West Virginia made $102.6 million — a figure good for fourth in the Big 12, but still not in position for a bidding war against anyone from the SEC West.
It’s also conceivable that those schools would not have been Brown’s most likely destination.
If Houston hadn’t been prompted to replace Major Applewhite after just two years thank to an embarrassing 70-14 bowl loss to Army, and if Brown had put together another nine- or 10-win season at Troy, there is a chance West Virginia would be opening the 2020 season against Neal Brown. It’s hard to think of a more ideal fit for Florida State in the current job market.
The vast majority of West Virginia fans are no doubt thankful history did not play out that way.
