It’s unfair to thumbs up or thumbs down a coach after his first 2 seasons.
Art “Pappy” Lewis, who had SIX consecutive undefeated Southern Conference seasons, was 7-13 (3-6 in conference) his first 2 seasons. Tossing him out after the 7-13 start would have been a major mistake.
Gene Corum was 4-14-2 after his 1st 2 seasons before having 3 undefeated Southern Conference seasons. Same thing; stupid to can him early.
Jim Carlen was 8-9-3 after his 1st 2 seasons but 7-3 and 10-1 and Peach Bowl champ in his 3rd and 4th seasons. Again, patience paid off.
Bobby Bowden was a brilliant exception. He was 15-7 after 2 seasons and had ONE losing season in his 6 seasons at WVU.
Frank Cignetti never got untracked, and illness made his situation even worse later on, 10-12 in his 1st 2 seasons and 7-15 in his 3rd and 4th seasons. The exception that proves the rule.
Don Nehlen started strong, too, like Bowden, going 15-9 in his first 2 seasons and won 7 or more games in 13 of his 21 seasons including the great 1988 season of 11-1, losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title, and 11-1 again in 1993 but losing in the Sugar Bowl. Nehlen’s bowl record, after a 3-1 start, was followed by 8 straight bowl losses, and a 4-9 bowl record at WVU.
Rich was 12-12 after his 1st 2 seasons, .500 like Neal Brown, but won 8 to 11 games in his final 6 seasons at WVU. What a calamity it would have been to ditch Rich with a .500 WVU record after 2 seasons. Instead, in 7 years Rich has the 2nd best winning percentage of any coach who has been at WVU 4 or more seasons, behind only the legendary Clarence “Doc” Spears who had the ONLY unbeaten team in WVU history in 1922 for what would have been the national title with today’s media.
Bill Stewart was 9-4 all 3 seasons. Wasn’t around long enough to see what he would have done with only his recruits.
Dana Holgoren was 10-3 and 7-6 for a 17-9 2-season start and in only ONE season won fewer than 7 games. Yet some say he destroyed WVU’s reputation. That doesn’t compute.
So applying the same standard of dissing .500 for 1st 2 seasons that some apply to Neal Brown ignores that Pappy Lewis, Gene Corum, Jim Carlen and Rich Rodriguez didn’t do any better but turned out to be pretty damn good hires by WVU over the long haul.
Patience is a virtue with coaches. A revolving door usually doesn’t bode well for a program.
Art “Pappy” Lewis, who had SIX consecutive undefeated Southern Conference seasons, was 7-13 (3-6 in conference) his first 2 seasons. Tossing him out after the 7-13 start would have been a major mistake.
Gene Corum was 4-14-2 after his 1st 2 seasons before having 3 undefeated Southern Conference seasons. Same thing; stupid to can him early.
Jim Carlen was 8-9-3 after his 1st 2 seasons but 7-3 and 10-1 and Peach Bowl champ in his 3rd and 4th seasons. Again, patience paid off.
Bobby Bowden was a brilliant exception. He was 15-7 after 2 seasons and had ONE losing season in his 6 seasons at WVU.
Frank Cignetti never got untracked, and illness made his situation even worse later on, 10-12 in his 1st 2 seasons and 7-15 in his 3rd and 4th seasons. The exception that proves the rule.
Don Nehlen started strong, too, like Bowden, going 15-9 in his first 2 seasons and won 7 or more games in 13 of his 21 seasons including the great 1988 season of 11-1, losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title, and 11-1 again in 1993 but losing in the Sugar Bowl. Nehlen’s bowl record, after a 3-1 start, was followed by 8 straight bowl losses, and a 4-9 bowl record at WVU.
Rich was 12-12 after his 1st 2 seasons, .500 like Neal Brown, but won 8 to 11 games in his final 6 seasons at WVU. What a calamity it would have been to ditch Rich with a .500 WVU record after 2 seasons. Instead, in 7 years Rich has the 2nd best winning percentage of any coach who has been at WVU 4 or more seasons, behind only the legendary Clarence “Doc” Spears who had the ONLY unbeaten team in WVU history in 1922 for what would have been the national title with today’s media.
Bill Stewart was 9-4 all 3 seasons. Wasn’t around long enough to see what he would have done with only his recruits.
Dana Holgoren was 10-3 and 7-6 for a 17-9 2-season start and in only ONE season won fewer than 7 games. Yet some say he destroyed WVU’s reputation. That doesn’t compute.
So applying the same standard of dissing .500 for 1st 2 seasons that some apply to Neal Brown ignores that Pappy Lewis, Gene Corum, Jim Carlen and Rich Rodriguez didn’t do any better but turned out to be pretty damn good hires by WVU over the long haul.
Patience is a virtue with coaches. A revolving door usually doesn’t bode well for a program.
to you
