Published: May 20, 2008 10:50 pm            

Gold & Blue

Hundreds celebrate with WVU coaches

BLUEFIELD — Last year at this time, Bill Stewart never expected to be where he was Tuesday night.

Yet the West Virginia University head football coach sat at the head table, smiling like a pleased patriarch, as the focus of attention at the annual stop of the Mountaineer Athletic Club Coaches Caravan.

A banner reading “Coach Stew’s Coming Out Party — Fiesta Bowl Champions ’08” hung over that table at the Bluefield Elks Lodge, where nearly 400 guests gathered to celebrate the Old Gold and Blue.

“It’s just great,” said Princeton resident Danny Farley, wearing a gold and blue windbreaker. “This really gets the season started — ahead of time.

“Mountaineer fans are, I think, the best fans. They’re truly loyal,” he said.

Stewart returned the compliments of area fans prior to the start of Tuesday’s dinner. “We get great support from this area of West Virginia,” he said. As he entered the dining area, spontaneous applause broke out.

Stewart’s voice was featured on a university-produced video played after the meal. He was heard addressing his football team, “Leave no doubt tonight! They shouldn’t have played the Old Gold and Blue!”

The longtime Mountaineer assistant was given the head coaching reins in early January, hours after WVU upset the Oklahoma Sooners 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl.

In scattered conversations, some guests talked about former coach Rich Rodriguez and his continuing court battle with the university, but officially the focus was on the new man in charge, and the promise stemming from last season’s 11-2 performance.

The video displayed hard-hitting highlights from the 2007 football season, with graphics popping up such as “No. 4 nationally in rushing offense” and “Fourth in total defense.” The crowd’s roar after a jarring defensive hit brought a big grin to Stewart’s face.

Another video promoted the first year of Bob Huggins’ tenure as men’s basketball coach. That highlight reel began with the slogan “A new era” and ended with “It’s only the beginning.”

In between, a cheer went up when a replay of the radio play-by-play proclaimed, “The Mountaineers are going to the Sweet 16!” summing up the team’s NCAA playoff win against favored Duke.

Men’s basketball assistant Billy Hahn was on hand to talk about the team Huggins directed deep into the national playoffs.

He said, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’ve been in a lot of places in 30 years, a lot of very good schools, very good universities. West Virginia is, without a doubt, the most special place I’ve ever been in my entire life.

“The passion and the love for the state of West Virginia and West Virginia University, and the Mountaineers, is just amazing. I can’t get over it. My wife and I still talk about it every time we’re out and about. It’s a great feeling.”

Hahn said, “We’re looking forward to next year. We’ve got some really good players coming back, some very experienced players (who’ve) been through a lot of wars.

“We’ve got a nice young recruiting class coming in, but it’s all about the guys who’ve been through the wars before. ... Good things can happen for us, next year.”

The successful women’s soccer coach, Nikki Izzo-Brown, was signing autographs along with Hahn at the head table. She paused to talk about the growth of the “beautiful game” in the Mountain State.

She said, “I came to the state of West Virginia over 14 years ago, and what has developed in this state for soccer is just unbelievable. ...

“It’s a great soccer community down here,” she said. “I hope there are a lot of Mountaineers waiting to happen down here.”

Izzo-Brown’s team was 18-5-2 last fall. She said her team’s success is due to the fact that “on a daily basis, I work with great, enthusiastic, hard-working people. These ladies are just first-class role models.”

Frazier Miller, a stalwart West Virginia backer, continued his role as master of ceremonies. He said that head women’s basketball coach Mike Carey had been expected to attend, but was involved in a Big East Conference meeting in Florida.

Prior to the dinner, Ed Gilger of Princeton said that in addition to a B.S. degree from the university, he was an “EMBA,” defining the term as an “excited marching band alumnus.”

— Contact Tom Bone at

tbone@bdtonline.com

        

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