West Virginia coaches...

[kijanacat]

West Virginia has produced at least the following coaches who have won National Titles:

Fielding Yost (Michigan), John McKay (USC), Schwartswalder (Syracuse), Lou Holtz (Notre Dame),
Nick Saban (LSU and Crimson Turd), and Jimbo Fisher. All National Champion winners. There may be others.

 

[massimoManca II]

Good ta know**

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Bill Kirelawich was the HC at a tiny PA HS.. Left to go to WVU in the early 80's. Spent about 30 years there and went to Arizona with Rich Rod. He was a hard ass but was adored by his players. He never won a national championship but had a tremendous run as an assistant. I always have a rooting interest in WVU, however slight, because of him.

 

[sluggo72]

West Virginia has produced at least the following coaches who have won National Titles:

Fielding Yost (Michigan), John McKay (USC), Schwartswalder (Syracuse), Lou Holtz (Notre Dame),
Nick Saban (LSU and Crimson Turd), and Jimbo Fisher. All National Champion winners. There may be others.

Didn't win MNC but still....
DickRod
Jim Grobe
Bill Stewart
Bob Preutt
Doc Holiday
Plus pretty sure one of the Bowdens was born in WV I think Tommy
Joe Kirvak (so?)

 

[NatLion]

Add Bobby Bowden

 

[PS4814]

 

[PoquosonLion]

Add Bobby Bowden

I think OP’s title is misleading and meant to state WV born and raised. Yes, BB coached at WV, but was born and raised in ‘Bama. Lou Holts was born and raised in WV, but never coached there. Or maybe OP wanted to combine the two?

 

[AWS1022]

Didn't win MNC but still....
DickRod
Jim Grobe
Bill Stewart
Bob Preutt
Doc Holiday
Plus pretty sure one of the Bowdens was in WV I think Tommy
Joe Kirvak (so?)

Terry and Tommy Bowden are both West Virginia boys. Bobby only coached at WVU, not a WV native.

 

[Art]

Terry and Tommy Bowden are both West Virginia boys. Bobby only coached at WVU, not a WV native.

Terry and Tommy both went to WVU, but were born elsewhere. Only Jeff was born in WV.

 

[demlion]

Terry and Tommy both went to WVU, but were born elsewhere. Only Jeff was born in WV.

Terry, at least, went to HS in Morgantown as well. I know folks who graduated with them.

 

[demlion]

Not sure where all these guys are from, but Holtz was from Follansbee not far from Wheeling, while Fisher, Saban and Rich Rod were from Clarksburg/Fairmont area. Terry Bowden was coach at Salem College when Jimbo Fisher went there and played for him. RichRod played at WVU, then coached at Glenville.

Pretty amazing for such a small place.

 

[sluggo72]

Not sure where all these guys are from, but Holtz was from Follansbee not far from Wheeling, while Fisher, Saban and Rich Rod were from Clarksburg/Fairmont area. Terry Bowden was coach at Salem College when Jimbo Fisher went there and played for him. RichRod played at WVU, then coached at Glenville.

Pretty amazing for such a small place.

Grobe is from Huntington, Buck (Pruett) is from Beckley, Bill Stewart is from some place near Jimbo I believe, Joe Kirvak is from Weirton (pretty sure he played with Jim Brown at Syracuse, and was HC at MD).

 

[TheGLOV]

West Virginia has produced at least the following coaches who have won National Titles:

Fielding Yost (Michigan), John McKay (USC), Schwartswalder (Syracuse), Lou Holtz (Notre Dame),
Nick Saban (LSU and Crimson Turd), and Jimbo Fisher. All National Champion winners. There may be others.

So.................................................................Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[PoquosonLion]

One of the headlines, “Seven Shooting Events on Tap” would not be advisable today.

 

[AWS1022]

Terry and Tommy both went to WVU, but were born elsewhere. Only Jeff was born in WV.

You're right, but Terry and Tommy both grew up in WV....middle school thru high school.

 

[GregInPitt]

Yep, a number of people have found success when they have actually left WV.

Curt Warner (grew up in Pineville, WV) is included that group.....

 

[kijanacat]

So.................................................................Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Better than downers

 

[Woodpecker]

 

[TheGLOV]

Better than downers

Good point!

 

[demlion]

Yep, a number of people have found success when they have actually left WV.

Curt Warner (grew up in Pineville, WV) is included that group.....

Whereas the list of cfb coaches who stayed in Pgh, and won a title, or left Pgh to coach anywhere, and won a title, is small to the point of invisibility. Meanwhile, the population of Allegany County is 1.23 million, and the population of all of WV is about 1.8.

Any idea why the difference? Wait, don't tell me....Opera?

 

[royboy]

Whereas the list of cfb coaches who stayed in Pgh, and won a title, or left Pgh to coach anywhere, and won a title, is small to the point of invisibility. Meanwhile, the population of Allegany County is 1.23 million, and the population of all of WV is about 1.8.

Any idea why the difference? Wait, don't tell me....Opera?

good question, though the area has produced some good college basketball coaches -- John Calipari, Archie Miller, Sean Miller come to mind

 

[demlion]

good question, though the area has produced some good college basketball coaches -- John Calipari, Archie Miller, Sean Miller come to mind

Oh there's no question that leaving Pgh can make you successful.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Not sure where all these guys are from, but Holtz was from Follansbee not far from Wheeling, while Fisher, Saban and Rich Rod were from Clarksburg/Fairmont area. Terry Bowden was coach at Salem College when Jimbo Fisher went there and played for him. RichRod played at WVU, then coached at Glenville.

Pretty amazing for such a small place.

Foge Fazio was from Clarksburg. I likewise always thought it was a strange coincidence that so many good-to-great coaches had a West Virginia connection.

Bill Stewart was from New Martinsville IIRC.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Bill Kirelawich was the HC at a tiny PA HS.. Left to go to WVU in the early 80's. Spent about 30 years there and went to Arizona with Rich Rod. He was a hard ass but was adored by his players. He never won a national championship but had a tremendous run as an assistant. I always have a rooting interest in WVU, however slight, because of him.

A couple years ago I was Downtown at a training class. The Penguins were in the playoffs and I decided to scalp a ticket and go to the game since I was already there and my truck was parked.

93.7 was doing a live broadcast from the hotel across the street and former Steeler/Mountaineer Mike Logan was one of the hosts. During a break I asked Logan if he remembered Kirlav. His face lit up like a light bulb. He said Bill K was not his position coach but he talked to him all the time as did all the players. He was a demanding madman on the field and big screamer and yeller. But before and after practice, in the locker room, he was constantly encouraging players, building them up, joking around. Constantly keeping on guys to make sure they are getting to class, studying, staying on track.

When Rich Rod left, Kirlav stayed at WVU with Bill Stewart and he retired for a year or two after Stewart was pushed out (and later passed away) but when Rod took the Arizona job, Kirlav went west to work for RR. AFAIK he's still there. Dude is pushing 70 now I would think.

 

[sluggo72]

A couple years ago I was Downtown at a training class. The Penguins were in the playoffs and I decided to scalp a ticket and go to the game since I was already there and my truck was parked.

93.7 was doing a live broadcast from the hotel across the street and former Steeler/Mountaineer Mike Logan was one of the hosts. During a break I asked Logan if he remembered Kirlav. His face lit up like a light bulb. He said Bill K was not his position coach but he talked to him all the time as did all the players. He was a demanding madman on the field and big screamer and yeller. But before and after practice, in the locker room, he was constantly encouraging players, building them up, joking around. Constantly keeping on guys to make sure they are getting to class, studying, staying on track.

When Rich Rod left, Kirlav stayed at WVU with Bill Stewart and he retired for a year or two after Stewart was pushed out (and later passed away) but when Rod took the Arizona job, Kirlav went west to work for RR. AFAIK he's still there. Dude is pushing 70 now I would think.

Kirelawich isnt from WV , but he coached there a long time. How did he get out of Schuylkill Co and get there? Rick Trickett hired him to come and work with him as his GA. As luck would have it, they fired the WVU coach, and hired Don Nehlen. Don fired Rick just because he coached with the old guy (Frank Ceganitti (sp?). Most coaches dont fire the GA. Don builds out a staff and goes recruiting. He still has an open position and Kirelawich is still the GA. Nehlen after a few hits and missed finally hires Kirelawich as his full time DL coach. Trickett laughed, that he, Rick hired his own replacement!

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Kirelawich isnt from WV , but he coached there a long time. How did he get out of Schuylkill Co and get there? Rick Trickett hired him to come and work with him as his GA. As luck would have it, they fired the WVU coach, and hired Don Nehlen. Don fired Rick just because he coached with the old guy (Frank Ceganitti (sp?). Most coaches dont fire the GA. Don builds out a staff and goes recruiting. He still has an open position and Kirelawich is still the GA. Nehlen after a few hits and missed finally hires Kirelawich as his full time DL coach. Trickett laughed, that he, Rick hired his own replacement!

You went up against Kierlawich's Savages back in the day. Bill is originally from Frackville. He went to school and played at Salem College in WV.

We had a guy from Shenandoah, a year older than me, who got a scholarship from Coach Nehlen. I guess during the recruiting process Bill and the WVU coaches hit it off and he heard of a vacancy and got the job.

When Bobby Bowden left WVU his replacement was Frank Cignetti. Unfortunately Frank contracted cancer and had to step aside which opened the door for Don Nehlen to come down from Michigan where he was working for Bo. Frank recovered and resurfaced later at Indiana Univ of Penna. where he had tremendous success for a long time.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

AFAIK he's still there.

He's done, either retired or wasn't extended.