You’re West Virginia Football (Bonus Coverage)

Like any good coaching search, new candidates emerge. I brought you a top five. And you brought me two more candidates to vette. Thus? I come back with Bonus considerations.

You readers said that Bud Foster would be a right ripping candidate for the West Virginia job. And somewhere along the way, John “Doc” Holiday became a favorite to get the job. (Despite the heavy lobbying efforts to have Terry Bowden sink the program. Bobby Bowden’s keeping the West Virginia Governor from actually governing, this is why he can’t control his team!)

In the interest of fairness, I will go deeper with these two candidates.

A) Bud Foster

 

Pros:

• A defensive genius. (A staple of the Top 5 in total defense.)
• He is the man who ran the special teams so affectionately called Beamer Ball.
• 15 straight bowl games as an assitant.

Cons:

• The only major problem I can see is that he has been defense only. He has no experience with the offensive side of the ball, and recruiting has never been his modus operandi. Can he hire a staff? Can he put together a good recruiting class? These need to be answered if you’re West Virginia.

Bottom Line: Bud Foster is an ulitmate boom or bust candidate. He has been an amazing assistant coach. Many have stepped up and become great head coaches. Others have been personifications of the peter principle. He deserves a look, but he would need an offensive genius, at least straight away.

B) John “Doc” Holiday

Pros:

• An experienced, but not well-traveled assistant.
• Tutored regarded college players such as James Jett, Shawn Foreman, Jerricho Cotchery, and Reggie Nelson
• A talented recruiter.
• Spent a decade preparing as an assistant head coach.
• WVU alum who’s found the spread option religion.

Cons:

• Way too easy to crack jokes about him calling his players Huckleberrys.
• The coach in question’s photo?
  
  I DON’T TAKE GOOD PICTURES!!!

Bottom Line: If Butch Jones is 1 and Mike Locksley is 1-A, then in my eyes? Holiday is a good solid 1-B. And rumor has it that if it wasn’t for some heavy lobbying by the corrupt incompetent that is Bobby Bowden on behalf of his ner do well son? He’d already be coach by now.

UPDATED TOP 5

1. Butch Jones
2. Mike Locksley
3. Doc Holliday (Huckleberry!)
4. Bud Foster
5. Jimbo Fisher

West Virginia’s Top 5
1. Doc Holliday
2. Terry Bowden
3. Butch Jones
4. Todd Graham
5. Jimbo Fisher

Odds on the hire? Holliday, unless the fix is in for Terry Bowden.