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The Daily OrangeFeeling the heat
West Virginia's 3-2 start has some doubting new coach Bill Stewart
By Kyle Austin
Posted: 10/8/08, 12:22 AM EST Section: Sports
Where Stewart does have support, though, is in the people closest to him. In the days leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, Stewart refused to publicly campaign for the full-time job, hoping to avoid distractions. After the upset, the players took it upon themselves to politic for Stewart to be named head coach, voicing their support through the media after the game, led by quarterback Pat White.
It was an undeniable display of Stewart's popularity among his players, which has endured throughout the rocky start this year. Stewart, affectionately known as "Coach Stew," has encouraged both of his quarterbacks to pursue their interests in other sports - Brown in basketball, White in baseball - ignoring the possibilities for injury that worry most head coaches.
His past co-workers have offered similar sentiments. Coaches who have worked with Stewart, from Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, lined up to offer their praise of the choice of the West Virginia native.
Herb Hand, who spent six years as an assistant at WVU with Stewart before leaving for a co-offensive coordinator job at Tulsa in 2006, said admiration for Stewart is due to his honest, straight-talking style.
"You always felt like you could talk to the guy, and that's something that you don't find on every staff, either," Hand said. "If there is an issue, sometimes you've got to close the doors and sort it out … he's a man's man, in that regard."
But all the regard in the world doesn't mean much if you're at the helm of a losing West Virginia season. Alvarez said a win over in-state rival Marshall in the team's fourth game has quieted some of the Stewart's doubters. But after the success Mountaineer fans enjoyed under Rodriguez, the bar is high.
"West Virginia's at a point in their program where if you don't have an 11-win season, 12-win season, double-digit wins, it's not acceptable for the fan base," Hand said. "And obviously for the coaching staff and the players even more so."
That places the spotlight firmly on Bill Stewart, as he tries to tries to satisfy lofty expectations under intense scrutiny. It won't be easy, but he knows that.
"I fall short every day, believe me," Stewart said. "I try to be a good role model for these young men. I try to be a good role model for this university and for the state of West Virginia. That's all I try to do. But there are trying times."
kbaustin@syr.edu
It was an undeniable display of Stewart's popularity among his players, which has endured throughout the rocky start this year. Stewart, affectionately known as "Coach Stew," has encouraged both of his quarterbacks to pursue their interests in other sports - Brown in basketball, White in baseball - ignoring the possibilities for injury that worry most head coaches.
His past co-workers have offered similar sentiments. Coaches who have worked with Stewart, from Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, lined up to offer their praise of the choice of the West Virginia native.
Herb Hand, who spent six years as an assistant at WVU with Stewart before leaving for a co-offensive coordinator job at Tulsa in 2006, said admiration for Stewart is due to his honest, straight-talking style.
"You always felt like you could talk to the guy, and that's something that you don't find on every staff, either," Hand said. "If there is an issue, sometimes you've got to close the doors and sort it out … he's a man's man, in that regard."
But all the regard in the world doesn't mean much if you're at the helm of a losing West Virginia season. Alvarez said a win over in-state rival Marshall in the team's fourth game has quieted some of the Stewart's doubters. But after the success Mountaineer fans enjoyed under Rodriguez, the bar is high.
"West Virginia's at a point in their program where if you don't have an 11-win season, 12-win season, double-digit wins, it's not acceptable for the fan base," Hand said. "And obviously for the coaching staff and the players even more so."
That places the spotlight firmly on Bill Stewart, as he tries to tries to satisfy lofty expectations under intense scrutiny. It won't be easy, but he knows that.
"I fall short every day, believe me," Stewart said. "I try to be a good role model for these young men. I try to be a good role model for this university and for the state of West Virginia. That's all I try to do. But there are trying times."
kbaustin@syr.edu
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