Football

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, in a press release from West Virginia University, defensive coordinator Vic Koenning and the university have "mutually agreed to part ways." Koenning had been on leave since June 23, when Mountaineers safety Kerry Martin, Jr., accused him of mistreatment. Koenning had $1.074 million and two years remaining on his contract; WVU will pay him $591,451 over the next 19 months. “I remain apologetic to anyone who perceived something I said or did as hurtful. That was never my intent,” Koenning said. I wish to thank all the current and former players, coaches and colleagues – of all different ethnicities and backgrounds – whose support and encouragement have been invaluable to me and my family. I am relieved the process is over but will be forever changed by the experience. Personally, I’d love to get back to coaching our guys, but I know that doing so would create additional scrutiny and lingering distractions for our program. Taking all this into consideration, we have come to this mutual decision to separate. I will always be grateful for the relationships formed with so many players, coaches and WVU supporters. I am not done coaching. I remain passionate about leading young men and look forward to the next coaching chapter in my life. I wish nothing but the best for all Mountaineers.” “As I’ve stated previously, I care deeply about Vic and every player, coach, staff member, and administrator who touches our program,” said WVU AD Shane Lyons. “This decision was not made lightly and both parties agree that it places us in the best position to positively move forward. Vic has meant a lot to this program over the past 18 months and to me, personally, for our time together both here and at Troy University. I know that Vic will find continued success as a coach. However, Vic and I both reached the conclusion that the current circumstances make continuing in his role as Defensive Coordinator challenging. At the end of the day, we all – Vic included – want what is best for our program.” https://twitter.com/FootballScoop/status/1285927140073058304?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Former NC State defensive end Joseph Boletepeli, who committed to transferring to West Virginia University last month, has changed his mind and decided to transfer to Maryland. https://twitter.com/AGhafirSI/status/1285770231915388929?s=20 Although Boletepeli didn't make the announcement public, his Twitter bio shows him as playing for Maryland and he shows up on Maryland's roster online.  Boletepeli played sparingly for NC State last season, totaling 13 total tackles in two seasons with the Wolfpack.

Morgantown, West Virginia - In two days, it will be exactly 30 days since Kerry Martin, Jr. publicly accused Vic Koenning of mistreatment on social media. Martin was clear about his feelings, saying "we need change in our program." https://twitter.com/KMartinJr11/status/1275468364488617991?s=20 Thirty days is more than enough time to do a thorough and complete investigation into these accusations.  Martin's words sent shockwaves through Mountaineer Nation, but there has been complete silence on the matter since then. Immediately following the accusations, Neal Brown made a brief statement, Vic Koenning released an apology and Shane Lyons said that there would be an immediate investigation, but the silence since then is telling. Vic Koenning hasn't been seen or heard from in the past month.  It's very difficult to imagine a scenario in which Koenning returns at this point. In fact, it appears that West Virginia could already be moving forward. The hiring of former West Virginia safety Jarrod Harper as a graduate assistant/defensive backs coach comes at a very unusual time.  Could this signal current defensive secondary assistant coach Jahmile Addae being promoted to the defensive coordinator position while Harper fills his current role?  Perhaps. In addition, Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley went through a similar situation when he was suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of an investigation into past text messages containing racist language.  Scalley's suspension lasted exactly 30 days before Utah decided to retain him with a significant pay cut. This uncertainty has to come to an end this week.  Waiting any longer will damage recruiting.  Players should feel comfortable speaking out against what they deem to be mistreatment without worrying about the fan base attacking them on social media.  Although many fans don't like the inevitable outcome, West Virginia University has to do what's best for the football program, and right now that's moving on from Vic Koenning.

Morgantown, West Virginia - It is a very weird time in history right now.  The pandemic, social/racial inequality, a lack of sports, and changes are going to be forced to be made.  West Virginia University, often a follower rather than a leader in progressive steps, should take actions to show that it is the most inclusive, forward-thinking university in the country.  Here's how: Fire Vic Koenning already: It's perfectly reasonable for West Virginia University to do a thorough, lengthy investigation into sophomore defensive back Kerry Martin's accusations against defensive coordinator Vic Koenning. He should be given a fair chance and the investigation should certainly be conducted, but it's been nearly a month since Martin spoke out against the coach and it's been radio silence from the university for almost 30 days now. What message is this sending to the players?  How is this affecting recruiting and potential players who may want to join the Mountaineers?  It's hard to imagine a scenario in which Koenning returns and everything goes back to normal.  A swift, clean removal of Koenning would have sent a message: "West Virginia University doesn't play when it comes to racial equality." Announce Black Lives Matter Decals for Helmets: Unfortunately, the University of Memphis has already adopted this idea for the upcoming football season and so West Virginia University wouldn't be the first but rather among the first to take this unprecedented measure. The Memphis Tigers will wear special “Black Lives Matter” decals on their helmets. The sticker will feature “BLM” in blue letters with the Tigers’ logo incorporated.  "The use of the BLM logo on a helmet decal was an idea from our student-athletes," Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. "It doesn't mean we support any anti-American, violent organization or hate group or any specific political party. In fact, I love this country and I love our players. Rather the decal is a show of support to our team.” Name the football stadium after a prominent black leader from the state: The West Virginia University football and basketball programs do not have any black players or coaches who have been honored with retired numbers or statutes.  West Virginia football has retired Ira Errett Rodgers' #21 and Sam Huff's #75, while the basketball program has retired the #44 jersey of both Jerry West and Rod Thorn, as well as the #33 jersey of Rod Thorn. Although there have been many black athletes in basketball and football that have made huge contributions to the university, none have been honored in a significant way. One of the issues is West Virginia's ridiculous policy to have a number retired: "To have a player's number retired, a player would have to graduate from West Virginia, play the maximum number of years eligible by the NCAA, be selected as a consensus all-American or two-time First Team All-American or MVP of a national championship team and be a respected individual on campus and in the community." This isn't the NCAA's rules, this is unique to West Virginia University.  These arbitrary rules need to be immediately wiped away and at the very least Major Harris should have his #9 retired and Pat White should have #5 retired. I'll take it a step further, though.  Get rid of the "Milan Puskar Stadium" name and name it after an important black individual from the state. Why name the stadium after some rich guy who peddled drugs when you could honor black history in the state?  How about Mountaineer Field at Booker T. Washington Stadium? Ultimately, this is about making all individuals of all races and backgrounds feel welcome at West Virginia University, and these simple, superficial measures would immediately do that.  West Virginia, change is coming, and it's time to not only embrace it but be the leader.  

Morgantown, West Virginia - Make no mistake about it, Rich Rodriguez had incredible success as the Head Coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers.  During his time in Morgantown from 2001-2007, Rodriguez went 60-26 overall and 32-5 in his final three seasons with the Mountaineers.  In addition, Rodriguez won 4 Big East Championships and was named the conference coach of the year twice (2003 and 2005). Since then, it has been disastrous for Rodriguez.  After leading the Mountaineers to a near national championship berth in 2007 before losing to Pitt in the final game of the season, Rodriguez bolted to Ann Arbor to coach the Michigan Wolverines.  Michigan fans had huge expectations for Rodriguez when he became coach and he failed to live up to their hopes. Instead, Rodriguez went 3-9 in his first season, 5-7 in his second and 7-6 in his final season before being fired.  In his three seasons at Michigan, he led the Wolverines to only one bowl appearance, losing in the Gator Bowl to Mississippi State 52-14.  This blowout loss was the final nail in the coffin for Rodriguez. Rodriguez was fired after three seasons, took one year off as a color commentator/studio analyst for CBS Sports Network, and then was hired to to coach the Arizona Wildcats in 2012.  While there, Rodriguez had minimal success, finishing 43-35 with 5 bowl appearances in his 6 seasons there. However, it was his time in Michigan that was truly a disaster.  In fact, Mike Farrell, the National Recruiting Director for Rivals.com, considers Rich Rodriguez one of the most disastrous coaching stints in recent college football history. Farrell ranked Rodriguez #2 in worst coaching performances in recent history behind only Willie Taggart's time at Florida State.  Charlie Strong of Texas was #3, Mike Riley of Nebraska #4, Will Mushamp from Florida #5, Butch Jones from Tennessee #6, Ty Willingham of Notre Dame #7, Al Golden of Miami #8, Brady Hoke from Michigan #9 and Mark Helfrich from Oregon #10. Conspicuous by his absence from this list?  Dana Holgorsen. https://twitter.com/rivalsmike/status/1284224744318029824?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Gus Duggerton, AKA Coach Duggs, the fictitious character created by Big Cat of Barstool Sports, is currently the Head Coach of the LSU Tigers in the video game NCAA 2014. Big Cat's "Coach Duggs" has been all the rage on Twitter during the quarantine while there is no actual sports taking place and tonight, Coach Duggs' LSU Tigers will play in the National Championship against none other that the West Virginia Mountaineers! https://twitter.com/PardonMyTake/status/1283938439256256513?s=20 The Orange Bowl will take place tonight at 9:07 and can be viewed live on Twitter or Twitch.  The #2 ranked 11-1 Mountaineers will play the #1 ranked LSU Tigers for the National Championship. This game will be the final game for Coach Duggs, so West Virginia not only has the opportunity to play in his last game, they could also win the final National Championship in the Coach Duggs' saga. https://twitter.com/BarstoolBigCat/status/1284872137203908608?s=20 West Virginia Head Coach Neal Brown has gotten in on the fun and recently messaged Barstool's Big Cat to say, "What do you think about a joint pregame press conference?" https://twitter.com/NealBrown_WVU/status/1283943801996947458?s=20   West Virginia fans, tune in tonight at 9:07 to cheer on the Mountaineers and watch this historic final game of Coach Duggs' impressive career.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, West Virginia University released a COVID-19 testing update on its official website at wvusports.com, and the numbers have increased quite a bit since the previous update. According to the update, "Since testing began in June, a total of 518 tests have been administered.  Positive test results since June total 41 with the breakdown per sport showing 28 in football, five in men's basketball, six in women's basketball, one in women's soccer and one staff member.  All individuals entered self-isolation for 14 days at the time of their positive result and contact tracing was initiated." 28 positive tests on a single football team is a large enough percentage to consider new measures to prevent the further spread.  We wish all of the affected players on the team a quick and safe recovery.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Neal Brown and staff have worked minor recruiting miracles since arriving in Morgantown.  In the case of landing Elliot Donald, a four star defensive end from Pittsburgh, PA, they are undoubtedly the underdogs again.  Donald grew up in Pittsburgh, his high school is on the campus of Pitt, and his uncle, NFL superstar Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, played for the Pitt Panthers during his time in college. Make no mistake about it, Pitt is the heavy favorite to secure a commitment from Donald.  However, you just can't count out Neal Brown when it comes to convincing recruits to come play football at West Virginia University. Last summer, the 6'3 250 pound Donald released his top eight teams: Texas A&M, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU and, not surprisingly, Pittsburgh. According to Adam Friedman, a recruiting analyst for Rivals, West Virginia is right near the top of the list of teams that could land Donald.  Friedman listed Pitt as the favorites, with Penn State and West Virginia has very real possibilities.  According to Friedman, "West Virginia has entered the picture in a much bigger way in the past few months.  Neal Brown and his coaching staff are doing a really good job building relationship in the Pittsburgh area and Donald has taken notice.  Donald would have a great opportunity to play early at West Virginia and the coaches know that is something that intrigues him." National recruiting analyst Brian Dohn believes Donald has a very bright future: "Frame and length ideal for edge rusher. Must add 20 to 30 pounds. Fast twitched and explosive. Athletic with body control and ability to change re-direct. Quick hands to disengage. Relentless and physical. Has speed and can bend and dip shoulder to get around edge. Has impressive swim move. Understands how to roll shoulders to squeeze through gaps. Must get stronger. Needs consistency staying low at snap. Developing technique and adding combination move sets needed. High level player for a top-20 program. Third day NFL draft pick." Elliot Donald could follow in the footsteps of his legendary uncle and play for the Pitt Panthers, or he could carve out his own legacy and play for the West Virginia Mountaineers.  Next Friday, Donald will make the tough decision.  Stay tuned! https://twitter.com/ElliotDonald3/status/1283980837810249729?s=20

Another year, another preseason poll that shows the Mountaineers major disrespect. Moments ago, the West Virginia Mountaineers were picked to finish 8th out of ten teams, finishing ahead of only Texas Tech and Kansas.  Zither Oklahoma Sooners were once again predicted to win the conference. Check out the poll below: https://twitter.com/big12conference/status/1284201213525929995?s=21

It was announced yesterday that Isaiah Green, Marshall's starting quarterback for the past two seasons, was transferring from the program.  Following the announcement, several Marshall players denied the rumors, saying that it was "false news."  Moments ago, Isaiah Green himself made it official: "To Herd Nation, I would like to start off by saying I would've loved nothing more than to stay here and ball out with my brothers and continue trying to bring a championship back to Huntington and I know my brothers would've loved the same thing.  Football has molded me but I will not let it take away from my character.  I will rise about the minor conflicts to see the bigger picture, and above all else God will remain in control. As my time comes to an end here at Marshall University, I would like to thank my fans for being so supportive, and showing an abundance of love and acceptance.  Through all the dark valleys this has been a nice shed of light, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me. To my teammates - this seems surreal.  I know it all happened so fast but I love you like brothers, and am so proud of the work you put in every day.  I won't forget the conversations, and many hours of work we put in together.  I look forward to the success that you will have as individuals, don't lose yourself in this program.  Always remember there are people who will do right by you, respect you as men, and care about what you go through outside of football.  Find your passions, and give it your all.  I ask for prayers, love, and privacy at this time.  To all of you that have shown me love, it will never be forgotten.  Thank you for the imprint you have left in my heart.  May God bless you all.  All my love, Isaiah Green." There is lots to digest here, but a few things really stand out.  First of all, he didn't thank the coaches or Marshall.  He thanked his teammates and the fans, and that is all.  Secondly, he seemed to hint at issues within the program.  The phrase "don't lose yourself in the program" really stood out.  In addition, it appears that he didn't feel respected off the field or as a man, and that is ultimately what led to his departure. https://twitter.com/isaiah_green17/status/1283857286218358784?s=20

Yesterday, it was announced and confirmed by the Marshall Athletic Department that two-year starting quarterback Isaiah Green entered the transfer portal and would be leaving the team. Green started 22 of 23 games that he played and started all 13 games in 2019.  During his time at quarterback for the Thundering Herd, he passed for 4,897 yards, 30 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and also rushed for 416 yards and 6 touchdowns. Following the announcement, several teammates of Green at Marshall spoke out and claimed that the reports of him leaving were inaccurate. Broc Thompson, a sophomore wide receiver on the team, was one of the most vocal players, saying, "My QB is not transferring.  FALSE NEWS." https://twitter.com/CantGuardBroc/status/1283436550517329925?s=20 Talik Keaton, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver for the Thundering Herd, echoed Thompson's sentiments: "He's not going anywhere.  False News!" https://twitter.com/talikk72/status/1283438341996912643?s=20 Although his teammates said that news of him transferring were untrue, Green himself did not deny it.  Instead, he fired back on rumors that he left due to not wanting to compete for the starting position by saying, "Now they trying to spin it like I'm scared of competition.  They'll say anything to make their story look good!" https://twitter.com/talikk72/status/1283459961444597760?s=20 Despite the uncertainty on social media, he has been removed from the team roster and the Athletic Department has confirmed it.  To clear up any confusion created by social media, Isaiah Green is no longer a part of the Marshall Thundering Herd Football team.

Moments ago, Isaiah Green, a two-year starting quarterback for the Marshall Thundering Herd, announced that he has decided to enter the transfer portal. The Marshall Athletic Department released a brief statement that said, “Marshall confirmed today that quarterback Isaiah Green has entered the transfer portal.  The department will have no further comment.” Green, originally from Fairburn, Georgia, is a junior and started the last two seasons at quarterback.  He threw for 2,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a sophomore last season. This, of course, is a huge, shocking loss for Marshall.  Green was expected to lead the Thundering Herd for the next two seasons.   Stay tuned to the Voice of Motown for more information on his reasons for transferring as they become available. https://twitter.com/KeithMorehouse/status/1283431017840283648?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, Kerry "KJ" Martin, Jr., the outstanding sophomore defensive back from Charleston, West Virginia, posted a cryptic message on social media that could lend some clarity to the situation involving his defensive coordinator, Vic Koenning. Last month, Martin accused Koenning of "mistreatment" and making him feel uncomfortable during conversations that he had with him.  Koenning was placed on administrative leave while West Virginia University has an independent investigation conducted. This evening, Martin posted the following message on social media: "Conversation was needed..."  Obviously, Martin could have been referring to anything going on in his life, but he also could have been talking about a much-needed conversation with the coaching staff and Vic Koenning in particular. https://twitter.com/KMartinJr11/status/1283185702566531075?s=20 Hopefully, Martin and Koenning were able to finally come together to discuss the situation like men and come to some sort of resolution.  It is far more likely that recruiting and the culture within the program could be affected the longer that there is uncertainty with the Koenning situation. Perhaps this was the first step in resolving this black cloud that has been hanging over the West Virginia football program for the last month.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Dave Weekley, host of Hotline on the MetroNews network in West Virginia, recently brought up a very reasonable, possible scenario surrounding the investigation into Vic Koenning by West Virginia University.  The investigation, which presumably started last month, is of course in regards to sophomore cornerback Kerry Martin's accusations about the defensive coordinator. On his nightly show, Weekley stated that perhaps the reason the investigation is taking so long is that Koenning is negotiating a buyout with the university. Weekley was clear to say that this was "only a guess on his part", but it's really the only logical reason that this "investigation" is taking as long as it is. The fact is that the damage is already done.  Koenning returning to coach player(s) that have accused him of mistreatment is simply not realistic.  West Virginia University would be wise to move forward quickly and get this situation behind them as swiftly as possible.  The indecision and doubt is not good for anyone...not recruiting, not the football program, not the university. With this said, a buyout appears to be the most fair, reasonable way to end this fiasco. If in fact the university is in negotiations to end his time as the defensive coordinator, Koenning should not accept anything less than the full amount he's owed on his current contract. Koenning currently makes $675,000 a year and is signed to a three year contract. On March 1, 2021, he is scheduled to receive a pay raise of $25,000, which would push his salary to $700,000.  In total, the university owes Koenning $1,375,000. If the investigation reveals that Koenning's offenses were not extreme, he should be paid in full.  From the accusations revealed on social media by Kerry Martin, Jr., Koenning's actions don't necessarily warrant him to be fired, but him remaining employed will only hurt the football program moving forward.  With this known, Koenning should absolutely demand to not take a penny less than the $1,375,000 that he's owed on his contract. West Virginia University, pay Vic Koenning what he's owed, move on and let's put this disastrous situation behind us.

Moments ago, Nijel "CrimeDogg" Mcgriff, a 6'3 280 pound defensive end from Northwest Mississippi Community College, made his commitment to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Mcgriff, a three star originally from Jacksonville, Florida, chose the Mountaineers over offers from Florida State and Ole Miss.  Welcome Home! https://twitter.com/McgriffNijel/status/1282859631195365382?s=20