Morgantown, West Virginia – Recently, former West Virginia star forward Kevin Pittsnogle sat courtside at the West Virginia Mountaineers home game inside the WVU Coliseum against Radford. Pittsnogle, who is adored and admired in Morgantown, West Virginia, tried his very best to fit in with the crowd.
West Virginia Mountaineer legend Kevin Pittsnogle is in the house! pic.twitter.com/69IksksLrX
— Voice of Morgantown Podcast (@wvusportspod) December 4, 2021
Kevin Pittsnogle never wanted the fame that came with his improbable runs in the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournament. He didn’t want the individual attention or the accolades then and he certainly doesn’t want them now. This article will make him squirm. His induction into the WVU Hall of Fame was not wanted or needed by him.
As a young journalist trying to make a name for myself years ago, I came as close to stalking him as legally allowed. I went to extraordinary measures to locate his cell phone number. I texted him several times asking for an interview and he politely declined each time. I explained that his run in the 2005 NCAA tournament was one of the best moments of my life, that he meant more to me personally than any other athlete ever. I tried countless times to tell him that Mountaineer fans would love to hear from him, that he’s one of the greatest athletes in the history of West Virginia and that his fans throughout the state miss him. Nothing worked. He wants to remain private and he doesn’t want to live in the past.
The One That Got Away
I expressed my appreciation for what he did at WVU and informed him that he was my dream interview (I have interviewed some of West Virginia’s greatest athletes and coaches: Jevon Carter, Pat White, Rich Rodriguez…the list goes on and on, but Kevin Pittsnogle is the elusive interview that I’ve always dreamed about) and that the door would always be open when he was ready. He humbly replied, “Certainly nothing to dream about but thank you.”
There’s so much more to Kevin Pittsnogle’s story. Following his career at West Virginia University, he was signed by the Boston Celtics but was waived shortly afterwards. He signed with the CBA’s Pittsburgh Xplosion where he averaged 23.5 points per game and made the CBA All Star game in 2006. He played with the Cleveland Cavaliers summer team in 2007, then played internationally in France. He bounced around in the NBA’s Developmental League from 2008-2009 before ultimately retiring in 2010.
After being a special education teacher for six years in Berkeley County and serving as a coach at Hedgesville High School for four seasons, Pittsnogle was hired as the assistant principal at Berkeley Springs High School this past year.
From all accounts, Pittsnogle is happy being a father and living in the present. His heroics at WVU might as well be a million years ago for him, but West Virginia fans will always be able to look back fondly and remember his contributions as a Mountaineer and all of the wonderful memories he gave us.
Kevin Pittsnogle in 2005 – You’ve Been Pittsnogled!
"It was Pittsnogle. That's all you've got to say, Pittsnogle."
Ian Eagle will never forget when @WVUHoops shocked Wake Forest in 2005. pic.twitter.com/8jZqovS6Si
— March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) March 22, 2017
