A couple years ago WVU basketball and football were on a downward slope . Lots of excuses floated around about how West Virginia is a small state and can’t really compete with the larger schools.
The real problem with those excuses is frankly they weren’t true. Sure, we don’t get the top atheletes but who needs them when the kids we have play better team football and team basketball than 98% of the sports world? What changed? The leadership of the teams changed, new coaches came in with a winners mentality and changed the game, especially in basketball.
Coach Beilein will get WVU its first National Championship in basketball. That was my prediction shortly after his hiring and listening to him give a speech over the Internet and I stand by that prediction. He knows how to coach college kids, loves basketball and is a student of the game. As for Rich, well, I have to concede the guy is pretty good and a Sugar Bowl win is hard to argue with but it’s taken me some time.
Talent on a team is fantastic, but without a leader off the court (coach) and on the court (various players) a group will never reach their target. One of the great parts of being at a top business school is being able to work with such a talented team. As chair of the Winter Event (project Winter Magic) and the Summer Ball (project Summer Magic) it’s taken me a lot of time to figure out how to coach such a talented group.
This much talent, brains and analytical thinking makes it tough but I’m trying and learning a lot. WVU beat Cincinnati earlier today – Go ‘Eers! My committee’s within 14 days of our own game day – hope we can chalk up a Win at the end of it too.
