By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN —
Coach Bill Stewart and his assistants already have a carefully laid out plan for West Virginia University’s football team two days into fall training camp.
“The first thing you have to do is formulate a plan, follow it, and have faith in it,” he explained. “It’s pretty good now.
“That’s what gets you through the good times and the tough times.”
Stewart, 19-8 for his first two years as head coach plus a Fiesta Bowl upset of No. 3-ranked Oklahoma, doesn’t think his players were outworked by any other teams during strenuous summer skirmishing among themselves.
He credits Mike Joseph, WVU’s strength and conditioning director, with getting them primed for preseason practice.
“He does a great job with our players,” Stewart said. “He’s one of the rising superstars in this business. He’s an absolute gem.
“The players respect Mike Joseph. They like him and the players work hard for him.
“He’s a solid player in this program. A solid, solid player.”
Joseph, a Marion Country native, has been here three years. He came to WVU from Notre Dame, where he served in similar capacities.
Stewart also is happy with the classroom work of the Mountaineers. Forty-one of 43 seniors graduated in the past two years and have their degrees.
There were 18 of 20 from the 2008 squad and all 23 from 2009.
“Our grade point average is tremendous,” he noted. “Seventy-five percent made the Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll.”
“They’ve bought into our football program academically. They’ve bought into it socially. And they always work hard.
“I run a tight ship. I’m very, very demanding. But I think I’m also fair and I don’t curse them.” Stewart said.
But he believes there’s a certain life a football player has to live to be a good student-athlete. And he is content that all of them are doing very, very well.
“That’s what makes me so happy,” the head man added. “And I am so pleased with the other things.
“We have a strong nucleus of players back, and I have a great staff. I am trying to do things the right way for this university and this great state. I really am.”
WVU has not won the Big East Championship since 2007. This year’s team tied with two-time defending champion Cincinnati for second place, behind Pitt, in the conference’s preseason poll.
The Mountaineers open their season against Costal Carolina on Saturday, September 4, at Mountaineer Field/Mylan Puskar Stadium.
