By Mickey Furfari
MORGANTOWN — Bill Stewart completed West Virginia University’s new football coaching staff on Tuesday with the appointment of Lonnie Galloway as coach of the wide receivers.
He comes here from Appalachian State, where he worked with the wide receivers the past three years in Boone, N.C.
In announcing his hiring, Stewart said, “I’m excited that Lonnie is joining the Mountaineer football family. He has an outstanding reputation as a wide receivers coach, having worked at East Carolina and then winning national championships the past three years at Appalachian State.
“Lonnie is not only a great person with tremendous character, but he also brings new and innovative ideas that will help bolster our passing attack in our offensive structure. I can’t wait for him to get started.”
Galloway is the seventh new appointee, joining holdovers from the previous staff defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich.
Mike Joseph reportedly will be the new strength and conditioning director, but his hiring has yet to be announced officially.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work at an outstanding institution ... and for a great coach, Bill Stewart,” Galloway said. “Coach Moore, whom I consider one of the top coaches in the nation at Appalachian State and Coach Stewart are great friends. Coach Moore can’t say enough good things about him.
“So it is an honor that he asked me to be a member of his coaching staff. West Virginia has a great tradition, has been a consistent winner, and I look forward to making a contribution to keep the tradition going.”
During his three years at Appalachian State, he helped the Mountaineers to a 39-6 overall record, 18-3 in the Southern Conference, three league championships, and three national titles.
ASU also received a lot of national recognition for upsetting No. 5 Michigan, 34-32, at Ann Arbor, Mich., in the season’s opener.
This past season Galloway had 14 receivers finish with at least one pass reception and, collectively, the group wound up with more than 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns. Hans Batichon led the team with 58 receptions for 819 yards and seven score.
In 2006, William Mayfield led the receivers there with 64 catches for 1,129 yards and five TDs. The receiving corps finished with some 2,600 yards and 18 touchdowns that season.
In his first season at ASU, the senior-laden group gained 1,285 yards.
From 1996-2002 Galloway was the quarterback and wide receiver coach at Elon University. He helped the Phoenix to 7-4 and 9-2 records.
A native of Eden, N.C., he was a four-year letterman at Western Carolina from 1990-93. He passed for 5,545 yards and still holds the school record for total offense in a career.
Galloway and his wife, Winslow, have two children, Anna and Hayes.
