MORGANTOWN —
Dana Holgorsen has fired defensive assistant coach Steve Dunlap from his West Virginia University football coaching staff.
While it was not officially announced to the media, WVU director of football communications Mike Montoro confirmed Sunday morning that Dunlap was informed Saturday of his dismissal.
Montoro also added that Dunlap will be payed his salary of $250,000 through June 30th of 2013.
So Holgorsen, head coach the past two seasons, now has two vacancies to fill on his staff. Daron Roberts was fired last month.
As a native of Hurricane, Dunlap was the only true, full-fledged West Virginian among the assistant coaches. He also was the oldest and by far the most experienced member of the overall staff.
Dunlap has been coaching 36 years, all at the collegiate level. And he was in his 26th year at alma mater West Virginia.
He has filled a variety of positions during his coaching career. His responsibilities at WVU this year were special teams and outside linebackers.
Defensive and offensive coordinator, as well as assistant head coach, have been among the roles Dunlap has filled over the years since graduating from WVU in 1975.
A three-year starter as a linebacker, he set school records for total tackles in a season (190) and in a game (28).
He still ranks No. 10 on the career tackle list with 359.
Dunlap coached in 19 bowl games and tutored 11 professional players and 30 all-conference players at West Virginia in two separate stints.
He also coached at Marshall, North Carolina State and Syracuse.
Dunlap, who could not be contacted for comment Sunday, probably would say 1996 was his most enjoyable year of his coaching career.
That was when, as a defensive coordinator at WVU, his unit was No. 1 in total defense. It also was No. 2 nationally in rushing defense and in turnover margin, No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 5 in pass-efficiency defense.
As a result, Dunlap qualified for the Broyles Award finals. That is for the title of nation’s top assistant in college football.
Despite that high honor, and various others, he was not named defensive coordinator this year. Holgorsen saw fit to bring in Joe DeForest, who never had been a defensive coordinator.
While demoted during this past season, he’s still on the staff and reportedly receiving $500,000 annually.
West Virginia’s defense this year was widely known as ranking among the worst in the school’s history.
WVU Sports
Fired Dunlap was the only full-fledged West Virginian on staff
- WVU Sports
-
-
HERTZEL COLUMN- Bailey, Austin turning heads in St. Louis
This will not surprise you if you’ve been in this neck of the woods the past three years, but it sure got those good folks in St. Louis fired up.
-
FURFARI COLUMN- Are Clements and Luck fair to media and jobs?
This column is going to be strictly a “think piece” — mine! I feel it’s one none of the younger columnists could or would undertake.
-
Local lineman commits to WVU
Morgantown High offensive lineman Amanii Brown has committed to West Virginia’s 2014 recruiting class.
Brown grew up in Clarksburg before moving to Morgantown during his sophomore year of high school. -
HERTZEL COLUMN- Nehlen talks evolution of football
In many ways, Don Nehlen spent the last football season feeling like a child from the ’50s who had been dropped into our modern society.
-
FURFARI COLUMN- Huggins says transfers not isolated case
Coach Bob Huggins will tell you that losing four players to transfer mode from his West Virginia University men’s basketball squad was not an unusual or isolated case.
-
HERTZEL COLUMN: Independent study of WVU finances needed
It is time someone gets to the bottom of what is going on financially within West Virginia University and its athletic department.
-
HERTZEL COLUMN: The gamble of leaving college early
One of the first lessons they try to get across to a student-athlete when he comes to school is the evils of gambling.
In truth, college sports still echo with the basketball point-fixing scandal from 60 years ago and a few others that have surfaced over the years, both on a professional and collegiate level. -
FURFARI COLUMN: Compton fifth of WVU’s 11 consensus All-Americans
Mike Compton, who was the fifth in West Virginia University’s line of 11 consensus All-America football players, starred on the teams of 1989-90-91-92.
A 6-foot-7, 280-to-295-pound center, he not only excelled on the offensive line, but he was a team captain as a senior. -
HERTZEL COLUMN: WVU has its academic ship on course
In the real world the initials APR stand for annual percentage rate, a term with which everyone who has a car loan or home mortgage is quite familiar, but in the world of college athletics it is a term that has a somewhat a different meaning.
-
Kendrick donates to tornado relief in name of WVU baseball
Arizona Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick has made a donation of $200,000 to the Mountaineer Athletic Club in the name of the West Virginia University baseball program to the Oklahoma City tornado relief effort.
- More WVU Sports Headlines
-
HERTZEL COLUMN- Bailey, Austin turning heads in St. Louis
