Welcome to the Friday Feedback, working without a contract since 2007! Are you worried?

Look, I’ll admit it’s extraordinarily unusual to work 20 months without a contract, except that Dana Holgorsen wasn’t working without a contract. That terms and conditions sheet is a contract and covers what needs to be covered. There was also no need or desire to make something formal during last season.

So figure the process really begins in January.

Well, Dana and 10 touchdowns changed the thinking, which was already changing because of that whole Big 12 thing. There was bound to be some time involved. There was also a pecking order to be established and, quite frankly, locking up a football coach who wasn’t going anywhere, and wasn’t going to go public with frustrations that didn’t exist, wasn’t a priority.

Not above the baseball program. Not above the rest of the athletic department as it readied for the Big 12.

There was a goal line, though, and we were either past it or nearing it, depending on if the target as the start of camp or the start of the season — and I’d heard both. Doesn’t matter. It’s done. It doesn’t wipe away worries for the next six seasons, but it sure helps.

Especially Dana. Consider this: He can leave at any time for any job. There is no non-compete clause that you could previously find in other coaching contracts at WVU. He can go to a Big 12 job and use what he knows about the players and coaches at WVU to beat the Mountaineers several years in a row. It would cost him $2 million.

WVU could fire him at any point for unsatisfactory performance. It would owe Dana his total compensation (base plus supplemental pay) for the remaining years on his contract — ie, he has a third straight losing season in 2014, WVU fires him, WVU pays him $8.5 million ($2.7 million for 2015 and $2.9 million for 2016 and 2017).

Should WVU fire him at the latest point inside the contract, it would still owe him $900,000 more than he would ever have to pay WVU.

Not unusual, but notable.

The retention incentives are something else, too. The annual ones are fine, and very common, but the extra $50,000 in March 2013 and $300,000 in March 2o14 are new to me. There are explanations, and we’ll hit them later, but it’s still big for Dana. His “salary” will be $3.05 million if he coaches WVU in 2014.

Two more things: Isn’t Dana worth a whole lot more after a BCS game/win? And not just worth more to WVU, but to someone who might seek to hire him, right? Shouldn’t the buyout go up a little after a BCS game/win? It’s not entirely foreign. Coaches have escalators for a BCS win because, ahem, they’re worth more with that under their belts.

Lastly, Dana has separate bonuses for bowl appearances and wins and BCS appearances and wins. This will all probably change soon. There’s no language about the playoff. There’s no language about the Champions Bowl arrangement with the SEC.

A playoff appearance has to have a huge payday. So, too, must a Champions Bowl bid. It’s not a BCS game, but it sure isn’t a regular bowl either. If I’m coaching a team in that game, and I know the game is going to be worth $60 million or so — $30 million or so to each conference — I want some more money for it.

Onto the Feedback. Comments appear as posted. In other words, forever and ever, amen.

Mack said:

Reminds me of 2008. They started the year around #8 and were unranked by week 3 or 4. Amazing.

Haven’t been in the top 10 since, but there are parallels. Legendary quarterback returns. Young defense. Some new coaches and the unknown that comes with that. Uncertainty at running back. If there’s a hurricane floating around the northeast in a few weeks — never mind. Move along, nothing to see here.

EersNC said:

Reminds me of 2006. Offense stacked, defense questionable, coming off a huge bowl win. That team wasthisclose to being really great (and in the losses, it was the offense that let them down, just as much as the defense).

That defense was playing with people out of position, not by design, but by necessity. And that defense could not blitz, especially in the Louisville game. Ergo, this particular team needs pieces that fit and, since it says it will blitz quite a bit, needs to get home on blitzes.

Rugger said:

This Thompson kid might be a keeper but don’t tell Marshall.

I don’t think this is a secret you can keep. And I don’t think the Herd will game plan Thompson. Probably Geno, Tavon, Stedman, et. al.

pknocker40 said:

Double digit freshmen a given? This isn’t news, Dana – it’s called the Freshman 15. Ask Ryan Clarke about it.

Heyo! My man put on more than 15, simply because he wanted to weigh the same Owen Schmidt weighed the year before. But seriously, you should see the kid now. Svelte!

Drew said:

QBs win Heismans. Receivers do not. If Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald couldn’t win one, then Tavon won’t. I know he is more versatile, but still can’t see it. Maybe if he also dabbled at corner (see: Woodson, Charles) he would have a chance.

I’m impressed with Geno’s leadership so far this year. He seems very focused. This team needs consistency throughout to have a shot at living up to expectations and that will have to start with him. He has a chance to be right up there with Pat and Major in WVU lore. A heisman and/or mnc and he could (should?) even pass them both. I thought he would be good, but didn’t expect for that to be a possibility going into this season. I guess DH deserves some credit for that.

One difference in the receiver comparisons. Well, two. First, neither Georgia Tech nor Pitt was a national championship, or even conference championship, contender. Success is inextricably attached to votes. If WVU is in the national title conversation — not sure Big 12 title conversation will cover it — and Tavon is a reason why, he has a shot. The other part is special teams. Johnson and Fitzgerald did none of that and the yardage and scores can separate Austin. More than that, though, is that Heisman voters vote largely on highlights and punt and kickoff returns make highlights. Also, this by no means should suggest I think Tavon will win the Heisman, OK?

pknocker40 said:

Re: Tavon and his loooooooongshot Heisman chances, it’s not apples-to-apples but Reggie Bush won it in 2005 largely behind his all-purpose statistics/highlights.

Bush in 2005:
200 rushes for 1740 yards, 16 TDs
37 receptions for 478 yards, 2 TDs
18 punt returns for 179 yards, 1 TD
28 kickoff returns for 493 yards, 0 TDs
2890 all-purpose yards (222.3/game)

Austin in 2011:
16 rushes for 182 yards, 1 TD
101 receptions for 1186 yards, 8 TDs
19 punt returns for 268 yards, 0 TDs
36 kickoff returns for 938 yards, 2 TDs
2574 all-purpose yards (198.0/game – 15 yards/touch)

Beyond that, Matt Leinart also split votes against Bush in ’05. So I guess what I’m saying is, be just like the 2005 USC Trojans and everything else is cream cheese. Free, illicit cream cheese, but tasty nonetheless…

I give you one reason Bush won in 2005. And I’ll simply say this and let you do with it what you want: Teammates say there are ideas and formations in place to put Tavon in the backfield this season as a runner and as a receiver. 

glibglub said:

Ah, preseason Heisman hype. Remember Pat White plays here dot com?

But that was just a celebration of his career. Not a promotional Heisman campaign.

hershy112 said:

The possibility of two WVU players taking votes from each other in the Heisman race is exciting in itself.

As for the Reggie Bush/Tavon comparison, Bush wasn’t the regular punt returner for USC that year either. He was a “part timer”, if you will, that was used when a big play was needed (or wanted?), which I believe is how Tavon will be handled at punt returner. I think he will see more regular time at kick returner.

Just a fun little memory as we get ready for the season and in relation to Tavon as a kick returner, I still remember being at the WVU/Marshall game last year and seeing the lightning strike as Tavon was returning that kick for a TD right before the delay. As Mike says, there are no coincidences.

I don’t want to even go beyond the first sentence. That should be all that matters, for now, but since I must go on … it looks and sounds like Tavon is going to be your punt return man this season. There is no Devon Brown behind him.

Jack Winemiller said:

there’s no way Jae Crowder is losing the Heisman this year. Who is HE?

Yes!

Jeff in Akron said:

While I applaud Luck and Holgorsen for finalizing the deal, perhaps we should not reference the sigining as “locking him up”. Chuckie could get 5,000 words out of those three, forget the 5,000 he’s already going to write about the deal.

Ah, you got me. And don’t look now, but you’re right around two weeks away from irresponsibly lobbed hand grenades!

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Meh, this contract ain’t so f’n special…

Ironically, Rich made in his first year at Michigan right around what Dana will make in 2012.

hershy112 said:

Perhaps the offseason that follows the 2013 season doesn’t have to do with any performance, but rather when we have paid all of our ex-coaches “in full”. Don’t really know when the exact date/year is on that, but that was my first thought when reading it.

Excellent point. There are assistant coach contracts that are set to expire after the 2013 season and that $575,000 carrot dangling before Holgorsen to be here for the 2014 season can today offer stability. 

overtheSEC said:

Isn’t it obvious? The 2013 offseason precedes the Chick Fil A game against Alabama. No one wants to watch Alabama take on a re-tooled WVU. America wants Holgo vs. Saban.

Actually, that’s probably an even better reason. I’ll add another. The playoff starts in 2014 — and don’t look now, but WVU has so many freshmen and sophomores that would be juniors and seniors that season. Cart. Horse. Hello!

SheikYbuti said:

An opinion piece by Fearless Leader. That might be almost as worthy of discussion as the actual topic.

Couldn’t agree more that ADOL (Oll OL?) deserves one heck of a compensation package going forward for all that he has accomplished during this watershed era of WVU sports. Forget about the retention motive; it’s a meaningful, symbolic gesture, and very much the right thing to do. You can’t pay a talented person enough to get them to stay in a job he or she doesn’t like. The idea is to make the job so attractive and so fulfilling that leaving is unimaginable.

It’s going to happen — unless something happens to derail it … which would lead to a whole different story. But I was told before I wrote what I wrote that it had been discussed. In response to that, I was told today WVU and Luck will talk in the coming days.

overtheSEC said:

Yes. Yes. 1000x yes.
Great piece, Mike.

Let me know if we need to take a collection for the plane banner that says “Hey Jimmy! Give Luck a raise!”

Interesting, but do we think it will be done before Sept. 1? Maybe they announce it Sept. 1. Could be a trend. I know there’s something planned “fore” the Maryland game. 

JC said:

Anyone think Clements has heretofore resisted such a clause because he’s concerned what the answer from Luck might be?

Also, given the premise behind Waiting for the Fall, isn’t Mike just further fueling that fire with writings like this?

I’ll hang up and listen……….

I don’t know that a buyout will be included. I haven’t talked to Luck about his contract — other than him confirming he’s still on his original — and Clements has resisted talking about a buyout. My feeling is it ought to be in there. My sense is we won’t see it happen and that will invite a rather obvious reply: Why? That would be fueling the fire.

Mack said:

I doubt that Luck sees WVU as his last job before he retires. It seems to me that if people want him to be around for even 10 years, they’re going to be disappointed.

That’s fine, but if you leave the party, you should leave behind some of your beer.

I love you, Doug! said:

A) It’s weird that I’m getting geeked watching homemade footage of Oklahoma drills in early August, right?
B) In the first video, look at No. 1 bouncing around the outside of the melee, no doubt talking trash, with his escape route at the ready. I bet he’s been like that since he could walk.
C) In the last video, I may have to change my handled for this blog to “I’m coaching your a**.”

Enjoy the weekend!

P.S. Thanks for working the blog the way you did this week. Trying something different this season and so far so good. Thanks to my videographers, too. Couldn’t do it without them.