Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which waves goodbye. Again. Bill Bedenbaugh is off to Oklahoma University, a stunning turn of events because, golly, he hadn’t talked to anyone. I trust everyone saw through that one.

This was in the works for a while, attached to Bedenbaugh’s predecessor getting a job, and certainly didn’t start, develop and conclude within 36 hours. Consider, too, that it might have been played out a little bit to address things with recruits and prospects and to give Dana Holgorsen a little time to react and replace.

I wonder if he has a guy at the table by, say, Monday. He’s moved fast this offseason.

Then again, this one maybe sneaked up on him and it’s his most critical hire to date. A bad move could keep WVU on the lower half of the Big 12 for a while. Really, why did OU hire Bedenbaugh?

I heard last night the Mountaineers will go on a “national search” because it’s that big of a deal. Bedenbaugh was set to make $300,000 this season. His replacement might not get that — and it might be more, for all we know — but the funds are there to go all in and not have that be a limitation.

Will it be someone Dana has worked with or someone with state and WVU roots? Will it be an Air Raid guy who is familiar with the offense and its zone blocking schemes? Will it be someone who is a power running guy and can blend those schemes with that the Mountaineers do?

Answers soon.

Onto the Feeback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, keep calm and read on.

Jeff in Akron said:

To me, without specific details to the deal with IMG Raese’s comments appear to be a man trying to protect/save his company and its earnings future. Based on the timing it appears he has his own interests ahead of WVU’s.

It boils down to whether you trust Oliver Luck or John Raese. Since it would appear that the deal with IMG would reduce Mr. Raese and his company to only a single slice(maybe) of the pie that he once horded. To me the decision is an easy one on that point alone.

Raese vs. Luck in a battle of vision and integrity, doesn’t seem like much of a battle to me.

And then there’s this: Is Mr. Raese guaranteed that slice? Not necessarily. But is Raese guaranteed to do business with IMG College in the future? Also not necessarily. Remember, that’s his call. Does this seem like the reaction of a man who is about to be a business partner with the party he’s attacking? Wouldn’t be a wise decision to back away from WVU, but who knows how offended he is by what he’s alleging?

rekterx said:

Somehow … Mike Garrison and Joe Manchin need to be invloved in this …. for the entertainment value, right?

But, for the record, I’m willing to bet this is much ado about nothing. But in any event it is news that should come under public scrutiny because then we’ll know for sure who is blowing smoke. I’m not betting against Ollie.

It’s a public trust issue that, we may have forgotten, involves a public figure making heavy allegations who has twice run for Senate.

WVMANIAC said:

If John Raese were in those meetings between IMG and WVU and IMG subcontracted to WVRadio, would there be a fuss?

It seems the more savvy businessman Bray Cary won this versus John Raese, if you think back to the beginning WVMH pulled their bid out and looks like went to IMG and basically consulted them how to win the WVU bid…. Why couldn’t Raese do the same? Cary knew two things: what would win the WVU bid, because of this knowledge of buy WVU’s rights already for coaches shows and the spring game, and the president of IMG so he used those to his advantage…

Instead of staying in the race against a larger media company, WVradion could have gone to IMG and consult with them about the radio rights in hopes for IMG to subcontract to WVRadio. It appears the only reason Raese didn’t do this is so he could create a fuss about the University outsourcing away from instate companies and drag Luck and Clements through the mud….

What hasn’t been mentioned; what was WVRadio’s bid was it more than 9 million a year? Did they rightfully get cheated out of it? I don’t think WVRadio could pay 9 million to WVU a year, especially because WVradio only handles radio, not advertising, TV, Marketing, and above all ticketing.

I doubt we’ll get the bids others made and I would almost guarantee West Virginia Radio didn’t go as high as IMG College. It seems to me we’ve overlooked Mr. Raese is just a radio vendor. He hasn’t controlled WVU’s Tier 3 rights. Big difference there. People keep looking at this through the lens where he’s being deprived of everything. That’s not true. And I guess the more I think of this the more I realize that it’s hard to do business these days without knowing people and making the most or relationships. Can that foster certain appearances? Yes. But I just wonder if there’s a way to avoid it — or if it would be smart to avoid working with people you know, like and trust. The most important part will be WVU’s disclosure at the end. 

Rugger said:

We have gone from terrible to mediocre to this point. Can we go from mediocre to good and make the NIT? I think we can. NCAA? They don’t grow weed that good.

Whoa, bud.

overtheSEC said:

Howley’s probably glad the Ravens won the Super Bowl because had the 49ers eeked it out, Flacco may have made Howley share his Super Bowl MVP claim to fame. (Although I doubt in this day and age they’d ever do that again)

Funny, he said he didn’t watch a lot of football, but that he always watched the Super Bowl. Wonder if he’s tracking his exclusivity. 

Phil M. said:

Even though I’m a Redskin Fan I hope Chuck and all the other former Mountaineers are seen often on the sidelines at games in Mo-Town. That is the brand we need to sell to the Nation. You know most people outside of West Virginia probably don’t even know that he played at WVU. Those of course that are old enough like me who know who Chuck Howley is.

I think he’ll be welcome.

SheikYbuti said:

It’s been widely reported that Bedenbaugh is gone, but Mike has yet to throw in with the others. I suspect he’ll be leaving, but it would not surprise me if there were some last-ditch machinations from WVU to keep him (and maybe some soul-searching from Bedenbaugh and his family), which may be delaying the official announcement. The reports of his move are more or less bootstrapped on each other, so they may deserve to be viewed with a bit of a jaundiced eye.

If he goes, I would think that $300,000 would provide for a more than adequate replacement. I like Bedenbaugh, and I think he’s probably a decent coach, but the OL definitely underperformed last season, and that’s on him.

I wouldn’t say it was widely reported. I saw people reporting the SoonerScoop.com report. The reports I saw were mostly of Bedenbaugh and/or WVU denials. I didn’t believe the latter and I don’t like getting into the former. Eventually got it right, but I think it was trickier than it initially appeared and involved some snags, or machinations. Agree on the rest, though.

Kevin said:

Yeah, I was speaking more generically about coaches being able to catch somewhere if they were willing to move. I think/thought the powers that be thought Beatty did a good job and think he lost out with the new coaching staff.

I would think $300k would get WVU a quality Oline coach and would personally love to have Trickett back. I don’t follow recruiting closely enough to know what type of impact Bedenbaugh had there (and guess there hasn’t been enough time pass for anyone to know), but can say I didn’t think the oline performed well enough for me to get too upset about it if he departs.

Wouldn’t be surprised if he left though. Money aside, he has a connection to Stoops from his time at Arizona and the fact is that recruiting is easier at Oklahoma it does offer the trappings that come with it being more of a blue blood program than WVU is.

The best coaches are the ones that leave your school for another. Bedenbaugh has been a coordinator (for a Stoops) and a good run at Oklahoma would probably propel him to that sooner than some more time at WVU would. He might even get that chance at OU. And from there, it’s head coach. He’s really building a nice resume so I find it hard to fault this move. Everyone keep pointing out that he was making $300,000 and that OU can’t pay that much. I don’t know what OU will pay, but Bedenbaugh was to make $300,000 beginning next season. If he makes $275,000 at OU, that’s a $25,000 raise, not a $25,000 cut.

Rugger said:

Bedenbaugh seems like a real personable guy and he has recruited well. However, our offensive lines under him were experienced but soft, real soft. I believe that lack of toughness (see running game) affected the entire team in quitting vs TTU, KSU and SU.

Get me a hillbilly who knows O line, flosses with barbed-wire and drinks diesel for breakfast and I’m good.

I understand that Mrs. B doesn’t like Morgantown winters, who does?

What gave you the idea the line was soft? The repeated and-short failures? Or this?

Wayne said:

Mike,
You don’t think that Murray’s reactions to fouls has led to close calls against him, eh?

Absolutely I do. I know what he said when he got the T at Duquesne and that aggression hasn’t really gone away since then. That said, virtually every WVU team I’ve covered has never committed a foul. The Final Four team was the best, or worst, depending on your stance. Those guys lost a pet when they were called for a foul and opponents and their fans hated it.

hershy112 said:

Big 12 officiating is absolutely worse than Big East officiating. And it’s not even close.

It’s not as good as I thought. They’re totally ignoring Curt Shaw’s “it’s not a foul if it doesn’t interfere with the play.” They won’t call a T on a coach who clearly violates the sideline decorum rule. And it’s not consistent from game to game. Oh, and without getting too much into it, home/away splits are … telling.

Rugger said:

It does seem like a message is being sent that the the Big 12 won’t tolerate Big East physicality.

One way to put it.

Josh24601 said:

So even with big-man foul trouble Miles couldn’t get in the game, and even with that foul trouble plus the game going to hell, neither Miles nor Aaron Brown could get in the game. Huggs mad.

Seemingly carries a grudge in his pullover pocket. But Miles blows up one or two things whenever he gets in. Brown can’t score, let alone shoot. They bring nothing to the game, it would seem. Honestly, the sophomore class isn’t very good and it was supposed to be a big part of this season. That makes last year’s recruiting very suspect. More serious question: Where was Terry Henderson Saturday?

ffejbboc said:

Team chemistry is vastly underrated. You need a group of guys that like each other, and want to play hard together to achieve something as a TEAM.

I still say lack of team chemistry is the worst culprit on this team.

The roster is a mishmash of transfers, freshmen, and assorted characters (miscreants?) who just do not mesh and jell and play well together as a team.

This year’s Mountaineers are not a team…they are just a collection of individuals running around out there selfishly trying to accomplish Lord know what and who certainly don’t have the team’s best interest at heart.

This is also a team desperately in need of an identity. Nothing to hang it’s hat on. Not a good rebounding team, not a good shooting team, bad on defense (man or zone).

Geesh, I’m getting depressed…

TEAM rebounding has been good. Strong take, though, and you can certainly argue in that direction. There’s something about these guys that makes them retreat when the other team attacks. That’s not a good trait, though it’s usually accomplished when the guys like one another.

Rugger said:

I like what Eron and Jabarie are doing overall, lots of effort and no fear. The rest of the team wouldn’t have started for Mike Carey’s Salem Tigers squad back in the day.

Did Henderson get yanked early and not return?

Total output in points for these two schools was 140 v 133 in football. Maybe Mike can run that through the 45 Logarithm Device to find out what it means. No Dance perhaps?

Right now it comes back “No Dance.” But it suggests I keep checking in the rest of the season. I’m not sold on Hinds, either. He’s a gifted offensive player who can get warm, but he’s been cold all year and when he does have a nice half or a nice game, or even games, it’s cools off quickly.

MidwestWVUFan said:

What the hell is Huggins infatuation with Gary Browne? Come on man, can’t shoot, can’t pass, can’t defend- was blown by numerous times off the dribble resulting in easy dunks underneath!!
This season is over why not play the Freshman Henderson??
Miles played well the last time he saw the court, guarantee you the slow white boy wouldn’t have been raining 3′s on him.
This is Huggins and his coaches team, Huggins has stated we need guards and we have 4 big’s signed- WTF!! Talk is cheap!!

Miles forgets who he’s guarding, though. He makes mistakes that drive Huggins crazy and usually early in his appearances. Another thing to remember: Sometimes coaches know a player is leaving at the end of the year and the plug is pulled. Remember Dalton Pepper? Not to say that’s the case here, but sometimes the answer is right there. I think Browne, despite his faults, tries hard and that’s worth something on this team. He’s had more good games than some other guys and his bad moments are sometimes because of his matchups. But, yes, he gets beat plenty on defense and he doesn’t score efficiently or consistently. I think Huggins trusts him though. 

SheukYbuti said:

So it’s safe to say that the conventional wisdom is that Mazey is a bit of an upgrade over his predecessor?

Safe at home.

AnxiousEER87 said:

I’ve noticed that Drenning has a lost a few pounds recently. I wonder if he’s trying to keep up with Mrs. Mazey.

Certainly.

Mack said:

Since I know nothing of Mazey, I can only go by the quotes about him. So let’s dissect:

“I’m telling you, West Virginia hit more than a home run. They got a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth in Omaha hiring him.”

Alright, first and foremost, a walk-off grandslam is about as good as you can get. But when you think about it, the only time you can get a walk-off grandslam is in the bottom of the ninth inning (or the 10th, 11th, 12th, etc.). So the fact that the quote specifically mentions that this walk-off grandslam occurred in the bottom of the ninth appears to mean that it could have been a little bit better . . . if it had occurred in extra innings.

But the hiring could only have been the slightest bit better, because Jim Schlossnagle also pointed out that this grandslam occurred in Omaha. This could mean that WVU was playing a road game against Creighton . . . but more likely means that WVU is playing in the college world series, but presumably not in the national championship game or Schlossnagle probably would have specified.

So, after close analysis, I can say that I am waiting for the fall.

Enjoy the weekend!