Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which at long last has the answer to the $25,000 question. Bob Huggins gets a nice little nest egg if he beats Kansas in the regular season, which you (likely) already knew. It’s not a new thing. We learned about it before the start of last season.

But with WVU playing Kansas Saturday, and with the arrangement never really explained, now seemed as good a time as any to get some background.

And we did.

Huggins again directed questions to his attorney. That’s fine. That’s Huggins. I’ve had a bunch of people tell me he just doesn’t concern himself with salary and negotiations and the like. His contract was amended in November 2012, but before that, he wasn’t really sure what his salary was. He knew it was good for him and good for WVU, and that was all that really mattered. I suspect Huggins wasn’t leaning over the table in negotiations and demanding the clause be included, but I was curious if he had plans for the $25,000 (does it go to his charity, does it go do a particular endowment, etc.).

Never got that information.

It wasn’t fruitless, though. Remember last year, when Huggins was asked on a conference call — not the best idea, by the way — about the clause and he said he had nothing to do with it and suggested similar questions go to his attorney? Well, that attorney is his longtime representative, Richard Katz, and Katz confirmed his client’s claim. It was all Katz’s idea, but also something that only came up as “an afterthought” as he and Oliver Luck were wrapping up the amended version.

WVU’s athletic director corroborated that and specifically remembered having to decline a few of Katz’s requests for incentives because of the way the NCAA had evolved to be suspicious of some bonuses related to academics. Then, rather innocently, Katz suggested a bonus for beating the Jayhawks. And that was that.

It’s still quite a story, even if it isn’t particularly incendiary, because I think many people suspected there was some specific motivation. Katz was careful to say the clause really has nothing to do with Kansas and is just another way to reward a good deed. One or two wins is now treated the same, or about the same, as winning coach of the year nationally ($50,000) or in the Big 12 ($30,000).

So it’s not a really big deal, and it’s merely an accessory to everything else that’ll happen tomorrow, but it’s natural to hold our attention because it is unusual. And now, Bill Self will shake the room.

“I think the world of Bob Huggins and consider him a good friend,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I’m going to do everything I can to keep money out of his pocket, and if I don’t, I know who’s buying dinner.”

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, blame it on the dog.

Josh24601 said:

Whose bigs get more shots blocked by the rim than ours?

I can’t imagine anyone would be ahead of the Mountaineers. And then there’s this, which I have to look into, and for which I would welcome help. I met a fan in the airport yesterday — a fan of WVU’s who saw me reading a media guide — and he told me WVU leads the nation in dunks allowed. He was adamant. Said there was a stat online. I can’t find it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe it.

smeer said:

Did I miss you asking Coyle about Childress?

You did not. Never came up, because Ford’s not on the team anymore, but I just don’t think Geoff was impressed by what he’d seen of Childress.

Wayward Eer said:

The 2 things that really strike me about this are that we still need pass rushers and that we look light at FS and BS.

What else is new, right? I think WVU is going to cross its fingers and hope Hyman and Nwachukwu can find a way to combine for 12 sacks and will rely on the outside linebackers and a blitzing safety to do the damage. WVU was one of the worst teams last year in total sacks, but they had a lot of TFLs. Golson, Muldrow, Dillon, Gross, etc., are a big part of the plan. At FS, Tyler wasn’t bad when he played last season (he played for both Cook and Dillon in the final two games) and coaches really like him, and Rumph was all right when healthy last season. That doesn’t look great, but you have to plug guys in and hope they’ve done their part getting ready for when it’s their time. I can’t make you feel better about BS. The coaches clearly have enough questions about Joseph to consider moving him, which they sort of did, but doesn’t it seem like Cook was in coverage more at BS than Joseph was at FS? Still, the way he plays, they’re one tackle away from being in a really bad spot. Honestly, I’d be surprised if  those two positions don’t change a lot by the first game, but especially BS. Remember, help arrives over the summer. WVU thinks DaeJuan Funderburke can play safety right away and that Dravon Henry and Jaylon Myers can play corner or safety right away.

Bobby Heenan said:

A few thoughts:

– We need an inside WR playmaker to help out the weak QB unit. Shorts can be a solid contributor (think Devin Brown), but I think we need more explosiveness there than he provides.

– Will be interesting to see who steps up at Spur. Gross, Dillon, and Graeves have the measurables, but who will emerge?

– I thought we may give Worley some looks at Free Safety. But it’s hard to move (arguably) your best CB out of that position to fill another position.

– I like that we moved Bruce back inside

– PUMPED to see Joseph moved over to strong safety.

I think Jacky Marcellus is your guy to watch inside. Shorts is a more veteran player, but Marcellus is more explosive. And that makes me want to keep an eye on Vernon Davis. If he is to have a time, now is his time, right? McCrary and Parker have a chance in the fall, but I bet Holgorsen wants someone in practice right now to take that spot. Spur will be fun to monitor because that’s going to be a situational deal. I don’t think the defense wants, or has, an every-down player there. Greaves really interests me because he’s a big kid, and I want to see a stronger, heavier Gross. It would seem to me moving Worley was Patterson’s idea and not one that was shared by others, much like I suspect the case was last year when Patterson moved Bruce. The Joseph thing is curious, too. Again, I thought Joseph had problems in deep coverage, which isn’t something only he struggles with, but I thought Cook had more responsibilities in overall pass coverage. Moving Joseph restricts the deep space he has to cover, which I guess confines the area he’s responsible for, and throws him into the run game more. That’s the benefit. You worry about subjecting him to more hits, but he’s a junior now and, honestly, anyone can get hurt. Can’t let that fear frighten you.

lowercase jeff said:

a couple thoughts on the video –

1. youre wearing pajama pants.
2. i dont like gin.
3. nice starting lineup collection.

1. True. I walked to practice and used the thermals for insulation. I was in a rush to finish the vlog. FOR YOU!
2. Your loss.
3. Thanks.

Drew said:

It is nice actually knowing some of the players on the depth chart this year.

I really hope the experience helps. I like the potential on defense, but think they’re still a year or two away – and that’s IF they get good enough coaching.

Running back is the only real strength on offense. Hopefully either Howard can work some improvisational magic (could DH handle that?) or Trickert is markedly better. If the receivers and line can improve it could take a ton of pressure off whoever QB1 turns out to be.

Actually, I’m kind of on  board with the receivers. They have more guys, they think Rogers can play and they’ll get some help in the summer. K.J Myers hasn’t been anything special in the past, but he doesn’t have to be now. He’s a guy on a depth chart. Same with Thompson. Compare that to when WVU really needed those two. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not bulletproof, nor is it near the situation at running back, but it has improved. You’d like to see them coached up to take a few big steps in the spring and summer, so time will tell.

Mack said:

I love it when people say “Russell Wilson (or Drew Brees) or others are 5’11”.”

Yeah, Russell Wilson was also an amazing quarterback at NC State and Wisconsin. Same for Drew Brees.

The new guy played at a juco in California and WVU was the top program offering him to transfer. It’s not exactly the same thing.

My own personal opinion is that Trickett takes the first snap of 2014 and every snap thereafter until he gets injured. Given Trickett’s size, I think he will get injured. As much as we all think Millard isn’t any good . . . he was far from atrocious against Texas.

Who knows? Anything you read about Howard right now is based on what the coaches want you to hear, so we don’t have any real gauge. Trickett lost all of the winter conditioning and weight lifting. That’s big. He’ll be eased into it when he returns, but I think it’s hard to expect him to have added the weight/muscle he needed and wanted to add. And no, Millard wasn’t bad, except for the turnovers, which count and which remain relevant because he still can’t escape and because the outside of the offensive line, which got worked over by the Longhorns is, at best, unproven. 

I love you, Doug! said:

Agreed. I think if Paul Millard is completely unmolested, unhurried or unbreathed upon by a defense while standing in a pocket as impregnable as the Cliffs of Dover, he understands HCDH’s offense well enough to know when the slot receiver is coming open on his crossing pattern and can deliver an accurate throw.

If, however…

Exactly.

jtmountaineer said:

How unusual is it for a coach’s salary to go down 33% in the second year of a contract?

Very. I mean, it’s unusual to see one go down even 1%.

SheikYbuti said:

My guess is that the frontload in the contract was an incentive for Bradley to take the job notwithstanding the slight (albeit palpable) risk that Holgorsen won’t be the head coach in 2015. Otherwise, perhaps, it would have been more typical for it to break down equally or even 475/525.

Agreed. Entices him to take the job in February, too. It sort of makes up for the money he could have made had he been contracted in December.

Wayward Eer said:

What is the current payroll for the assistant coaches now? Be curious to see how that stacks up against the Big XII and other major conferences.

I’m working on this for a story, but WVU has no reason to be feel ashamed. A dollar-for-dollar comparison of entire staffs will be misleading because of head coaching salaries, but the assistant coaching salaries are on the top shelf.

Michael Walker said:

I say that in reality Bradley was hired primarily as an expert defensive consultant that also coaches the defensive line. He is effectively head coach of the defense. Gibson is still the coordinator with all the duties and responsibilities that go with it.

Holgorsen touched on Gibson’s need to become more familiar with the front end of the defense, and Cogdell needs some instruction on coaching linebackers at the college level. I would say that is Bradley’s first assignment.

Shannon Dawson is assisted by Holgs in running the offense and coaching the quarterbacks. Why would Gibson have a problem with Bradley assuming a similar role with him?

That’s probably fair. I don’t think enough people consider your final paragraph when considering the Bradley-Gibson coupling.

Kevin said:

Along those lines, I wonder how much WVU could justify paying Carey if he were to pull a Rich Rod and look for a raise. Nobody disputes that he has done a fabulous job building the program and is having a lot of success.

If it were to happen, how profitable would an annual Top 10 or top 15 women’s program be?

Outside of the box, what if Mazey builds something similar and is courted by a “big” program?

I’m not saying “when are they breaking up with WVU?”, I’m more just wondering what Luck might think the salary limit would be for these 2 programs with the revenue/profit they might generate.

Carey does OK with regard to his peers. He’s getting $400,000~ a year, which is about a third of what Kim Mulkey makes, but it’s still way above average. WVU obviously has the money to sweeten that deal, but by how much? Well, WVU drew a little more than 41,000 people this season. That’s the second-highest total for attendance in school history. Perspective, if nothing else. The Mazey deal is probably similarly framed. He does OK, makes less than many and is probably on par with his peers with his experience at a school like his. Baseball just isn’t a sport that’s demanded a high salary, which doesn’t make it one to all of a sudden get one. Interesting points to consider, though. And I bet Mazey is content with the way things are around him now. New stadium, more money for travel and amenities, a well-paid staff, etc.

Mr M said:

A shameful admission: listened to the IMG broadcast of the women’s game tonight for the first time this season. Good announcing crew of Colhane(?) and Meg Bulger, who has an exceptionally pleasant voice, and a superb ability to deliver knowledge and insight to the broadcast. Obvious wonderful achievement in winning the league, Lady ‘eers!

Why’s that shameful? IMG and WVU committed to doing something good. It’s been rocky at times, but the most consistent praise I’ve heard has actually involved Culhane. Based on my interactions, people seem to most content with the pre-game and postgame football shows and the women’s basketball on the radio. Jeff’s on all of those, and you can have worse partners in airtime than Meg, who’s been seasoned with sideline reporting experience. Jeff’s doing baseball, too. Maybe they’ve got something there? 

Karl said:

As I watched Chase Connor tonight, it occurred to me that WVU has a long, illustrious history of unathletic white reserve guys who could come in cold and stick the trey – Josh Yeager, Jay Hewitt, Tyler Relph, Ted Talkington, Josh Sowards, Jonny West … the list goes on and on. Where does Patrick Beilein feel he rates among them?

That question came in after the podcast taped, but I promise you he believes he’s No. 1. And isn’t he?

jtmountaineer said:

What does DWMFOF mean? Devin Williams misses from one foot? If so, why didn’t we have that acronym for Deniz the last two years?

Evolution, homes. Williams addressed his under-the-basket struggles for me for a story today. I sensed — which is to say, he did not say — he’s upset about whistles, but he pointed the finger at himself: “I guess I’ve got to be more patient and take more selective shots,” he said. “I think I rush it a little bit and get a little bit overaggressive sometimes. I’ve just got to learn to be patient and poised and make the right decisions. I can’t be overaggressive, but I’ve got to continue to be aggressive.”  

Josh24601 said:

Eron shooting: amazeballs.

Eron doing other stuff: DUCK!

Not rebounding. Not getting better on defense. Not attacking the basket. He did dribble between his legs without incident, though. What a big, big offseason coming up for him.

jtmountaineer said:

If you’d told me we were getting 26 points from Williams and Browne, I would have been optimistic. Until you told me we only scored 62.

And you got zero from Adrian and Dibo. All those “Adrian is coming along! He’s a great defender, too!” stories were right on time. TCU, guys and girls. TCU. Then again, Dibo is 2-for-13/0-for-6 the past two games.

overtheSEC said:

Don’t misread this as complaining about foul differential as much as it’s about the lack of enforcement of the new rules. Tonight the refs let WAY too much holding go uncalled and it clearly frustrated WVU on offense. Staten gets to the line two times I think, and Harris can’t get any separation. If those are the rules all season, fine, but haven’t a completely different set of rules in the same season is ridiculous and doesn’t bode well for a team with no front court.

Really hard to disagree with that. Huggins hasn’t said anything about officiating after games, except when it was a story line and when he was asked about it early in the season. He was asked about it Wednesday and pretty much said what you said. It mattered. Nothing wrong with saying that, or with crediting the Sooners for that.

Dann White said:

Like last season I have reached the conclusion that we have nothing that qualifies us for the NCAA field, and very little to show to the NIT. I am aware that the more the squad practices/plays, the better they will be in future seasons; but come on – we are silly to want to play ONE game in the NCAA tourney when we might get three or so in the NIT.
Okay guys, you can go ahead and set me straight on this now,

DW

PS: Thanks for the get well greetings and the encouragement after my recent illness/surgery. Things are coming along nicely in my recovery, due in no small part to such words from friends and associates. Those from members of our blog were the most special of all to me.

Get strong, Dann. Football season is coming fast.

MC

JP said:

Eron has a tough time without Terry.

It affects him more than anyone else. Henderson was a better defender in man and zone and giving help, he was a better rebounder and he was a better scorer off the bounce. Those are all gone and none of those are things Harris is doing well. So you’re asking someone other than Henderson and Harris to do things that are keys to the game, but not everything you have to do to win. Can those other people do those other things WVU needs to win? The answer, so far, is no.

SheikYbuti said:

20-15 ought to get it done. Losing two straight to finish 16-16 wouldn’t, I think, automatically eliminate them from NIT consideration, but I’d feel a lot more assured if they beat one of the Big XII scrubs in the conference tourney and locked down at least 17-16. That record might keep them from a No. 1 seed in the NIT, but a No. 2 should be in play.

Here’s what’s odd: WVU can win tomorrow (17), have the first day off in the Big 12 Tournament and then win two more to get to the final (19). The only way to 20, which is a nice, round number for the committee, is to win the tournament and get the automatic bid. WVU can win tomorrow (17) and lose a tiebreaker and not have a first-day bye and then win three games (20) to get to the  final and the nice round number. I feel like 20-14, three wins in the conference tournament and a spot in the final is better than 19-14, a bye in the tournament and two wins to get to the final. Also, I hate to keep saying this, but a loss tomorrow really does put the NIT in jeopardy. That 253-for-256 I keep using isn’t the gospel, but it isn’t irrelevant, either. These trends exist. Whether WVU finishes 16-16 or 17-16 doesn’t change the resume much. The RPI and SOS are going to be shaky and there aren’t a lot of eye-popping wins there to distinguish the Mountaineers from others. A lot of people are getting after me in email and on Twitter in reaction to things I’ve written about the NIT. They say WVU is projected as a No. 1. That seed seems ridiculous. They’re not one of the First Four Out or the Next Four Our of the NCAA projections. That’s eight teams, which would, in theory, make up the top two seeds. And you can’t convince me WVU is going to sell a lot of tickets for a mid-week NIT game. The conversation was different when WVU was 14-9.

Vague as Ever:

“He didn’t name names, but you know who it was.”

Do YOU know who it was, Mike? Dang, you’re not the coach, but you’re afraid to report who messed up on defense?

I’m guessing you’re new here, because you probably intended to call me vague and ended up glossing yourself. If you’re calling me vague, I suggest you go through some of the Good and the Bads. But to this particular point, Huggins didn’t name the kid, so I didn’t, either. You want blood, find a vein.

glibglub said:

Much praise to WBB for the great accomplishment.

Another reason to enjoy this blog is that a discussion of public employee salaries hasn’t degenerated into a ghastly scene. I mean, everywhere else on the bottom half of the internet, it would go all “Lord of the Flies” at the drop of a hat.

Also, we have a “Lord of the Flies” reference. Refreshing!

smeer said:

here piggy, piggy

Enjoy the weekend!