After all, that's the overriding question here about this transfer of power, right? Head coaches on the Division I level can't afford to be simply football guys whose every waking moments are devoted to the X's and O's of the game. They have to learn to be diplomats and personalities and quasi-politicians, as well as administrators and troubleshooters and, yes, even babysitters at times. Few of those talents are required of coaches whose primary responsibility is to actually coach.

Now granted, this is the best time of the year to exercise those skills. It's the easiest, too. Not only is West Virginia's new head coach not burdened by the task of actually coaching players in June, he's prohibited from doing so. August and October will be far more difficult. Still, why not spend this time honing those skills?

Still, if Holgorsen's debut is any indication, who needs the practice? In a matter of a few short days after his promotion last Friday night, Holgorsen managed to meet and glad-hand with influential people, bond with the only West Virginian with a higher public profile (Bob Huggins), endear himself to a legion of West Virginians by doing what they do (go fishing) and then, in an off-the-wall act for the ages, jump out of an airplane and crash land safely.

Then it took him all of another few hours to return to his office, meet with his team and inspire them with skydiving tales of trust and working together for a common goal.

Oh, and not for a second to be discarded is the fact that by doing all of that - particularly the 10,000-foot leap - he managed to completely change the public discourse on his job status from what-the-heck-just-happened straight into what-the-heck-will-he-do-next.

The bottom line is that more people now are looking forward than are looking back, and it's all because Holgorsen was able to steer the conversation that way.

Intentionally? Well, quite frankly, one would have to be enormously cynical to believe that Holgorsen planned it this way. "Let's jump out of an airplane and hope that someone notices.'' It was noticed, of course, but only because one TV camera happened to be there. Otherwise it would have been little more than urban legend.

Still, you have to be a bit naïve, too, to believe that at no point during all of this did Holgorsen think, "Yeah, this will change the discussion.''

Again, the true test will come when Holgorsen has to begin dividing his time, not merely doing things when it is convenient to do them. But if first impressions are any indication, he certainly has mastered the flair aspect.

Wondering why, nearly a week after he was pushed out, no one has heard much from Holgorsen's predecessor, Bill Stewart?

Well, it's not from a lack of trying to contact him.

His attorney, though, has advised him not to make any public comments. Michael Benninger, a partner in the Morgantown personal injury firm of Wilson, Frame, Benninger & Metheney, was hired by Stewart on the day he tendered his resignation.

"I know there is a lot of interest, but on my advice Bill is not doing any interviews,'' Benninger said.

There may be a reason, too. Benninger seemed to indicate that included in the terms of Stewart's resignation is a confidentiality clause. The Gazette and other media outlets have attempted to obtain any paperwork that was completed as a part of his resignation through West Virginia's Freedom of Information Act, but as yet WVU officials have not responded.

WVU athletic director Oliver Luck, in announcing Stewart's resignation last week, insisted that there was no buyout attached to the resignation beyond what was called for in Stewart's most recent contract, an amount that might be anywhere between $750,000 and $1.6 million, depending upon how the contract is interpreted.

But if that's true then why is there a confidentiality clause, save perhaps the university pressuring Stewart into not talking trash or it might dispute the amounts owed in the last contract?

Stay tuned.

And finally, Holgorsen made a rather interesting comment about quarterback Geno Smith the other day on ESPN radio.

Asked if Smith might be poised to put up the kind of huge numbers this year that Brandon Weeden, Holgorsen's QB at Oklahoma State, did in 2010, Holgorsen pretty flatly said yes.

"I think he's on track. He's still young. He's only been here for two years. He's not like that old guy I coached at Oklahoma State last year,'' Holgorsen laughed. "Brandon was pretty poised and his skills just had to get better. Geno's skills are pretty good, he just needs a little bit more maturity and a little bit more experience.''

Weeden, by the way, is an old guy. He played baseball for five years and became OSU's starting quarterback last season at the age of 26. He is a senior now and will turn 28 in October. As a junior he threw for 4,277 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734                or dphickm...@aol.com.