CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mike Joseph is already making quite an impression at West Virginia University.

So much so that former football players Owen Schmitt, Johnny Dingle and Marc Magro stayed in Morgantown this summer to work with Joseph, the new director of strength and conditioning, and his staff before heading off to their first NFL training camps.

And WVU football coach Bill Stewart said Dan Mozes, the former WVU All-American center who plays for the Minnesota Vikings, has heard the rave reviews of Joseph and is planning to return next year to work out.

"This football team is following him like the Pied Piper,'' said Stewart of Joseph. "Word's getting out from our players.''

Joseph, a Fairmont native, was hired by WVU in February to replace Mike Barwis, who went to Michigan with former coach Rich Rodriguez. And it seems as if the WVU athletic program has been left in good hands.

"I just sit back and watch and observe and all I see is our players responding to great, tough coaching in our weight room,'' said Stewart, who is in his first year as the head football coach. "We hired the right guy. When I put my head down at night, that's the least of my worries.''

Joseph's main focus is on football, but he also oversees the entire strength and conditioning program for all of WVU's varsity sports. He spent the past five years at Notre Dame as the assistant strength coach working with football.

Other new members on Joseph's staff are Shawn Gaunt, director of speed and skill development; Andy Kettler, associate director of men's and women's basketball; Corey Twine, assistant coordinator and Beth Byron and Paul Chandler, who are assistant strength and conditioning coaches.

Jason Pompili and Jerry Handley, who were on the previous strength and conditioning staff, were promoted to coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach, respectively.

"The success of our athletic program and how our athletes perform will show how well we're doing,'' Joseph said. "As long as we do the best we can, we put our teams in the best position to win.''

Joseph, who was a graduate assistant at WVU from 1999 to 2001 under former strength coach Allan Johnson, is familiar with what's at stake.

"I grew up around this area,'' said Joseph. "I knew about West Virginia and the tradition, the expectations from the state and the fans. As a staff and athletic program in general, everybody wants to keep that tradition going.

"I'm honored to work here. It's a great opportunity to come back home to a place you love. I want to continue the success that's carried over from the last few years. I want to make sure we continue that elite status around the nation so [our athletes] can compete with anybody at any time.''

Joseph, a former Fairmont State football player, inherits lofty expectations. Last year, the WVU football team was in the thick of the national championship hunt and ended the season with a victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.

Stewart said he likes what he sees so far from Joseph and his staff.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mike Joseph is already making quite an impression at West Virginia University.

So much so that former football players Owen Schmitt, Johnny Dingle and Marc Magro stayed in Morgantown this summer to work with Joseph, the new director of strength and conditioning, and his staff before heading off to their first NFL training camps.

And WVU football coach Bill Stewart said Dan Mozes, the former WVU All-American center who plays for the Minnesota Vikings, has heard the rave reviews of Joseph and is planning to return next year to work out.

"This football team is following him like the Pied Piper,'' said Stewart of Joseph. "Word's getting out from our players.''

Joseph, a Fairmont native, was hired by WVU in February to replace Mike Barwis, who went to Michigan with former coach Rich Rodriguez. And it seems as if the WVU athletic program has been left in good hands.

"I just sit back and watch and observe and all I see is our players responding to great, tough coaching in our weight room,'' said Stewart, who is in his first year as the head football coach. "We hired the right guy. When I put my head down at night, that's the least of my worries.''

Joseph's main focus is on football, but he also oversees the entire strength and conditioning program for all of WVU's varsity sports. He spent the past five years at Notre Dame as the assistant strength coach working with football.

Other new members on Joseph's staff are Shawn Gaunt, director of speed and skill development; Andy Kettler, associate director of men's and women's basketball; Corey Twine, assistant coordinator and Beth Byron and Paul Chandler, who are assistant strength and conditioning coaches.

Jason Pompili and Jerry Handley, who were on the previous strength and conditioning staff, were promoted to coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach, respectively.

"The success of our athletic program and how our athletes perform will show how well we're doing,'' Joseph said. "As long as we do the best we can, we put our teams in the best position to win.''

Joseph, who was a graduate assistant at WVU from 1999 to 2001 under former strength coach Allan Johnson, is familiar with what's at stake.

"I grew up around this area,'' said Joseph. "I knew about West Virginia and the tradition, the expectations from the state and the fans. As a staff and athletic program in general, everybody wants to keep that tradition going.

"I'm honored to work here. It's a great opportunity to come back home to a place you love. I want to continue the success that's carried over from the last few years. I want to make sure we continue that elite status around the nation so [our athletes] can compete with anybody at any time.''

Joseph, a former Fairmont State football player, inherits lofty expectations. Last year, the WVU football team was in the thick of the national championship hunt and ended the season with a victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.

Stewart said he likes what he sees so far from Joseph and his staff.

"Our football team loves these guys,'' said Stewart. "Our players have bought in and feel very good where they're at right now.

"These guys have worked so hard. We are very, very happy as a football staff. Our players are fresh. They passed all of their running tests this summer with flying colors. We've gotten stronger. We're strong and we're fast. If we stay healthy, we've got a very fast, explosive football team.''

Joseph also has some big shoes to fill on the heels of Barwis' departure. Barwis spent 14 years at WVU and was one of 10 coaches to receive the 2002 Bronze Award from the National Strength Coaches Association certification commission.

But that hasn't intimidated Joseph, who hasn't been afraid to implement his own drills and techniques.

"The way I do things is a lot different,'' Joseph said. "We're very technique-oriented, doing things the right way in the weight room, increasing strength as well as speed.

"A way of doing it to make sure we get maximum results. It equates to more strength and speed on the field. I think the guys have responded well and have seen very good results. I think overall we've seen a lot of guys increase a lot of lean muscle. The guys feel quicker.''

Joseph, however, was prepared after receiving solid training under Johnson, who was named the Big East strength and conditioning coach of the year in 1997, 1998 and 2000. Johnson was Ohio State's director of football strength and conditioning from 2001-2006, including its national championship season.

"Al's a great guy in terms of teaching,'' Joseph said. "He was a great mentor. Developing a personality [and] relationship with teams and how you can develop a great program. I carry a little bit of his philosophies.''  

One training method that Joseph won't abandon is the annual ritual of running Law School hill.

"We ran the hill earlier in the summer,'' he said. "It's a great mental and physical challenge. We'll always continue to use that hill. It's been a great part of our training regimen and it always will be.''

Joseph said WVU's facilities are on par with any school in the country.

"[We have] three weight rooms [and we're] ready to build [a] fourth,'' he said. "Our student services are great in terms of academics.

"I think the indoor facility, our game arenas and practice fields, there's not many places that have as many things as we have.''

Reach Tommy R. Atkinson at 348-4811 or tatkin...@wvgazette.com.