MORGANTOWN - Coaches, particularly those of the football variety, are notorious for burning the candle at both ends.
MORGANTOWN - Coaches, particularly those of the football variety, are notorious for burning the candle at both ends.
Dick Vermeil was famous for sleeping in his office. Jon Gruden, when he coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was known as Jon 3:11 because that's the time - 3:11 a.m. - when he started his workday. Nick Saban once turned down a chance to dine with George W. Bush because it conflicted with his workday.
Joe Gibbs actually had his wife tape-record dinner conversations at home so he could catch up on what was happening with his own family.
Dana Holgorsen has never bought into the theory that in order to be a great coach one must keep ridiculous hours.
Apparently that's not going to change now that he has his first head-coaching job.
"It's just who I've worked for, I guess,'' West Virginia's new head coach said Friday. "I never worked for Dick Vermeil. I've never worked for a guy that does it like that.''
It's not that Holgorsen doesn't work. He does. Just don't expect to find him in his new office at the Puskar Center before the sun rises and then return at midnight and find him in the same place.
"You know what? Technology makes it different,'' Holgorsen said. "I work a lot. But that doesn't mean I'm at the office a lot.''
Indeed, technology does allow coaches to do more away from the office than once was the case. If Holgorsen wants to watch film, he can do it from home, or in his case the hotel that he calls home. If he needs to talk to someone, he and anyone else he needs to speak with have cell phones.
"The job follows you home. When you go on vacation that cell phone's still going to ring,'' Holgorsen said. "I wouldn't be doing the football program justice, I wouldn't be doing the university justice, I wouldn't be doing the state justice if I didn't answer my phone, even if I was taking a long weekend or a five-day vacation.''
"It prevents you from having to spend 14 hours at the office. I think that's counterproductive.''
Indeed, Holgorsen knows that if he spends 14 hours a day at the office then the people who work under him will be spending 14 hours there, too, and he doesn't want a burned-out staff. Remember, for all the hours that Vermeil put in, particularly as the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he is probably more famous for suddenly up and quitting. He is the poster boy for coaching burnout.
"You don't want those guys worn out,'' he said. "You want those guys fired up and ready to roll.''
Apparently, Holgorsen has never been subjected to the taskmaster as head coach. His mentors are guys like Hal Mumme and Mike Leach and, indirectly, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops. He's worked with Kevin Sumlin at Houston and, most recently, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State.
MORGANTOWN - Coaches, particularly those of the football variety, are notorious for burning the candle at both ends.
Dick Vermeil was famous for sleeping in his office. Jon Gruden, when he coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was known as Jon 3:11 because that's the time - 3:11 a.m. - when he started his workday. Nick Saban once turned down a chance to dine with George W. Bush because it conflicted with his workday.
Joe Gibbs actually had his wife tape-record dinner conversations at home so he could catch up on what was happening with his own family.
Dana Holgorsen has never bought into the theory that in order to be a great coach one must keep ridiculous hours.
Apparently that's not going to change now that he has his first head-coaching job.
"It's just who I've worked for, I guess,'' West Virginia's new head coach said Friday. "I never worked for Dick Vermeil. I've never worked for a guy that does it like that.''
It's not that Holgorsen doesn't work. He does. Just don't expect to find him in his new office at the Puskar Center before the sun rises and then return at midnight and find him in the same place.
"You know what? Technology makes it different,'' Holgorsen said. "I work a lot. But that doesn't mean I'm at the office a lot.''
Indeed, technology does allow coaches to do more away from the office than once was the case. If Holgorsen wants to watch film, he can do it from home, or in his case the hotel that he calls home. If he needs to talk to someone, he and anyone else he needs to speak with have cell phones.
"The job follows you home. When you go on vacation that cell phone's still going to ring,'' Holgorsen said. "I wouldn't be doing the football program justice, I wouldn't be doing the university justice, I wouldn't be doing the state justice if I didn't answer my phone, even if I was taking a long weekend or a five-day vacation.''
"It prevents you from having to spend 14 hours at the office. I think that's counterproductive.''
Indeed, Holgorsen knows that if he spends 14 hours a day at the office then the people who work under him will be spending 14 hours there, too, and he doesn't want a burned-out staff. Remember, for all the hours that Vermeil put in, particularly as the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he is probably more famous for suddenly up and quitting. He is the poster boy for coaching burnout.
"You don't want those guys worn out,'' he said. "You want those guys fired up and ready to roll.''
Apparently, Holgorsen has never been subjected to the taskmaster as head coach. His mentors are guys like Hal Mumme and Mike Leach and, indirectly, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops. He's worked with Kevin Sumlin at Houston and, most recently, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State.
"I've worked for guys like Hal Mumme, who [felt that] when you worked you worked and when you were done you went home. Bob Stoops is like that and Mike Leach worked for him before he came to [Texas] Tech. Kevin Sumlin worked for [Stoops] and then went to Houston. Mike Gundy's a family guy and likes to go home.
"Everybody that I've worked for are guys who do it like that. And like I said, it can be counterproductive if you stay in there for 14 hours. If you go in there and you know what you're doing and you have confidence in what you're doing, you go in and work for eight to 10 to 12 [hours] and you can get it done. If it takes 14, 16 or 18, then you'd better stay.''
nnHolgorsen touched on a variety of subjects Friday during a 30-minute session with reporters, among them:
Jorge Wright's status has not changed. West Virginia's nose guard was suspended at the end of spring practice after being arrested for possession of marijuana in a traffic stop during which an unloaded handgun was also discovered in his vehicle.Holgorsen wasn't involved in the suspension and said now he has to get caught up on Wright's situation, including where he's at academically and legally.
Holgorsen had his first full-scale staff meeting Friday morning and went over everything from academics to injuries to strength and conditioning and summer camps, which begin with one-day sessions today and Sunday, followed by a team camp and a seven-on-seven camp."And then I've got three little kids running around here that I'm trying to keep up with, as well,'' Holgorsen said of his own three children.
Guard Josh Jenkins and receiver Brad Starks are the most serious physical question marks as the team goes through summer workouts heading toward the Aug. 4 reporting day for camp."I expect both of them to be ready come Aug. 4,'' Holgorsen said. "How they can do [in camp] isn't going to be what they were before they got hurt due to the fact that they aren't 100 percent between now and Aug. 4. But the good news is we don't play Aug. 4. We play Sept. 4. So we'll get those guys in and evaluate where they're at. If they're fine they'll start and if they aren't then they won't start.''
Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
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