MORGANTOWN – During his Tuesday press conference, West Virginia University athletic director Wren Baker joked that, while he’s keeping the details of his search for a new football coach close to the vest, he was willing to make one exception.
“I wouldn’t comment on any specific candidate,” Baker said, “other than to say, you know, I begged Coach (Nick) Saban and let me come in and try and sell (his wife) Miss Terry on one more ride, but he didn’t think that’d set me up for success.”
While he wasn’t going to offer Saban – one of, if not the greatest coach in college football history – a contract, he surely was going to take the opportunity to bend his ear about the search itself. Saban is a West Virginia native with an appreciation for his home-state school and a wealth of knowledge.
“You know, if you have access to somebody like Nick Saban, yeah, you’re going to talk to him,” Baker said.
There have been plenty of voices Baker has heard from since his search for WVU’s next football coach began. Plenty more likely will offer their input, whether Baker likes it or not. As he continues on the path to hiring the next top dog for West Virginia football, he’ll have to filter through the many opinions he’ll be offered and seek counsel from those who can help the process along.
Navigating a college coaching search brings with it a number of complications that searches among the professional ranks don’t. An AD doesn’t just have his bosses in the university administration keeping a close eye on the process. Major boosters are hovering as well. And while those boosters don’t technically sign an AD’s paychecks, they do sign the donation checks that keep athletic programs afloat.
Baker said either he or one of his staff members are in contact with key boosters during the search, keeping them updated about the plan and the process. Yet there will come a point where the faucet of information gets turned off.
“I think you always want to make sure that you’re talking to people who are knowledgeable and who have a lot of love for the program,” Baker said. “Now there comes a point where you have to shut that down, because if you’re taking all those calls, one, eventually it’s going to turn to ‘What candidates are you focused on?’ And that just leaks, and then those people get freaked out, other people in the market know who you’re talking to, and then maybe they jump on somebody trying to get ahead of you. And so it’s just best to shut all that out.”
There is a group of people Baker has reached out to during the search, to ask opinions, field questions or simply gain their perspective. He recently called Hall of Fame former WVU coach Don Nehlen when he was last in Morgantown. He also confirmed what Pat McAfee said on his radio show, that he and Baker have discussed the process.
McAfee is a new, yet important voice among the WVU faithful. A former All-American and NFL All-Pro punter, he has cultivated a massive brand within sports media, with his podcast and TV show, his appearances on ESPN’s “College Football Gameday,” even his appearances as color commentator for World Wrestling Entertainment broadcasts.
And in many of those appearances, McAfee touts his alma mater. Baker understands the importance of that and McAfee’s importance in helping present WVU to a new generation of fans.
“We are getting millions and millions of dollars of earned media value, because of his unapologetic love of his alma mater,” Baker said, “and so I recognize that. I wanted to have a conversation with him. I wouldn’t say that we’ve developed a close friendship, because he’s busy and has a lot to do, but we’ve developed a relationship, and I appreciate how much he loves his university.”
Among the sea of voices surrounding the search, there are those Baker has to siphon out. He loves and appreciates the fervor and passion of WVU fans, but admits that some fans don’t always behave or react rationally. They want to extend a coach’s contract for years after a big win and fire him immediately after a disappointing loss.
Baker said he’ll field those comments, but his coaching search won’t get too wrapped up in sentiment and emotion.
“I think as an AD, you let fans be fans, and then you try to make sure that you’re making decisions based on data, facts, a thorough thought process, and stay away from the emotion of it,” he said.
In the end, Baker realizes that his decision on a new football coach won’t make every corner of West Virginia fandom happy. Some will want an offensive coach over a defensive coach and vice versa. Some will demand a coach with in-state or WVU ties.
Baker assured the fanbase Tuesday that, by seeking advice from experienced people, he’ll be able to find a coach he believes will win games, which will make everyone happy.
“You want to make sure that people know here’s our process, this is what we’re doing,” Baker said. “They have comfort and confidence. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to arrive at where they would arrive or what they want to happen. But as long as you’re making sure that they know that you’re following a robust process, I think you end up in a good place.”
-Story by Derek Redd
