MORGANTOWN – West Virginia University spent Friday afternoon celebrating the hiring of Rich Rodriguez as its new head football coach.
Yet Rodriguez won’t be on the sidelines as the Mountaineers’ head coach for Tuesday’s Frisco Bowl against No. 25 Memphis (9 p.m. ESPN). He hasn’t been on the practice field helping WVU prepare for that game versus the Tigers. That is the task of interim head coach Chad Scott, the Mountaineer offensive coordinator who stepped into the top role following the firing of former coach Neal Brown.
Scott’s time in that role will end at the final gun of Tuesday’s game, but he’s enjoying the limited time he’s had in the job, approaching it just as he has his other roles at WVU since arriving there.
“I haven’t changed at all,” Scott said. “I’m a guy who talks to the offense, defense, special teams on a daily basis. I’m a high energy guy all the time.”
Whether it has been as running backs coach, offensive coordinator or interim head coach, Scott has made it a point to interact with every team member during this WVU tenure. He said he is “intentionally positive” every day. He makes it a point to be that jolt of joy around the locker room.
“I always tell the guys, if you’re having a bad day, come find me,” he said.
That’s an important trait for an interim head coach to have during a time of upheaval like this one. Rodriguez already has introduced himself to the current roster. Not all players are sure about their futures in old gold and blue after Tuesday’s game. The same goes for WVU’s coaches.
Of the many jobs that Scott has to shoulder during bowl preparation, one he considers among the most important is setting the tone for both the staff and the roster in terms of attitude. He’s making sure that, even if the coaches are nervous about what’s to come, they don’t show it to the players.
“I think that it’s very important for our coaching staff to have energy and be consistent in its energy and attitude every day around these guys,” he said. “Right now, these guys are looking for someone to follow. So if we’re looking upset or disappointed or whatever the case may be, that could trickle down to our players, and we cannot have that.”
The rest of the Mountaineers have appreciated what Scott has done in this short-time role. Defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz said Scott has been great in leading the team through bowl prep.
“This is something that Chad’s ready for,” he said. “Chad’s done a phenomenal job. He is the heartbeat of our team. He understands schematically what we need to do to win the game. He understands what we need to do from a staff standpoint and a player standpoint.”
What happens past Tuesday for WVU’s coaching staff and roster may be a mystery, but Scott knows that they’re guaranteed one more game as a team. So he and the staff want to make sure their players have as enjoyable of an experience as possible as their time winds down.
“It’s not about us right now,” he said, “it’s about these players. These players didn’t ask to be in this position, and the resiliency they’re showing right now is phenomenal. The attitude, effort and energy they’re putting in is phenomenal.
“So, it’s now about us coaches right now,” he continued. “It’s about us putting our best foot forward and being here for these guys and making sure we come up with a great game plan that’s simple for them and preparing these guys the right way to go out to Frisco, Texas, and represent the university and the state the right way.”
— Story by Derek Redd
