MORGANTOWN — For those who don’t like change, the local sports year of 2024 was not for you.
The year was filled with it, and it came in all shapes and sizes.
Major coaching changes — both at WVU and the area high schools — dominated the headlines, including the biggest of all that was saved for last.
In the span of just 11 days at the start of December, WVU went from firing football coach Neal Brown to rehiring Rich Rodriguez, who ran the Mountaineers from 2001-07.
“We are thrilled to welcome coach Rich Rodriguez and his family back home,” WVU athletic director Wren Baker said. “Coach Rodriguez understands what it takes to win at West Virginia, and I believe he will pour his heart, soul and every ounce of his energy into our program. I am convinced Coach Rodriguez wants what is best for West Virginia, WVU and West Virginia football, and I am excited about the future of our program.”
In the months before the big news, other major changes were the talk of the town.
It included Randy Mazey coaching his final season as WVU’s head baseball coach and then stepping down to make way for assistant Steve Sabins.
A year after Bob Huggins announced his resignation as WVU’s men’s basketball coach, Darian DeVries was announced as his full-time replacement.
Longtime head football coaches John Kelley (University High) and Ryan Wilson (Clay-Battelle) announced their retirements, making way for new head coaches at those schools for the first time this century.
The change went beyond the coaching ranks and even merged sports with the arena of legal theater.
That reached a peak after the state’s Board of Control had voted to add a fourth classification for high school football.
That set off a number of appeals from 22 schools who were seeking to be reclassified into a lower classification. Those appeals were eventually approved in August.
In turn, those late reclassifications created a number of court battles in November, first coming out of Wood County, that wanted all playoff points to be counted based on the original classifications.
When the Secondary School Activities Commission (SSAC) recalculated the playoff points based on original classifications, it knocked four schools out of the state playoffs.
Chaos and more court battles ensued, and it delayed the start of the state playoffs by a week.
So, yeah, the sports year that was 2024 was eventful in that it brought stories we never thought possible.
It brought us championships and it brought us history. It also brought us sadness, as legend Jerry West passed away in June. For the most part, though, it simply brought us a ton of change.
None was more newsworthy than the saga that unfolded with the WVU football program.
1. Neal Brown fired; Rich Rodriguez hired
Following a 6-6 regular season, Brown was fired after six years as the Mountaineers’ head coach. He finished with a WVU record of 37-35.
The reaction in social-media circles almost immediately called for the return of Rodriguez, who had guided the Mountaineers to four Big East championships between 2003-07, but had left the school rather controversially to become the head coach at Michigan.
Other confirmed interviews for the opening included Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.
In the end, Baker’s decision came down on Dec. 11 that Rodriguez, who had just guided Jacksonville State to a Conference USA title, would become the next head coach.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be the head football coach at West Virginia University,” Rodriguez said. “My family and I are filled with gratitude to lead the Mountaineer football program again and look forward to working with the many supporters, fans, and friends to build the best football program in America.”
2. Jerry West dies at 86
On the morning of June 12, WVU media writer John Antonik penned this as his lead: “The day everyone in West Virginia has always dreaded has finally arrived.”
West, the most legendary figure in the state of West Virginia, passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles.
“Today is one of the saddest days ever for West Virginia University and the state of West Virginia,” Baker said. “Mountaineer hearts all over the world are broken with the passing of the great Jerry West.”
West’s legend spread well beyond the state’s boarders and into the NBA, where he became a three-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
At WVU, West guided the Mountaineers to the 1959 national championship game and he’s still the school’s all-time record holder for points (2,309) and rebounds (1,240).
A first-round pick in 1960 by the then-Minneapolis Lakers, West played 14 seasons for the Lakers and was voted an All-Star each season. He played in seven NBA Finals, winning the Finals MVP in 1969, even though the Lakers lost against the Boston Celtics.
“I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing. He was truly a friend and mentor — like an older brother to me,” Michael Jordan told The Associated Press. “I valued his friendship and knowledge. I always wished I could have played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate. I admired his basketball insights and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game. He will be forever missed.”
3. Darian DeVries begins run at WVU
On March 13, Baker announced that interim WVU men’s hoops coach Josh Eilert would not be retained and the search was on for a full-time replacement.
The search lasted less than two weeks, taking Baker across the country to interview different candidates who were coaching in the NCAA tournament.
On March 24, it was announced DeVries — the head coach at Drake for six seasons — would be WVU’s 23rd head coach.
“I’m honored to lead this historic program which has an outstanding tradition and passionate fanbase,” DeVries said. “Gamedays in the WVU Coliseum are legendary, and the incredible support for Mountaineer Basketball is known nationwide. I look forward to building on the success of the program.”
DeVries signed a 5-year deal with WVU worth $15 million, with a contract stipulation guaranteeing a sixth year worth an additional $3.3 million if the Mountaineers finish in the top six of the Big 12 in any of DeVries’ first two seasons at the school.
4. J.J. Wetherholt goes No. 7 overall
Wetherholt wrapped up his WVU career with some historic numbers and achievements.
In 2023, he became the first WVU player to lead the country in hitting, finishing with a .449 batting average.
On July 14, Wetherholt made history again, becoming the first WVU baseball player to be drafted in the top 10, when the St. Louis Cardinals picked him seventh overall in the first round.
“They’re getting a baller,” Wetherholt told ESPN. “I can do it all. I can do a little bit of everything. I’m a learner, so I’m super excited to see what the Cardinals can do to make me a better player. I’m just excited to be a Cardinal.”
Wetherholt finished his WVU career with 206 hits, 29 home runs, 157 RBIs and 57 stolen bases.
5. MHS boys’ hoops completes three-peat
Sharron Young capped off his high school career with an MVP performance in the state tournament and the game-winning shot in the Class AAAA title game.
Young’s 3-pointer in overtime handed the Mohigans their third consecutive state championship with a 35-32 victory against Spring Mills.
Young, who signed to play college ball at Akron, was named the tournament’s MVP, as MHS also defeated Huntington and Wheeling Park in the earlier rounds.
Young had 11 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game.
“It’s almost like a dream come true,” Young said of the winning shot. “I’m in my driveway with my grandpa all the time and we’re always doing situations just like that.”
6. WVU baseball goes to super regional
WVU breezed through the Arizona regional, with a victory against No. 25 Dallas Baptist in the opening game, before beating Grand Canyon twice to move on.
It secured a piece of history for Mazey in his final season — a trip to the school’s first super regional, where No. 4 North Carolina was waiting.
The super-regional round means WVU was just one of 16 college baseball teams remaining.
In a best two-of-three series, the Tar Heels came away with a sweep, but both games were filled with drama that came down to the final play.
In Game 1, WVU pitcher Derek Clark was motivational. He went 8.1 innings, had thrown 144 pitches and had kept the Mountaineers in the game.
He finally left in the ninth with the game tied 6-6. North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt then hit a two-run, walk-off home run to end the game.
In Game 2, Honeycutt led off with another home run, but WVU answered back with an RBI single from Kyle West.
North Carolina led 2-1 in the ninth, but WVU loaded the bases. The Tar Heels held on after Benjamin Lumsden grounded out to win the game.
“That was a hard-fought 18 innings of baseball,” Mazey said. “I’m not sure they expected that out of the Mountaineers.”
Mazey ended his WVU career with 372 wins and one Big 12 championship.
7. Brock Kehler, UHS finish at the top
Having already won state titles as a freshman and sophomore, University High wrestler Brock Kehler’s domination as a junior wasn’t unexpected.
The Hawks winning a state team title, that was a different story.
Breaking through decades of success found at both Parkersburg and Parkersburg South, UHS won its first wrestling state title since 1956, with Kehler (285), Pepper Martin (106) and Luca Felix (165) all winning individual titles.
The Hawks finished first with 204.5 points. Parkersburg South was second at 193.
“This team has worked hard, they really have. This means everything to us,” UHS head coach Ken Maisel said. “This is the goal we’ve worked toward all year. Personally, it hits home. It’s been a lot of years here and we weren’t always at the level we are at now. To see what it has become and see the hard work pay off is so special.”
Kehler, who signed to continue his career at WVU, finished with a perfect 52-0 record for the season.
8. UHS wins softball state title
Maddie Campbell pitched six shutout innings in a winner-take-all situation and freshman Josalyn Phillips went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs to lead the University High softball team to its first-ever state softball championship with a 10-0 win against Washington.
The Hawks entered the final day as the champion of the winner’s bracket, meaning they had to be beaten twice to lose the tournament.
Washington took care of business in the first game, 6-3, setting up the decisive game.
Campbell, who also pitched the first game, scattered six hits and walked no one in the second game. She struck out two.
Phillips had three run-scoring singles that produced four RBIs and Sophia Lehosit drove in three more runs to seal the deal.
“We’ve worked hard for this moment,” UHS coach Mindy Parks said. “It goes all the way back to August with the flex days. We kept working and working this season and we never let up.
“I feel that we got better and better all year throughout the lineup and figured everything out at the right time. The pieces came together when we needed them to and I couldn’t be more proud of this group of girls.”
9. UHS sweeps cross-country state titles
The University High boys’ cross-country team continued its dominant run over the state, while the UHS girls’ team ended Morgantown High’s run of five-straight state championships.
The UHS girls won the title with 56 points, and did so with one of its top runners, Adelyn Tager, missing the meet due to injury.
The Hawks still placed all of their five scoring runners inside the top 23, with Abigail Rogers leading the way with a second-place finish in 18:40.79.
“It’s everything to us,” Rogers said. “We were working for the seniors. We all just wanted to do it for each other and Adelyn. I was near the fence urging the girls to come on. We’re happy to do it. Wouldn’t want it any other way. We stepped up.”
The UHS boys won the team title with 42 points and placed its first three runner in the top 10. Tyler Umbright led University with a third-place finish in 15:55.41.
“The boys kind of like don’t want to be the ones not to do it,” University coach Ed Frohnapfel said. “They want to keep things going. The tradition of prior years and the great runners. I worry about the team. Individuals take care of themselves.”
10. John Kelley retires
After 41 years spent with the University High football program, 37 of them as the head coach, John Kelley announced his retirement in February.
Kelley won 254 games and had three perfect 10-0 regular seasons. He took 22 teams to the state playoffs, including the 1994 team that lost in the Class AAA state title game against South Charleston.
“I’ve been doing this for 49 years and 41 of them (at UHS), 37 as the head coach,” Kelley said. “It’s hard to walk away. It’s difficult. It’s been my whole life. Maybe I’m made up different from everyone else, but this has been my life. This is the greatest school I’ve ever been involved with.”
Kelley also had six UHS teams play in the state semifinals and he coached 44 players who earned first-team all-state honors.
“I walked out here today, and for the first time in 49 years, I’m not a football coach,” Kelley continued. “People say now you can go out and travel. I don’t want to do that. I’m not ready. I’ll take it a day at a time.”
Kelley’s top assistant, Eric Snyder, was named as the Hawks’ head coach.
WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?
** The WVU women’s cross-country team nearly pulled off a shocker, finishing second in the country at the NCAA national championships behind BYU. Senior Ceili McCabe took sixth place individually.
** WVU baseball coach Steve Sabins officially took over as the program’s head coach following the 2023-24 season.
** The WVU men’s soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the country on two separate occasions. The Mountaineers fell in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Virginia.
** Clay-Battelle football coach Ryan Wilson announced his retirement. He spent 40 years with the school, 29 as the head coach. He finished with 187 wins.
** Trinity freshman Elecia McCurrie won the 100, 200 and 400-meters in the Class A state track meet, breaking state records in all three races.
** WVU offensive lineman Wyatt Milum became the program’s 14th all-time Consensus All-American. Milum earned first-team selections from Walter Camp, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and Sporting News.
** The WVU men’s basketball team pulled off a shocker in the Bahamas with an 86-78 overtime victory against No. 3 Gonzaga in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
** University High’s Lyla Byers won the Class AAA No. 1 singles tennis title for a second consecutive year with a 6-0, 6-0 victory against Madeline Bradshaw of Wheeling Park.
** The Morgantown High football team hosted a first-round playoff game for the first time since 2016, beating Woodrow Wilson 35-10.
** WVU defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley is fired in the middle of the season and is replaced by Jeff Koonz.
** Morgantown High guard Sharron Young broke the school’s all-time scoring record and was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Young broke the former mark of 1,268 points set in 1956 by Jay Jacobs. Young finished his career with 1,496 points.
** The WVU women’s basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before falling to Iowa and star Caitlin Clark, 64-54. The Mountaineers finished with a 25-8 record.
