Yardbarker: West Virginia Mountaineers

No fumbles for Slaton

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:36:07 -0500

Four years ago, Texans running back Steve Slaton climbed from the third spot on the depth chart as a freshman at West Virginia due to the inability of opening-day starter Jason Colson to hold onto the ball. So Slaton realizes...

West Virginia Licking Chops

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:19:20 -0500

By Paul Sykes Another inevitable trip to the woodshed this weekend for the University of Louisville, masquerading as a bonified, competitive football team. Anything under a 14-point loss to West Virginia might be considered a moral victory by some. What to watch for: Defense against Noel Devine. Louisville has contained key running backs several times this year but they’ll run into midget monster in [...]

UConn Heartbroken Again In Last Minute

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:35:37 -0500

Unreal. This one hurts bad. Reallllllll bad. That’s what I said on my Twitter page after Saturday’s game. For the second straight week, with a win in their grasps, the UConn Huskies were once again foiled in the closing minutes of the game. Last week it was Noel Devine and West Virginia. This week, it was Tim [...]

South Florida Upsets No.21 West Virginia 30-19

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:10:00 -0500

B.J. Daniels threw for 232 yards and rushed for 104 more to account for more offense than the Mountaineers (No. 21 BCS, No. 20 AP) managed as a team in the Bulls' 30-19 victory Friday night. Daniels threw for three touchdowns, and the Bulls rebounded from two subpar defensive performances to frustrate West Virginia running back Noel Devine and beat their Big East rival for the third time in four years.Many people doubted South Florida after some big losses lately, but they did bounce back...

Game Preview: West Virginia Mountaineers @ USF Bulls – 10/30 – 12:00

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:28:00 -0500

USF is generally considered to be sans rivals. Let’s rephrase that. USF is generally considered to be sans longtime, historical rivals. That has everything to do with being a young program and even younger member of its conference. There are a number of budding rivalries. There was the one with that school from about 90 minutes away – UCF. There is the team that shellacked the Bulls last weekend – Pittsburgh. There is that team from near the bottom of...

UConn remembers Howard, falls short at West Virginia

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:52:00 -0500

Noel Devine's 56-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes lifted No. 22 West Virginia to a 28-24 win over Connecticut on Saturday in the Huskies' first game since the fatal stabbing of cornerback Jasper Howard.

Mountaineers rally to top emotional UConn

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:22:02 -0500

Noel Devine’s 56-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes lifted No. 22 West Virginia to a 28-24 win over Connecticut on Saturday in the Huskies’ first game since the fatal stabbing of cornerback Jasper Howard.

WVU DT Berry arrested for public intoxication

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:27 -0500

West Virginia defensive tackle Scooter Berry has been arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Morgantown Municipal Court records show Berry was arrested early Sunday morning after an incident outside a Morgantown bar. He was released on $200 bond and faces a Nov. 11 hearing. The 23-year-old Berry has been slowed by injuries this season. He missed two games with a shoulder sprain, and he also injured an ankle making a tackle against Marshall on Saturday.

Patrick White, excited about Michigan State

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:01:36 -0500

Patrick White, excited about Michigan State

Ohio Wide Receiver Patrick White is the third member of the

senior class of 2009 at Pickerington Central High School

in central Ohio

to find his way into a recruiting class in the Big Ten. After receiving a

number of major offers including Cincinnati, ...

IS RODRIGUEZ' DEPARTURE HAVING AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON WEST VIRGINIA?

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:18:57 -0500

Not much credence was given to the offseason drama surrounding the departure of head coach Rich Rodriguez. Having played at the college level for one of the finer coaches at that time, I have personal experience in knowing how a team can be effected when a head coach departs.

Better hire: Bill Stewart or 12-year-old boy?

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:30:24 -0500

A 12 year-old Connecticut boy threw his name in the ring for the head coaching position at West Virginia. The funny thing is West Virginia fans might think this kid is a comparable option to the guy they hired, Bill Stewart.

Contract Law: Meet Rich Rodriguez

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:49:09 -0500

Apologies to those who are just a few weeks removed from their contract law final. Feel free to stop reading now. By now you probably know that West Virginia University's Board of Governors is suing former football coach Rich Rodriguez (inset) in order to collect a $4 million buyout of his contract with the school. The lawsuit, filed in Monongalia County Circuit Court, says the university believes Rodriguez doesn't intend to abide by the contract. It also states that the university fulfilled the contract's terms and Rodriguez never gave it written notice, as required by the contract, that it had not followed the agreement. The buyout clause requires Rodriguez to pay $4 million to the school over a two-year period, with one-third of the total due 30 days after his employment's termination, which was effective Dec. 19 when Rodriguez formally accepted the head job at Michigan after seven seasons in Morgantown (where he led West Virginia to four Big East championships and a 60-26 record). Happier Times Rodriguez's agent, Mike Brown, has thus far declined to comment on the matter. But attorneys for Rodriguez are allegedly planning to argue in court that Rodriguez does not owe the school (or alternatively, that the $4 million sum ought to be reduced, a la the buyout of former Mountaineers basketball coach John Beilein, who ironically also bolted for Michigan) because he was fraudulently induced to sign a contract with false promises. And a key witness for Rodriguez will likely be Ken Kendrick, a longtime West Virginia athletics donor and close friend of Rodriguez who is also the managing general partner of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. "They baited and switched him," said Kendrick. Rodriguez and the university agreed to a seven-year contract on Dec. 21, 2002, and it has been extended twice since then. The latest revision was agreed to on Dec. 8, 2006, when Rodriguez was considering an offer from Alabama. The revised contract was to run through the 2013 season. Kendrick claims, however, that a university signed document contained promises allegedly made to Rodriguez when he last signed with the school that were never in fact met. Said promises, asserts Kendrick, included allowing players to keep textbooks for resale, a practice that occurs at some other schools; waiving a $5 charge for high school coaches to attend Mountaineers games; having authority over distribution of sideline passes (Kendrick said Rodriguez "negotiated" one for his wife, Rita); having authority to allocate funds from the 1100 Club for coaches; a commitment to increase pay for his assistant coaches; additional money to pay graduate assistants; and hiring an additional recruiting assistant. Kendrick pointed out that Beilein had his buyout reduced after last season, in part because WVU had failed to deliver on promises. But Stephen Goodwin, chairman of WVU's Board of Governors, stood by the actions of athletic director Ed Pastilong and WVU president Mike Garrison, and furthermore downplayed the laundry list of items that Kendrick claimed Rodriguez passionately implored the university to address during his tenure. "There were some very minor issues that [Rodriguez] raised with the administration?and people were working on them," argued Goodwin. Kendrick, however, disagrees. "Rich was boxed in by a university and athletic department that was arrogant, mean-spirited and intellectually bankrupt. This was 100 percent preventable, which is what makes it so sad. [Rich] was frustrated. Things weren't getting done. He'd never say it because he's a class act. So I'll say it." Scrounge around the internet rumor mill however and you'll find varying opinions about how "classy" Rodriguez really is. According to collegefootballtalk.com, for example: "The irony of all of this is that, as we understand it, is that Rodriguez refused to finalize the term sheet that was negotiated last year at this time to keep him in West Virginia, because he tried prior to the 2007 season to finagle more stuff. And what isn't being reported [by ESPN.com or other outlets] is the manner in which Rodriguez went about making his requests. There was, as we understand it, crying and screaming and incoherence from both Rodriguez and his wife. The real culprit, in our opinion is Rodriguez's agent, Mike Brown, who doesn't get a percentage of his client's happiness as a fee. Brown made it known last year that he thought it was time for Rodriguez to leave his alma mater, and we believe that Brown spent the next 12 months stirring up trouble. The kicker was the aftermath of the unthinkable loss to Pitt. Based on various conversations with folks in the know, it appears that Rodriguez's grief morphed into a finger-pointing campaign, which apparently set the stage for his agent to make the differences irreconcilable. The tragedy here is that guys who presumably are smart (like Kendrick and other boosters) have allowed themselves to form their opinions without hearing the whole story. And if the university is guilty of anything here, it's of having the class not to tell the world about the manner in which Rodriguez conducted himself over the past several months." Attorney Drew Capuder weighed in on the matter from a legal standpoint for MSNBC.com, as did attorney Tom Kirkendall over at thewizardofodds.com,: "This is really pretty straightforward stuff from a legal standpoint, although one has to overlay West Virginia state law on the contract issues. Whether Rodriguez has a valid fraudulent inducement claim largely depends on the terms of the contract. In most cases of a contract of this magnitude, it will contain a merger clause that will provide something to the following effect: 'The parties confirm that, in entering into this contract, they have relied only on the representations and warranties included in this contract and that all prior representations made between the parties ? whether oral or written ? are null and void and of no force and effect. This contract is the sole agreement between the parties and cannot be modified except in writing approved by both parties.' If such a provision is contained in the contract, Rodriguez's fraudulent inducement claim would be dismissed on summary judgment in most jurisdictions." But this analysis may be overly simplistic. For example, what about Beilein's case? Under that contract, Beilein's "buyout clause" was in fact what is more specifically labeled a "liquidated damage clause," whereby parties to a deal specify in advance an estimated value of how badly one party would be damaged if the other party breached the contract. In most jurisdictions, however, said clauses are only enforceable to the extent that the parties acknowledge that in the event of a breach, the nature of the agreement in question prevents an accurate measurement or estimation of the actual damages incurred by the nonbreaching party, and furthermore that the parties then proceed to make a reasonable estimation of the damages that would in fact result from the breach. The clause in Beilein's contract, however, lacked the proper requisite language, and furthermore tabbed liquidated damages at a seemingly capricious $500,000/annum for the contract's duration. Not surprisingly, Beilein's lawyer shot holes through the shoddy drafting and the court found partially in his favor. But what precedent does that hold for Rodriguez, since the language of his contract is presumably materially different? Most likely, very little. Furthermore, Rodriguez's attorney can argue that the mere presence of a merger clause per se is irrelevant. Rodriguez is claiming fraud, not breach. A merger clause prevents a party from claiming that the other party breached the agreement by failing to meet some unwritten obligations. However, Rodriguez could assert that he isn't arguing that WVU failed to do what it promised, but rather that he would not have signed the deal in the first place had WVU not fraudulently claimed it would do what it promised. The subtle difference could render the merger clause legally insignificant in the court's eyes.

Rich Rodriguez "Disappointed", "Upset" by WVU Lawsuit

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:54:26 -0500

RichRod apparently has difficulty reading and understanding his employment contracts. When you sign a legal document that says you'll owe $4M if you take a different job, odds are the other party expects you to owe $4M when you take another job.

Terry Bowden looking to become next West Virginia head coach

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:58:55 -0500

He's called it his "dream job." Should he be the next Mountaineer coach?

T. Bowden to WVU? As the Coaching Carousel Turns

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 23:20:38 -0500

Morgantown's own Terry Bowden is expressing interest in returning to WVU. Why it's a great move for both parties.

Rich Rodriguez to Michigan

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:31:01 -0500

The University of Michigan finally found someone willing to take over for Lloyd Carr as head coach. They continued their raid on all things West Virginia, tapping Rich Rodriguez after stealing John Beilein only last year. Incest and moonshine can't be far behind.

Why Pat White is the #1 pick in your fantasy college football draft

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:43:01 -0500

College Fantasy Bowl takes a look at West VA QB Pat White and details why White should be your #1 target in your fantasy college football league draft come August.

Musings for the Mountaineers

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:22:57 -0500

Analysis of the West Virgininia 2007 season, the schedule, the dual Heisman hopefuls, and some other stuff.

2007 Football Recruiting Roundup: West Virginia Mountaineers (Big East)

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:49:21 -0500

A fantasy college look at the West Virginia football recruits of 2007

Attn: Rich Rodriguez. Leave West Virginia.

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:43:28 -0500

I can understand loyalty towards a program. I might even respect it. But Rich Rodriguez made a mistake. Rodriguez declined a job coaching for Alabama and will return to Morgantown next season, coaching the West Virginia Mountaineers. Rodrigeuz has built quite a team out in West Virginia but I think this move was a mistake. I know he's a West Virginia alum with loyalties to the school and program but I think taking the Alabama job would have been a serious, serious upgrade.