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WVU - A Storied Tradition
Author : Troy Young
Submitted : 2011-11-13 Word Count : 504 Popularity: Not Rated
Tags: wvu apparel, wvu sports, wvu football, wvu clothes, west virginia university, mountaineer apparel
West Virginia University has built one of the Nation's top NCAA Division I athletic programs. Long time members of the BIG EAST, WVU recently accepted an invitation to join the Big 12. Some of the athlete's the Mountaineer program has garnered are Steve Slaton, James Jett, Marc Bulger, Sam Huff, Jeff Hostetler, Darryl Talley and the NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, among others.
The WVU football program has won more games than any other Football Bowl Subdivision team and never won a National Championship, though they have been very close. In the last several decades, WVU has been coached by Bobby Bowden, Don Nehlen, Rich Rodriguez, Bill Stewart and currently Dana Holgerson. While many from West Virginia dislike Rodriguez for initially lying about wanting to leave WVU (first regarding a position at Alabama, then the following year Michigan), his coaching style and recruiting brought the Mountaineers some of the biggest victories and most memorable moments in WVU football history, whether fans want to admit it or not. It was a huge victory over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia that started the tradition of "couch burning" as students started make-shift bon fires in the streets of Morgantown. While often times ridiculed and simply joked about, the practice of burns is highly frowned upon by Morgantown officials and they have taken many steps to prevent the practice. The Mountaineer football team makes its home at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar stadium. Milan "Mike" Puskar, who died of cancer in 2011 at age 70, was the co-founder of Mylan Pharmaceuticals and has a manufacturing facility in Morgantown. Puskar, a huge WVU fan, donated $20 Million to WVU, the greatest amount ever privately donated to the University.
West Virginia basketball, after the Jerry West era, was not much to talk about. It was a mediocre program for many years under the leadership of Gale Catlett. They had some success in the 1980's but really started to win after John Beilein took over in 2003. Belein exited and in 2008 Bob Huggins came back to his hometown after coaching in Cincinnati and Kansas. In 2010, Huggin's WVU basketball team made a Final Four appearance.
Other noteable mentions for West Virginia University are it's Rifle team who has 14 NCAA Rifle Championships, Women's Soccer who won the 2011 BIG EAST title, and "The Pride of West Virginia", the official marching band of WVU which was awarded the Sudler Trophy for its excellence in 1997.
West Virginia fans are some of the most loyal in the nation. Win or lose, you will see blue and gold fill the seats game after game, regardless of the weather, indoors and out.
WVU has also produced 19 Truman Scholars, 30 Goldwater Scholars, and 25 Rhodes Scholars.
Author's Resource Box
As avid WVU Mountaineer fans, Troy and Tammi Young follow the WVU athletic program closely and operate several West Virginia oriented web sites. Their online store sells WVU clothes for men, women and children as well as other great items such as
WVU tailgate gear auto accessories, toys and more.