West Virginia Mountaineers

West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
	Logo
University	West Virginia University
Conference	Big East
Division	Division I
Athletic director	Ed Pastilong
Location	Morgantown, West Virginia
Varsity teams	17
Football stadium	Mountaineer Field
Arena	WVU Coliseum
Mascot	The Mountaineer
Nickname	Mountaineers
Colors	Old Gold and Blue;
Website	www.wvu.edu/~sports/

The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is also known as the Mountaineer. The two major sports at the university are football (played at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium) and basketball (played at the WVU Coliseum), although many of the other sports have large followings as well.

Baseball

Playing Facility: Hawley Field

Head Coach: Greg Van Zant

Most Victories: 40 in 1994

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12

Last NCAA Appearance: 1996

All-Americans: 7

Drafted Players: 53

Players In The Majors: 19

Website: http://www.wvubaseball.com

Notable players

Men's Basketball

Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum

Head Coach: John Beilein

Most Victories: 29 in 1959

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19

NIT Appearances: 14

Last NCAA Appearance: 2006

All-Americans: 13

Drafted Players: 28

Players In The NBA: 11

History and Coaches

West Virginia men's basketball has competed in only two basketball championship final matches: the 1959 NCAA final and the 1942 NIT final (at that time, the NIT was considered by many to be more prestigious than the NCAA). They lost 71-70 to California in the 1959 final. The Mountaineers won the 1942 NIT by 47-45 over Western Kentucky.

Notable players

Willie Akers

Gale Catlett, who later became more notable as WVU's coach

Notable Games

March 2, 1949 against Geneva in Morgantown, West Virginia with a 75-38 win when Fred Schaus scored 1000th career point.
February 26, 1951 at Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a 72-74 loss when the final basketball game played in Pitt Pavilion was held.
February 9, 1957 at Richmond in Richmond, Virginia with a 87-81 win when Rod Hundley scored 2000th career point.
February 11, 1960 at St. John's in New York City with a 73-79 loss when Jerry West scored 2000th career point.
January 14, 1970 at Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a 67-66 Overtime win when a Pittsburgh fan threw a large dead fish onto the court after a technical foul against Pittsburgh.
March 3, 1970 against Pittsburgh in Morgantown, West Virginia with a 87-92 loss in the final game in Mountaineer Fieldhouse.
March 19, 2005 in a 111-105 double overtime win against Wake Forest in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.

Women's Basketball

Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum

Head Coach: Mike Carey

Most Victories: 26 in 1992

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3

WNIT Appearances: 2

Last NCAA Appearance: 2004

All-Americans: 3

Drafted Players: 2

Players In The WNBA: 1

Notable Players

Georgann Wells

Cross Country

Head Coach: Jeff Huntoon

NCAA Appearances: 2

Last NCAA Appearance: 2000

All-Americans: 2

Football

Playing Facility: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium

Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez

Most Victories: 11 in 1988, 1993, and 2005

Bowl Game Appearances: 26

Last Bowl Game Appearance: 2006 Sugar Bowl

All-Americans: 9

Drafted Players: 150

Players Currently In The NFL: 19

All-Time NFL Players: 132

Pro Football Hall of Famers: 2

Big East Champions: 1993, 2003(co), 2004(co), 2005

History and Coaches

The WVU football program first started in 1891 with a record of 0-1-0. But throughout the years, the program has garnered a 631-437-45 record. Beginning in 1937-1938, West Virginia was classified as a College Division. From 1939-1972, West Virginia was in the University Division. From '73-'77, WVU was Division I, then from '78-present WVU has been Division I-A.

WVU started out in 1891-1924 as an Independent. Then 1925-1927 it was in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. But from 1928-1949 it was again an Independent. From 1950-1967 it was in the Southern Conference, but from 1968-1972 it was again an Independent. Finally, from 1973-1977 it was a Division I Independent. Then from 1978-1990 it was a Division I-A Independent, and finally resides from 1991-present in the Big East Conference. WVU had no team in 1892 and 1918.

West Virginia has only had undefeated regular seasons in 1988 when it went to the National Championship in the Fiesta Bowl to face University of Notre Dame and in 1993 when they went to the Sugar Bowl to face University of Florida. However, West Virginia lost both bowl games, 34-21 to Notre Dame, and a 41-7 blowout by Florida. Both undefeated regular seasons were under their greatest coach, Don Nehlen.

WVU has been Conference champions twelve times (8 in the Southern Conference, four in the Big East Conference). West Virginia's highest coach/AP ranking in program history has been #3 following the 1988 regular season heading in to the Fiesta Bowl. WVU has been in bowls 24 times, their record stands at 9-15. Major bowls were the Sugar Bowl (3 times), Peach Bowl (4 times), Fiesta Bowl (1 time), and the Gator Bowl (5 times).

Doug Flutie, with his Boston College team, was never able to defeat WVU in his tenure there.

The average winning percentage for WVU coaches is 0.587. The games for all coaches in total are 113 and the years are 112.

Rivalries

West Virginia vs Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl
West Virginia vs Syracuse in the battle for the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy
West Virginia vs Maryland
West Virginia vs Marshall in The Friends of Coal Bowl for the Governer's Trophy (though some West Virginia fans don't consider this a rivalry, as the teams had only met five times in the previous century.
West Virginia vs Louisville
West Virginia vs Virginia Tech in the Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy (ended run in 2005 season)
West Virginia vs Penn State though they have not played since the 1992 season

2006 Season Results

Date	Opponent	WVU	Opp.
September 2	vs. Marshall	42	10
September 9	vs Eastern Washington	52	3
September 14	vs. Maryland	45	24
September 23	@ East Carolina	27	10
October 7	@ Mississippi State	42	14
October 14	vs. Syracuse	41	17
October 20	@ Connecticut	37	11
November 2	@ Louisville
Nobember 11	vs Cincinnati
November 16	@ Pittsburgh
November 25	vs South Florida
December 2	vs Rutgers

Notable Games

1975 Peach Bowl, West Virginia 13, NC State 10: Bobby Bowden was coaching West Virginia when Lou Holtz was coaching NC State. The game was won by West Virginia when Scott MacDonald, a tight end, caught a 50 yard pass. Bill Cowher, later famous for coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers, was playing linebacker for NC State.
1982, West Virginia 41, No. 9 Oklahoma 27: West Virginia opened their season off upsetting Oklahoma as an underdog. Jeff Hostetler helped win the game with his passing game. After the game, West Virginia players were escorted by police onto the bus, out of Norman, Oklahoma.
1983, West Virginia 24, Pittsburgh 21: With Jeff Hostetler passing for a touchdown with 6:27 left in the game, West Virginia lifted themselves over Pittsburgh and into the Number 7 spot in the polls. This was West Virginia's first victory over Pittsburgh in seven years.
1984, West Virginia 21, No. 4 Boston College 20: West Virginia entered the half trailing 20-6. Their second half ended with 15 points to come from behind to upset Boston College. This would be the fourth straight time that Boston College Heisman winner Doug Flutie had failed to defeat West Virginia.
1984, West Virginia 17, No. 19 Penn State 14: Only a week after upsetting Boston College, West Virginia upset then ranked 19, Penn State. That would be the first time West Virginia had beat Penn State since 1955 and it lifted West Virginia to 12 in the polls.
1988, West Virginia 51, Penn State 30: West Virginia, ranked 7 at the time, scored 41 points in the first half to roll over the Nittany Lions. It was the most first half points ever allowed by a Joe Paterno coached team and the most ever had scored in its history. West Virginia's win was also credited widely to Major Harris, who had a touchdown run which is forever known in West Virginia history as "the Play".
1993, West Virginia 17, No. 4 Miami 14: With a school record 70, 222 fans attenting to watch West Virginia, the Mountaineers came from behind to defeat Miami. Robert Walker of West Virginia scored the game winning touchdown in the 4th quarter to help Number 9 West Virginia advance in the polls.
1993, West Virginia 17, No. 11 Boston College 14: Edd Hill, a receiver of West Virginia, scored the game winning touchdown with a leaping catch in the endzone in the final seconds for No. 5 West Virginia to win their final regular season game. West Virginia advanced to the Sugar Bowl, only to lose to No. 8 Florida.
1998, West Virginia 35, No. 15 Syracuse 28: Marc Bulger of West Virginia passed a touchdown to receiver David Saunders to score the winning touchdown. Donovan McNabb, quarterback of the Orangemen, couldn't take the ball downfield and West Virginia pulled out a win.
2000 Music City Bowl, West Virginia 49, Ole Miss 38: West Virginia scored 25 first half points to upset favored Mississippi in coach Don Nehlen's last game coaching West Virginia. West Virginia's Brad Lewis, quarterback, scored a bowl-record 5 touchdown passes and their whole offense racked up 432 total yards on offense.
2002, West Virginia 21, No. 13 Virginia Tech 18: Quincy Wilson rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown and West Virginia held Virginia Tech on the goalline to win the game. It was West Virginia's first victory over a nationally ranked team on the road since defeating Boston College 17-14 in 1993, and the first win over a ranked team since defeating Syracuse 35-28 in 1998.
2003, West Virginia 28, No. 3 Virginia Tech 7: West Virginia's victory was the biggest in school history. No. 3 Virginia Tech was the highest ranked team West Virginia had beaten on the football field and was Rich Rodriguez' first win over a Top 10 team. Virginia Tech's only score was on a controversial fumble return Touchdown. (Some fans refer the final score to the game as 28-"7", or West Virginia 28 - Referees 7 - Virginia Tech 0)
2006 Sugar Bowl, West Virginia 38, Georgia 35: In what is considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of BCS bowl games, West Virginia scored 21 points in the first quarter (and 28 points in the first 20 minutes) to jump ahead early. Steve Slaton, a true freshman running back, won the MVP award and broke Tony Dorsett's Sugar Bowl record of 204 rushing yards. The play of the game was when in the 4th quarter Rich Rodriguez called a fake punt which caught the Bulldogs punting unit off-guard to get the first down and run out the clock to win.

Gymnastics

Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum

Head Coach: Linda Burdette

Most Victories: 26 in 1992

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3

AIAW Appearances: 1

Last NCAA Appearance: 2000

All-Americans: 4

Notable Gymnasts

Shari Retton

Rifle

Playing Facility: WVU Shell Building

Head Coach: Marsha Beasley

Most Victories: 19 in 1964

NCAA Appearances: 24

NCAA Team Championships: 13

National Individual Champions: 20

NCAA All-Americans: 65

Olympians: 12

Notable Riflemen

Bruce Meredith

Men's Soccer

Playing Facility: Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium

Head Coach: Marlon LeBlanc

Most Victories: 13 in 1966, 1999 and 2005

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 7

Last NCAA Appearance: 2005

All-Americans: 4

Mountaineer Professionals: 12

Notable Men's Soccer Players

Devon McTavish

Aaron Pitchkolan

Jarrod Smith

Women's Soccer

Playing Facility: Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium

Head Coach: Nikki Izzo-Brown

Most Victories: 18 in 2002

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6

Last NCAA Appearance: 2005

All-Americans: 3

Academic All-American: 4

Mountaineer Professionals: 2

Men's Swimming

Playing Facility: WVU Natatorium

Head Coach: Sergio Lopez

Most Victories: 11 in 1966

NCAA Qualifiers: 19

NCAA All-Americans: 2

Olympians: 1

Women's Swimming

Playing Facility: WVU Natatorium

Head Coach: Sergio Lopez

Most Victories: 9 in 1990

NCAA Qualifiers: 9

NCAA All-Americans: 4

Olympians: 1

Women's Tennis

Playing Facility: Mountaineer Tennis Courts

Head Coach: Marc Walters

Most Victories: 21 in 1990

Women's Track

Head Coach: Jeff Huntoon

Olympians: 2

NCAA National Champions: 2

NCAA All-Americans: 13

Women's Volleyball

Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum

Head Coach: Veronica Hammersmith

Most Victories: 35 in 1979

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0

Last NCAA Appearance: NA

NIT Appearances: 1

All-Americans: 0

All-East: 2

Wrestling

Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum

Head Coach: Craig Turnbull

Most Victories: 14 in 1976 and 1990

NCAA Individual Appearances: 67

Best NCAA Finish: 6th in 1991

All-Americans: 16

National Champions: 3

EWL Champions: 18

Notable Wrestlers

Dominic Black

Floyd Schwartzwalder

Greg Jones

Pageantry

File:Mountaineer.jpg

Team Colors: Old Gold and Blue

Fight Song: Hail West Virginia! (Take Me Home, Country Roads is local song)

Nickname: Mountaineers

Mascot: The Mountaineer

Marching Band: Mountaineer Marching Band, known as "The Pride of West Virginia." Well-known for their formation of the West Virginia state outline.

References

Baseball

Notable players

Men's Basketball

History and Coaches

Notable players

Notable Games

Women's Basketball

Notable Players

Cross Country

Football

History and Coaches

Rivalries

2006 Season Results

Current NFL Players

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Notable players

Notable Games

Gymnastics

Notable Gymnasts

Rifle

Notable Riflemen

Men's Soccer

Notable Men's Soccer Players

Women's Soccer

Men's Swimming

Women's Swimming

Women's Tennis

Women's Track

Women's Volleyball

Wrestling

Notable Wrestlers

Pageantry

References