Published: May 07, 2008 11:34 pm         

Annual MAC Caravan rolls into Beckley Tuesday

The annual Mountaineer Athletic Club Caravan will be rolling into Beckley next week.

And for the second year in a row, it will be a two-day affair, complete with the popular silent auction and a day of golf.

Scheduled to be in town for the two-day Mountaineerfest are popular new football coach Bill Stewart, who guided West Virginia to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma; one of the winningest active coaches in college basketball, Bob Huggins, who in his first year back at his alma mater guided WVU to the Sweet 16; successful women’s basketball coach Mike Carey; and athletic director Ed Pastilong, who has overseen what is widely being considered the second golden age of Mountaineer athletics.

Additionally, several assistant coaches from all these teams could make their way off the recruiting trail to Beckley for one or both of the events.

The auction, a huge success last year, kicks off the event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the auxiliary tent outside the Glade Springs verandah.

Last year, some 200 people attended the MAC auction.

“Our first auction was a tremendous success,” said area MAC director Doug Ball, who has been in charge of WVU-related athletic stops in the area dating back to the Bobby Bowden era.

“I think the big thing is that people had a fun time. It’s a fun event.”

Items set to be auctioned include autographed football helmets, basketball and football jerseys, basketballs, footballs, several Jerry West-autographed golf balls, photos and paintings.

On Wednesday, the action moves to the pristine Cobb Course for a day of golf.

A lunch will be held at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start for the golf scramble set for 1 p.m.

Golf is $225, which includes cart and greens fees, lunch and a blue golf vest with the Flying WV logo on the front.

For more information on the auction or golf, call Doug Ball at 254-2169 (office), 763-3157 (home) or 545-0252.

— E-mail:

demorrison@register-herald.com