The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

March 6, 2008

Holliday talks about WVU’s recruiting plans

By Mickey Furfari

MORGANTOWN — John “Doc” Holliday, West Virginia University’s associate head coach and recruiting director, talked to the media briefly Wednesday about the new football coaching staff’s plans for attracting new talent.

He said the coaching staff already is evaluating some 300 prospects for the 2009 class, spending two hours each day looking at tapes. He also revealed that another running back and/or slot receiver might be added to the 24 signees in the 2008 class.

Holliday admitted that depth at both of those offensive positions is a concern.

“So we’re going to continue to look for people at those two positions and maybe add one more running back,” he explained.

He also stated that, with all nine coaches participating, WVU will visit every high school in West Virginia this spring in search of possible recruits.

“If there are players in state good enough to help us win the Big East championship and play for the national title, we’d like to have them,” Holliday said. “We hope we can do a great job recruiting.

“All of the coaches brought in by coach (Bill) Stewart not only are great coaches but great recruiters. I think the No. 1 thing is that there are enough players out there for us to win the Big East and play for the national championship.”

As an assistant coach under the retired Don Nehlen at WVU in the early 1980s, Holliday established the school’s successful recruiting in South Florida. He got to know the high school coaches in the Miami area, and some of the players he signed went back after graduating and now are teaching and coaching in Florida.

Holliday presented an overview of recruiting as to where Mountaineer coaches will go in search of players.

“Our philosophy is very simple,” he said. “We’re going to work really hard within a six-hour (driving) radius of our campus. That will include Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia where we’re going to focus hard.”

He also revealed that a two-hour radius of the Atlanta airport in Georgia will be given greater concentration. That’s because offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen, offensive line coach Dave Johnson and wide receiver coach Lonnie Galloway have experience recruiting in that area.

Those coaches believe there are a lot of good prospects in Georgia, based on personal experiences.

“I’ve been fortunate the last eight years to be a part of two very good football coaching staffs,” said Holliday, who served at North Carolina State five years and then at Florida three years. “The staff Coach Stewart has put together here has put together 300 names that we’re recruiting heavily.

“So we’re looking forward to getting out this spring and finding more players. I can’t say much else other than we are working hard at it and still evaluating talent.”

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