MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University officially announced the hiring of offensive line coach Ron Crook on Monday, adding the former Stanford assistant a mere two weeks before the Mountaineers are scheduled to begin spring football practice.
“Ron brings many years of outstanding offensive line coaching experience to West Virginia,” WVU coach Dana Holgorsen said in a statement. “He has helped developed winners at his stops and comes highly recommended. He brings a professional and positive attitude and expects toughness from the players. He has a proven track record as a teacher, coach and recruiter. He is a West Virginia native, who wants to be here, and I look forward to his contribution to our coaching staff.”
Note the “who wants to be here” part — a trait Holgorsen has emphasized in recent months after players or coaches left the program. Crook is replacing Bill Bedenbaugh, who left WVU for Big 12 Conference rival Oklahoma.
Crook spent the past two seasons working with Stanford’s offensive tackles and tight ends. That followed an eight-year stint as the offensive line coach at Harvard. Neither of those offensive systems resemble West Virginia’s uptempo Air Raid attack, so Crook’s installation should add an interesting storyline to the offseason, especially with WVU needing to replace three starters on the interior line.
“One of the main reasons I wanted to come here was because I know how important football is in the state of West Virginia, especially the Mountaineer football program,” Crook said. “I’m very excited about this opportunity to work at a program with the history and tradition that it has. I understand the responsibility that it involves, and I don’t take that lightly.
“I’m excited to be part of Coach Holgorsen’s offensive system. When you’re an offensive coach, you like scoring points. It was good to meet with him (Coach Holgorsen) and see his vision for the program. I look forward to working and learning from him and the other members of the staff. I’m excited to get started.”