CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — It’s a rebuilding effort in front of A.J. Harman, who was announced as Liberty Harrison’s new head football coach last month.
Harman, a 2005 graduate from Liberty, served as an assistant with the Mountaineers until 2011 before he eventually joined the staff at Robert C. Byrd under head coach Bruce Carey.
“Bruce, in my opinion, was one of the best coaches I could have ever had the opportunity to have worked with,” Harman said. “I learned a lot about Xs and Os from him, how to coach fundamentals, but more than anything, just how to manage a team and a program. It was a great two years and probably the best thing I could have done to get myself ready.”
And ready-or-not, Harman knows the challenges he will have in trying to get his alma mater back on track as the Mountaineers are coming off of a 2013 record of 0-9-1.
“I’ve really wanted to coach at my alma mater and that’s why I got in this to begin with,” he said. “For me, I still had a lot of questions facing the job because I didn’t know how bad things really were. But once I got in there and have been around the kids, we have about 25-30 kids who have already bought in and are willing to do what it takes to get better.
“Our goal is to be a top 16 team, sneak up on some people, win some games and be competitive,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of work from everybody, but the good thing right now is that we’re all pulling in the same direction. Everyone is willing to do their part here, so that’s nice to see.”
You can watch the complete interview with Harman above.