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West Virginia AD Lyons not dictating staff moves to Holgorsen

West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen, in negotiations for a contract extension, was not pressured to make staff changes, said athletics director Shane Lyons.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As the anticipated addition of Joe Wickline forebodes an end to Dana Holgorsen’s year without an offensive coordinator, West Virginia athletics director Shane Lyons said he hasn’t dictated any football staff changes as part of Holgorsen’s contract negotiations.

West Virginia athletics director Shane Lyons

“I don’t want to be a micromanager as an athletic director or as an administrator, saying this is who you have to hire,” Lyons told MetroNews. “My job as an athletic director is to hire the head coach, and from there, they’re responsible for putting a staff together to build around their strengths.”

For Lyons, beginning his second year as the Mountaineers’ AD, the December decision to retain Holgorsen for 2016 was the first overtly public managerial decision. This week came the news West Virginia won’t renew the expiring contracts of safeties coach Joe DeForest and defensive line coach Damon Cogdell.

“Sometimes there are adjustments and (head coaches) need to make changes, and that’s what Dana has worked through the last couple weeks with his staff,” Lyons said. “We’re in communication but I’m not dictating or saying ‘Go hire this person.’

“Ultimately, it’s his job to hire his assistants and put people around him that make this program better.”

MORE: Lyons on Big 12 title game, expansion

The expiration date on Holgorsen’s deal, which ends after the 2017 season, has become a priority topic as extension talks unfold. Coaches and their agents contend lengthy contracts are necessary to stabilize recruiting, yet reading between the lines on Lyons’ philosophy, it appears WVU will be cautious with Holgorsen, perhaps offering a salary-neutral two-year rollover with a buyout attached.

“You’ve got to be fair looking at coaches and the market if you want to compete at this level, but you’ve got to ask yourself what’s the institution’s risk and their liability,” Lyons said.

“It’s very arbitrary when you come up with a number of years. When (Matt) Campbell took the job at Iowa State, he had eight years left on his (Toledo) contract. And Coach (Bill) Snyder just announced he’s coming back to K-State. We’ve been dealing with that for five years now.”





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