COMMENTARY
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Along with trying to replace its top three cornerbacks, West Virginia must also replace its cornerbacks coach.
Brian Mitchell is departing after three seasons in which he stabilized the group, brought headiness to the position and typically coaxed guys to outperform their abilities. He was a thoughtful, ingrained leader with major college and NFL playing experience. For some coaches that merely looks good on a bio, but Mitchell resonated with players on a physical and philosophical plane and wielded deep credibility across the program.
With Tony Gibson coordinating and Bruce Tall back in charge of the defensive line, Mitchell was as relished and crucial as any member of the staff.
It stings a little that he’s leaving on the brink of spring practice with a depth chart in need of heavy retooling. For fans, it probably stings more that he’s leaving for Virginia Tech, a rival ranking one rung below Pitt and a program that pops up as West Virginia’s 2017 opener.
Some have posited this was a lateral move for Mitchell, but Virginia Tech’s program is on better footing. The Hokies went 40-26 the past five years and forced out a legendary coach. The Mountaineers went 36-28 and are working on an extension (even if it’s essentially cosmetic) for Dana Holgorsen.
Therein rests the issue. Holgorsen’s job security was sufficiently shaky in December that athletics director Shane Lyons felt compelled to announced his retention for 2016. The head coach’s current deal expires in 2017, and Lyons told me negotiations were underway in January. With no extension reached, you can surmise a snag has surfaced—one that doesn’t give the coaches much comfort for anything beyond next season.
Gibson and Joe Wickline are the lone assistants with deals guaranteed through 2017, and Gibson acquired that piece only days before the Cactus Bowl.
Mitchell was scheduled to make $275,000 next season.
He’ll make that much or more in Blacksburg, with at least two years guaranteed. With Frank Beamer’s replacement Justin Fuentes working on a six-year contract, Mitchell’s job security just increased exponentially.
I’m told Virginia Tech handled the hiring “the right way,” as did Mitchell, who spoke with Holgorsen and Gibson when the Hokies expressed interest last week. He interviewed Tuesday, was offered the job Wednesday and accepted Thursday.
In similar quick-turn fashion, West Virginia aspires to have Mitchell’s replacement hired by next Wednesday. Some fans started banging the drum for Virginia assistant Chip West, but he’s not among the candidates WVU has prioritized. The new hire will be in charge of replacing the cornerback trio of Daryl Worley, Terrell Chestnut and Rick Rumph with Rasul Douglas, Antonio Crawford and a No. 3 to-be-named-later.
When Mitchell joined WVU’s staff in January 2013, it corrected one of Holgorsen’s worst personnel decisions—the one-year stint of Daron Roberts, who has since moved out of coaching and into lecturing.
After Mitchell’s good work, the next cornerbacks coach will face a higher bar.