MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Mountaineer Marching Band Director Jay Drury said during an appearance Wednesday on MetroNews “Talkline” he hopes to be able to announce his new job in a matter of days.
“I’m going to be staying in town but I’m going to be doing something different,” Drury said. “I’m still going to be doing something music-related. Of course, I’ll always be the band’s number one fan.”
Drury announced March 31 he was leaving the position effective June 1. He’s led the award-winning ban for about a dozen years. He recently received a citation from Gov. Jim Justice for his work.
Leading the “Pride of West Virginia” takes a lot of time and effort. Drury said it’s time to step away.
“I have a four-year-old, a one-year-old and it’s time maybe to spend a little bit more time focusing on them,” he said.
The new job will be outside the university, Drury said Wednesday.
“I would like to thank everybody at WVU and especially the state of West Virginia–it’s been my greatest honor,” Drury said.
The marching band will be lead in the upcoming season by Director of Bands Scott Tobias. WVU previously announced there would be a nationwide search for Drury’s replacement.