©Ben Queen – Imagn Photos
Every week in the past, West Virginia was thought-about a lock to make the NCAA Match and had a brilliant future forward of them with first-year head coach Darian DeVries main this system and his star son, Tucker, set to return subsequent yr after taking a medical redshirt this yr. After a disappointing soccer season, issues have been trying up for Mountaineer followers.
Loads has modified in every week, to say the least. The Mountaineers misplaced a sport to lowly Colorado to kick off the Huge 12 Match, missed the NCAA Match, and now, DeVries has left West Virginia for Indiana, which means this system is actually beginning over.
West Virginia employed DeVries, who was the top coach at Drake, final offseason after Josh Eilert served as interim coach for a yr following the unceremonious firing of legend Bob Huggins for off-court points. The Mountaineers battled accidents all yr, however nonetheless have been 19-12 heading into the Huge 12 Match with a resume that had them thought-about a lock by most bracketologists. Even after a loss to lowly Colorado within the first spherical of the Huge 12 Match, each single predicted bracket by the specialists had them within the discipline. However, they have been the primary workforce out, with North Carolina getting the sting over them. That call prompted West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey to carry a press convention claiming that the state can be investigating the choice.
DeVries leaving this offseason was at all times a risk. Many thought that if it left it might be for his home-state workforce Iowa, who lately parted methods wit longtime coach Fran McCaffery. However, as an alternative, he’s off to Indiana to interchange Mike Woodson and can look to return that program again to glory. Indiana was additionally one of many first groups out of the sector.
Now, West Virginia goes to be utterly beginning over. Their roster is gutted, they don’t have a coach, and the vibes are low. This can be their third full teaching search within the two main sports activities in 12 months, as they fired Neal Brown and changed him with program legend Wealthy Rodriguez in December.
