NCAA Final Four: It's a great day to be a Mountaineer wherever you may be!

Today the WVU Mountaineers take on the Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Final Four. Good luck to the Mountaineers as they try to move on to the Championship Game on Monday night against the winner of the Bulter vs. Michigan State contest.

West Virginians everywhere are excited about the game and proud of the hard work and dedication put in by the Mountaineer players, coaches and staff. It is a great day to be a Mountaineer!

All week it has been exciting to watch the buzz and excitement grow throughout the state. I loved this picture of some Mountaineers leaving Morgantown headed to Indianapolis with their cooler and couch strapped to back. I had to share it with everyone. Thanks to Lisa Simmons for the photo. You have to be a Mountaineer to understand the couch burning tradition (some history on the tradition and one of my favorite videos below).

Go Mountaineers!

Support The Mountaineers!

The last week has been tough for all West Virginians with the untimely departure of Rich Rodriguez for what he believes is greener grass in Michigan.

Today I got the email below from my partner and friend, Chris Brumley, loyal Mountaineer Fan and all around good guy.

He is heading up a grassroots effort to allow all Mountaineer Fans to show their support for the players and the program and do something great for kids in the Glendale, Arizona area. UPDATE: Chris has made arrangements with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix who are planning a field trip to the game. The WVU Athletic Department has agreed to allow a purchase of block seats so the kids can sit together. Also, in the works are gold t-shirts to be donated.

Think back to the first time you got to go to (old or new) Mountaineer Stadium and watch the Mountaineers. Think about giving that experience away to a kid in Arizona. Photo to the right is my son's first trip to watch the Mountaineers in 2003.

Good luck to the Mountaineer players and remaining coaches (Bill Stewart, who hails from my hometown of New Martinsville has admirably stepped in to lead the Mountaineers).

After reading the message below if you are interested in supporting the effort by buying a ticket please notify me at RCoffield@fsblaw.com or Chris via email at CBrumley@fsblaw.com. Send your check written to: Chris Brumley, 200 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25338. Deadline to notify via email is December 27. Chris has arranged with Boys & Girls Club to get an acknowledgment letter and will do a follow up donor letter to each donor to acknowledge their donation for tax purposes.

I will periodically update the number of ticket sponsored here - so check back:
12/21 @ 7:30am: 55
12/21 @ 12 noon: 65
12/22 @ 12 noon: 92
12/26 @ 12 noon: 98

12/27 @ 12 noon (final count): 128 tickets have been donated to the Phoenix Metropolitan Boys and Girls Club, with Gold T-Shirts to match. The donation is equivalent to a cash donation of more than $17,500.00. Way to go WVU fans!

Hello Everyone:

This email is an invitation. It is inspired by a friend of mine, Paul White, who every year at this time takes the opportunity, and dedicates his time, to benefiting others during the holiday season by coordinating a donation effort to the less fortunate. This is also a solicitation and it is not intended to distract from Paul’s charitable efforts whatsoever, and if you are not interested please do not rely as I sent this out to most every email address I have!!!!

As I have watched the last week unfold, and our football program and State take a severe hit with the Rich Rod/WVU debacle, I almost forgot about the players and the program that are most affected by all the turmoil. Obviously, these negative events have taken away from the successes of this season, the program, and the enjoyment of a BCS bowl game. With that said, it is not too late. While I doubt anyone is going to travel to the Fiesta Bowl that was not planning to before these events, we can still provide the support that WVU fans have become so renown for, and do something good for the less fortunate.

I am willing to coordinate and propose the following:

1. I propose that everyone that can email me back and pledge to buy One ticket to the bowl game through the university. ( I think they are $135 per tix, feel free to buy more if you like, I will also accept ½ tix donations and match them up, that’s $67.50 for the math impaired)

2. I will fund the purchase and collect the $ from each person individually.

3. We will donate the tickets we purchase to boy/girls clubs or other worthy charities in the area so they can attend the game. (I have family there that can identify charities, but anyone that knows of a worthy charitable group please suggest).

4. I will follow up with a letter to each person noting their purchase and subsequent donation to the charity by letter.

This is the best way I can think of to support this team, WVU, and the less fortunate during the Holiday Season, all in one act. So if you choose to, email me back and I will out the coordination into this effort. Please do not reply to this unless you are in since I sent it to most everyone on my email list and my blackberry cannot take the traffic. Also, feel free to fw this to anyone you think may be interested.

Lets Bring on the Mountaineers!!!!!!

Thanks to my fellow WV bloggers for the linking to the post and spreading the word:

• This Is Not My Blog
• Marketing Genius from Maple Creative

A Lesson For All West Virginia Expatriates: Country Road Less Traveled

Rodriquez is running to Michigan for the $$$ and prestige. Sad ending to his career here in West Virginia. The Detroit Free Press writes:

Rodriguez had a 10-minute meeting with his team early this afternoon, told the 11th-ranked Mountaineers that he was leaving for Michigan and went back to his office, according to West Virginia media reports.

His players had little comment but looked downtrodden.

Nice story about Coach Rodriquez decision from Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports. A story that all West Virginia expatriates should read. A story of recognizing the benefits of staying home (or coming home) and making great things happen here.

Congratulations to Coach Rodriquez, Coach Stewart (a native of my hometown of New Martinsville), Coach Casteel (a native of Paden City just down the road from New Martinsville), the rest of the coaching staff and all the Mountaineer players on a great win Saturday over Connecticut.

Good luck the West Virginia Mountaineers this coming week against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. Here is hoping that Pat White and the rest of the Mountaineers take the growl out of the Panthers and head toward New Orleans. My favorite Pat White video from the 2007 edition of the Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh. BEAT PITT!



Note: Wondering whether Dan Wetzel is from West Virginia and related to the namesake of the county where I grew up, Wetzel County, made famous by the great Indian fighter, Lewis Wetzel. My Coffield family actually traveled to West Virginia (then Virginia) in the mid 1700s with the Wetzel family who settled in what is now Marshall County. One of my distant relatives married Martin Wetzel, Lewis' older brother.

Modern Day Rudy: Schmitt Happens

Who isn't inspired by a story like this (Washington Post version) about West Virginia University's starting fullback, Owen Schmitt. The story is one of determination, persistence, hard work, overcoming adversity and living out your dream. A lesson for us all.

My favorite quote from starting back and Heisman hopeful, Steve Slaton:

"He's like ‘Rudy' or something," Slaton said. "Everybody loves him."

And Schmitt's response:

"I don't understand why I get that attention. I mean, we have actual stars on this team."

Courtesy of the Daily Mail via the Washington Post.

Go Mountaineers!

Lets Go Mountaineers . . .

Everyone in West Virginia is excited about the start of the WVU college football season. There is a a lot of buzz about the Mountaineers, its #3 AP ranking and Heisman hopefuls, Steve Slaton and Pat White (check out his Pitt growl). Good luck to the Mountaineers as they start there season this weekend. Go Mountaineers and their #1 rated fans!

This clip is a year old but I just saw it after my dad sent it to me. What a great commercial. For those of you who don't get the commercial check out this Google search.