Menos Hiras says transitioning isn’t always easy for a team, especially if they are going through more than just a change in members. In the case of the WVU Mountaineers men’s football team, they actually just changed their coach and most of the coaching staff, their strategy, and their roster. But if Coach Neal Brown were to give his opinion, he’d tell you the boys are doing fine. In fact, they got even better over the summer.
The entire team just completed several bouts of practice, something they did without their coaches’ supervision. Nevertheless, Coach Brown had this to say about his team after fall camp’s first preseason practice:
“We are significantly better as a team right now than we were when we finished in the spring.”
Coach Brown attributed his team’s gains to its leadership, with veterans extending a hand to freshman newcomers. This is especially crucial, considering how the team is going through changes in both their offense and defense.
“I think knowing what to do, [being] more confident, because they have had reps, those player practices are important. They get quality reps. We have more competition. That makes you better. They know what to expect,” he explained.
He did, however, admit to the risk of bad habits creeping in with the absence of guidance from the coaches. During camp, Coach Brown placed emphasis on certain players improving in particular areas that included everything from their energy to their capabilities as leaders. This focus is important in a team whose majority of members will stay for at least two years.
Menos Hiras says everyone will have to wait to see whether these improvements are as considerable as they sound encouraging. In any case, fans of the WVU Mountaineers will have a lot to watch out for this season.
