Ye olde notebook:
It didn't take long for news to get out that Quincy Wilson was leaving WVU for Glenville State.
"Like wildfire," Wilson laughed on Tuesday. "My phone has been blowing up. I'm going to have to find my charger."
It's understandable. Wilson, West Virginia's former assistant director for football operations, has meant a lot to Mountain State football fans. He's a former Kennedy Award winner from Weir. He was a four-year letterwinner running back for WVU, where he finished with 2,608 career yards. As a senior in 2003, he had 1,380 yards and was a third-team Associated Press All-America pick.
And then there was The Run, which, truth be told, was a screen play. On a Thursday night in Miami against No. 2 Miami, Wilson ran down the sideline, exploded into and hopped over Hurricane safety Brandon Meriweather, becoming a YouTube sensation.
Now, Wilson is taking his talents to Glenville, where he will coach the running backs for head coach Dave Hutchison.
"It's been a long time coming," Wilson said. "I've been trying to break in the last two years. If Glenville is good enough for Rich Rodriguez, it's good enough for me."
Rodriguez, of course, coached at Glenville before moving on to his storied career. Wilson's first day was Monday.
"It was tough leaving Morgantown," Wilson said. "I didn't think it would be, but I was in player relations and had to tell the players. But they all knew I wanted to coach."
It's a loss for WVU's program. Wilson was like a magnet to Mountaineer fans. Obviously, though, he wasn't getting a shot at on-field coaching.
"There was always this 'If something comes up' thing, but [running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider] has been there a while," Wilson said. "[Head coach] Dana [Holgorsen] is connected, though, and said if anything came up [outside the program], he'd let me know."
So at nearly 35 years of age, Wilson is reinventing himself. He said he'll be "knocking on doors" for recruits in West Virginia where there's "a lot of talent." The pay might be different, but the cost of living, he pointed out, is not that of Morgantown. Wilson also said he's looking forward to the Division II lifestyle, complete with bus rides. ("I'll love it," he said. "I'll be getting in there and getting to know the guys.")
"Glenville has been a great launching pad for a lot of guys," Wilson said.
Like...
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In case you're unaware, former WVU wide receiver Ryan Nehlen has moved from Glenville's staff to become an offensive graduate assistant for Marshall coach Doc Holliday. Nehlen previously was a graduate assistant for Morgantown native Terry Bowden at Akron.
Of course, Nehlen, a University High graduate, is the grandson of College Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen, who gave Holliday his first full-time coaching job.
The younger Nehlen had tryouts with the NFL's Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.
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Glenville's Hutchison could almost put together his own "30 for 30" film. Not only does he have Wilson, son of former Chicago Bear great Otis, on his staff, he has Rashad Jackson. In case you forgot, Jackson, a former Marshall standout, is the son of former New Orleans Saints great Rickey Jackson.
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While on the topic of coaches, I couldn't help but notice Alabama's Nick Saban hired another "analyst" in Mike Locksley this week.
If you're not keeping count, that's eight "analysts" hired by the pride of Monongah: Dean Altobelli, Keary Colbert, Brendan Farrell, Wes Neighbors, William Vlachos, Charlie Weis, Jr., Garrett Cox and Locksley.
Sure seems like the Tide, and others, are simply hiring extra coaches, doesn't it? There's the head coach, the nine full-time assistants and then "directors of operations," "player personnel directors," "operations coordinators," etc.
Yet this seems to be going to the next level. Locksley, for instance, had been Maryland's offensive coordinator since 2012. And here's how AL.com described him:
"The 46-year old Locksley is widely recognized as one of the top recruiters in the country."
You make the call.
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A few random hoops thoughts:
First, college basketball's leaders should create a Sixth Man of the Year Award simply for WVU's Jaysean Paige.
Second, if WVU's team is going to run upon a stumbling block down the stretch it could be in the form of Baylor's Johnathan Motley, a 6-foot-9 sophomore who's been killing it lately.
And, third, prayers are up for former Syracuse great Pearl Washington, who is battling cancer. I once had the privilege of helping score a game Washington played in Pittsburgh. (I was fired from the job, though, because I didn't give Pearl more assists in the box score than he deserved. True story.)
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And finally...
If you happened to trip upon the most recent Logan basketball box score, you might have noticed the high scorer listed was W. Akers.
Indeed, that's Will Akers, the grandson of state and WVU legend Willie Akers.
"That's my boy!" said proud grandmother Linda on Tuesday.
Will Akers apparently prefers baseball, but played for Alan Hatcher this season. Against Woodrow Wilson, he drilled three treys for nine points.
Oh, and yes.
Will does indeed wear his grandfather's No. 32.