Throughout the years, various media outlets have published a list of the nation's most powerful sports figures. Names such as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA head Adam Silver, ESPN's John Skipper, Nike's Phil Knight, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey dot such lists.
To be sure, rankings are subjective. They are fluid. A coach, for instance, can rise and fall depending on his team's most success.
Yet here's a snapshot of the 2016 power brokers within West Virginia sports, minus those in the media, in order of influence.
1. Bob Huggins, WVU basketball coach: Whether it's baseball, football or basketball season, the Bear does not hibernate. He's always on the move. And his influence within the Mountain State is far-reaching.
The reason: Huggins has commanded respect both on and off the basketball court. He seems in line to be a Hall of Fame pick for his on-court accomplishments. Among those are Final Four and Sweet Sixteen appearances while in Morgantown. This season, he's had the Mountaineers in the top 10.
Off the court, Huggins is WVU's best athletic fundraiser. He's also respected for his humanitarian work, including fundraising for cancer research. Too, he notably appeared at the Upper Big Branch mine disaster to comfort families.
2. Shane Lyons, WVU athletic director: Lyons hasn't reached the power broker status of former Mountaineer AD Oliver Luck, but he's trending in the right direction. Lyons is putting his stamp on the $106 million renovation plan started by Luck. He's endeared himself to those in the school's Olympic sports circles. And he apparently resisted pressure to extend Dana Holgorsen's contract under the guise of recruiting help. Perhaps most importantly, he has the blessing and confidence of his university's president.
3. E. Gordon Gee, WVU president: Gee has entrusted most of WVU's athletic decisions to Lyons, but do not misunderstand. Gee is still very powerful. He is consulted on the larger issues. He has veto power. Also, Gee is helping shape the Big 12 Conference. He is on the expansion committee. And he's highly regarded in that role after going through Big Ten expansion as president of Ohio State.
4. Jim Justice, Greenbrier owner: Justice stages the PGA Greenbrier Classic golf event in White Sulphur Springs in addition to hosting the NFL's New Orleans Saints and NBA's New Orleans Pelicans for preseasons. During the summers, Justice owns the state's sports scene. He is also a high school basketball coach and, currently, gubernatorial candidate.
5. Doc Holliday, Marshall football coach: Right now, Holliday's name has the most cachet among football coaches in the state. After a 17-20 start in Huntington, Holliday's MU teams have gone 43-8. Marshall is the only Group of 5 school to win 10 games in the last three seasons. Also, it has received more votes than WVU in the final coaches' poll for those three seasons.
6. Tony Gibson, WVU defensive coordinator: Gibson left the side of Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez to return to West Virginia, where he was ultimately named DC. The move was a hit not only because the Mountaineer defense has had some success, but because of Gibson's recruiting prowess and fan popularity. He hails from Van.
7. Dana Holgorsen, WVU football coach: Holgorsen might be hanging onto his job by a thread, but the Mountaineer football coach will always have clout in West Virginia. If WVU would win a bowl more prestigious than the Cactus next season, he'll zoom up the list.
8. Mike Hamrick, Marshall athletic director: Hamrick has a tough job with a relatively small fan base, but he's managed significant facility improvements. He's known as a fine fundraiser and a Conference USA leader. His hire of Holliday proved to be a home run and that of basketball coach Dan D'Antoni could turn out surprisingly well.
9. Don Nehlen, former WVU football coach, and Bob Pruett, former MU football coach: The two ultra-successful former coaches are brothers in arms these days as spokesmen for coal as well as radio talk show hosts. Don't underestimate their influence. When they dial numbers, calls are returned.
10. Dan D'Antoni, Marshall basketball coach: The Thundering Herd's phoenix rise this season should be a national story. After a poor non-conference season, MU has risen to near the top of Conference USA. As the Herd's stock has risen, so too has D'Antoni's influence.
11. Mike Carey, WVU women's basketball coach: Those around the Mountain State have watched as Carey moved from a men's college coach to a successful major-college women's coach. He has over 600 wins now and the Mountaineers are an annual Top 25 contender. He's also a hit on fundraising stops.
12. Jim Crutchfield, West Liberty men's basketball coach: Perhaps no one has more respect within the coaching ranks than Crutchfield. The soft-spoken Hilltopper coach built his team into a national Division II power and has yet to let up. He's been the all-sports state coach of the year four times.
13. Bernie Dolan, SSAC executive director: The new head of the Secondary School Activities Commission will become more of a household name as the calendar turns. His group oversees high school sports, makes rulings and stages championships.
14. Reid Amos, Mountain East Conference commissioner: Amos pieced together the MEC after the West Virginia Conference crumbled. The league has had so much success it and Amos were named the Gazette-Mail's Sportsman of the Year for 2015.
15. Nikki Izzo-Brown, WVU women's soccer coach: The only coach in Mountaineer women's soccer history, Izzo-Brown has shaped West Virginia into an annual Big 12 championship contender. Team member Kadiesha Buchanan was the state's most recent amateur athlete of the year.
16. Arkell Bruce, Huntington Prep basketball coach: If you're a major college basketball coach looking for talent, Bruce is the man to see.
17. Scott Long, AAU coach: If you prefer the AAU circuit to the prep school circuit, visit Charleston attorney and West Virginia Wildcats coach Long. The state's best mostly play for him.
18. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.: Manchin has been quiet of late, but he used to cause quite the stir with his calls for WVU-Marshall football games. He's quietly made calls on both schools' behalf in regard to coaching hires and conference alignment.
19. Randy Mazey, WVU baseball coach: After a terrific first year at the helm, Mazey's team took a step back in the powerful Big 12, but is trending up with the help of a new stadium in Morgantown.
20. Tim Mueller, West Virginia Power general manager: Mueller runs the operations that keep the Pittsburgh Pirates' minor league team in Charleston.