Wlu 2025

[boatcapt]

One immediate observation on the new coaching staff. They are a LOT more active on social media and a LOT more public with their signings.

[WestLibertyTopperDad]

First, good on your son for being a football player doing normal student things like being an RA and studying what he wants. Athletes anymore very rarely do student things beyond their sport. Most of my dad's college fraternity were football players (he wasn't) but other than some Divine 9 family traditions, its pretty rare that you see a football player doing normal student extracurricular things like being an RA, having a job, or even studying something challenging. Very few study education anymore because student teaching is viewed as a detriment to spring football.

I took a look at West Liberty's programs and I didn't see anything that is unique to West Liberty.

He was a Zoo Science major when he started, but a geography professor talked him into doing a Zoo Science/Geography double major. He had 24 hours during the fall season in order to catch up on the geography credits. The head of the department and school president also tailored a schedule that allowed him to take the senior year Zoo classes as a junior so he'd be able to graduate in 4 years. He just won the geography department a grant and will be presenting his paper at an Appalachian conference at Marshall this spring. Last summer he studied black bearsand wolves in Minnesota, and this summer he'll be at Zoo Montana working with tigers and wolverines. He wants to work in bear conservation out in the field, or for someone like national geographic. He'll be applying to Washington State for grad school. He'll miss football, but he wasn't going pro at it, since they weren't planning on giving him any money the RA gig is 10k per year. He wasn't going to spend and extra 22k for school just to play football.

[Fightingscot82]

Full Gary West Liberty staff:

Chad Salisburg (HC): was OC at Cal U
Phil Hamilton (OC): was OC at Waynesburg
Anthony Kellar (DC): was STC at Findlay, LB/STC at Glenville before that
Wyatt Hirt (RBs): was a GA at Bethany
Bryce Perkins (run game coordinator): was OL coach at Gettysburg, played at Cal U
Johnny Bonar (TEs): was already on staff (isn't this the same name as the porn guy who went to IUP?)
Jucqui Taylor (STC / DBs): was DBs coach at Cal U, played at Bethany and Slippery Rock
Armani Carabello (DL): was LBs coach at Millersville, played at Cal U
Caydan Keeler (DL / LBs GA): was already on staff

The Kellar family may have a goal to have a member work at every MEC school by 2030.

[boatcapt]

Hummm...If this is the whole staff, no OL coach? Perhaps they are lumping the duties in with the Run Game Coordinator (Perkins)?

[Fightingscot82]

Hummm...If this is the whole staff, no OL coach? Perhaps they are lumping the duties in with the Run Game Coordinator (Perkins)?

That would be my assumption. None of these hires is super flashy, but I like Salisbury's strategy (intentional or not) of having a lot of guys with familiarity with SWPA. They'll pick off guys from the PSAC West and some bubble guys who like the red carpet treatment from the plethora of D3 schools.

For those with some sort of knowledge, what was the scholarship total like in the Zach Amedro days and how does that compare to now? One of the reasons I cut Edinboro's coaches some slack is that they're operating with roughly half the scholarships they had in that same era.

[boatcapt]

That would be my assumption. None of these hires is super flashy, but I like Salisbury's strategy (intentional or not) of having a lot of guys with familiarity with SWPA. They'll pick off guys from the PSAC West and some bubble guys who like the red carpet treatment from the plethora of D3 schools.

For those with some sort of knowledge, what was the scholarship total like in the Zach Amedro days and how does that compare to now? One of the reasons I cut Edinboro's coaches some slack is that they're operating with roughly half the scholarships they had in that same era.

I'm sure there is someone who knows the current scholly situation at WLU but I don't think the post on this board. Rumor back in the Amedro days was that we where fully funded. Weather we are still fully funded is anyone's guess.

[boatcapt]

That would be my assumption. None of these hires is super flashy, but I like Salisbury's strategy (intentional or not) of having a lot of guys with familiarity with SWPA. They'll pick off guys from the PSAC West and some bubble guys who like the red carpet treatment from the plethora of D3 schools.

For those with some sort of knowledge, what was the scholarship total like in the Zach Amedro days and how does that compare to now? One of the reasons I cut Edinboro's coaches some slack is that they're operating with roughly half the scholarships they had in that same era.

About 5 min of "research" shows about 20 different athletic specific scholarship endowments managed by the WLU Foundation (and several managed through other mechanisms). About half seem to be football specific including the Zach Amedro Scholarship Fund. This fund was endowed by Gary West and given his giving to the school before and after (including family giving after his death), I would imagine the endowment was rather hefty and funds numerous football schollys annually.

Just a gut feel on my part. We probably aren't at 36 full scholly equivalents but I wouldn't be shocked if we where at 27-30.

Money and schollys has never been the issue with WLU football...

[Fightingscot82]

About 5 min of "research" shows about 20 different athletic specific scholarship endowments managed by the WLU Foundation (and several managed through other mechanisms). About half seem to be football specific including the Zach Amedro Scholarship Fund. This fund was endowed by Gary West and given his giving to the school before and after (including family giving after his death), I would imagine the endowment was rather hefty and funds numerous football schollys annually.

Just a gut feel on my part. We probably aren't at 36 full scholly equivalents but I wouldn't be shocked if we where at 27-30.

Money and schollys has never been the issue with WLU football...

I'd be shocked if West Liberty were 27-30. To compare, IUP is the highest in the PSAC at 26.

[boatcapt]

Gary West built Valley Welding Supply and took it public for $56m in 1997. 10 years later a private equity firm bought it for $360m of which West received 75%.That will buy a whole lot of schollys after you die!

While Gary West was the biggest and most public individual donor, my understanding is he brought a number of other big'ish donors to the WLU table. Weather they are still there is anyone's guess but I've got no reason to believe they have in mass moved along. Worth noting that Gary's wife Flip is still a heavy donor so I would presume that the athletic funding has continued. Again, don't know if it's the same level but I would be surprised.

Just some back of the envelope math tuition for 36 in-state players is about $320k with 36 out of state being about $730k so we're not talking a fortune here. (That said, I'd LIVE some one to give ME $730k.

[Fightingscot82]

Gary West built Valley Welding Supply and took it public for $56m in 1997. 10 years later a private equity firm bought it for $360m of which West received 75%.That will buy a whole lot of schollys after you die!

While Gary West was the biggest and most public individual donor, my understanding is he brought a number of other big'ish donors to the WLU table. Weather they are still there is anyone's guess but I've got no reason to believe they have in mass moved along. Worth noting that Gary's wife Flip is still a heavy donor so I would presume that the athletic funding has continued. Again, don't know if it's the same level but I would be surprised.

Just some back of the envelope math tuition for 36 in-state players is about $320k with 36 out of state being about $730k so we're not talking a fortune here. (That said, I'd LIVE some one to give ME $730k.

That's just tuition. Full scholarship in the NCAA sense is total cost of attendance.

[boatcapt]

That's just tuition. Full scholarship in the NCAA sense is total cost of attendance.

Still not a budget buster. Heck, the West family dropped close to $2m on WLU to establish an aviation school. Reason given was that Gary loved to fly.

Don't see the West donation pipeline drying up anytime soon.

[Fightingscot82]

Still not a budget buster. Heck, the West family dropped close to $2m on WLU to establish an aviation school. Reason given was that Gary loved to fly.

Don't see the West donation pipeline drying up anytime soon.

So how do they rectify that with Title IX? Just curious. That's a lot of coin when you're 61% women.

[Sportsnut]

Is the Kellar on staff the son of the head coach at WVWC and formally Glenville?

[Layton]

Yes

[boatcapt]

So how do they rectify that with Title IX? Just curious. That's a lot of coin when you're 61% women.

The same way other DII schools rectify it.