WVU coaches here today
By DAVE POE, dpoe@newsandsentinel.comWant to congratulate members of the West Virginia University athletic department for the most successful year in the history of Mountaineer sports?
You have your chance tonight when the Mountaineer Coaches Caravan makes its annual Parkersburg stop at 6 p.m. at J.P. Henry’s Restaurant on W.Va. 2.
The featured guest will be Mountaineer basketball coach Bob Huggins, who led WVU to the Sweet 16 in his first season as the head coach at his alma mater. He’ll be joined by a number of members of the West Virginia athletic stafff, including football coordinatos Jeff Mullen (offense) and Jeff Casteel (defense), women’s basketball coach Mike Carey, Parkersburg native and gymnastics coach Linda Burdette, wrestling coaches Craig Turnbull and Greg Jones, volleyball coach Veronica Hammersmith and Gary McPherson, the director of the Mountaineer Athletic Club, who will share master of ceremonies duties with Dave Hall of Hall Chiropractic, a local WVU supporter.
Tickets for the event will be available throughout the day. Up until 4:30 p.m., advance tickets, at $40 apiece, will be available both at J.P. Henry’s and at the Intra-State Insurance Agency office located on Rosemar Road. Tickets purchased at the door will be $45.
Those attending will get to spend quality time with the WVU athletic staff, whose members are accommodating when it comes to autograph requests and answering questions about their respective programs.
Ticketholders are entitled to hors d’oeuvres and draft beer. A cash bar also is available.
Door prizes will include balls signed by WVU athletic teams. Among the items to be auctioned are a WVU recliner donated by Rick Albright of Belpre Furniture. A 50-50 drawing will be conducted.
Under the leadership of Ed Pastilong, who is attending an NCAA convention in Arizona today, WVU’s athletic program is in sixth place in the Director’s Cup, presented annually to the nation’s most successful college sports program. It is the highest ranking WVU ever has achieved in the competition.
Eric Fitzer, who heads the Parkersburg chapter of the Mountaineer Athletic Club, said Parkersburg is a major player when it comes to the support of West Virginia athletics.
