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West Virginia Head Coach Candidates Coaching in the NCAA Tournament

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West Virginia Head Coach Candidates Coaching in the NCAA Tournament


Unfortunately, West Virginia is not participating in this year’s NCAA Tournament and could be considered one of the biggest snubs in the history of the event. Also, instead of attacking the transfer portal to build on a strong first year under Darian DeVries, athletic director Wren Baker finds himself in another coaching search.

Which coaches should Mountaineer fans keep an eye on during March Madness? Here’s a list of potential candidates, appearing in order of the time of their first round game.

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Mar 19, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; High Point Panthers head coach Alan Huss answers questions during the press conference at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 4 Purdue

Game info: March 20th at 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV

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Huss led the Panthers to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Big South Conference championship last week. It’s been an incredible start to his coaching career, compiling a 56-14 record in his first two years. Like Darian DeVries, he also comes from the Greg McDermott coaching tree.

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Mar 19, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; VCU Rams head coach Ryan Odom during a press conference at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 6 BYU

Game info: March 20th at 4:05 p.m. ET on TNT

Odom was the coach who led No. 16 seed UMBC past No. 1 seed Virginia a few years back. He has since had stints at Utah State (44-25) and of course, VCU, where he’s gone 52-20 over the last two seasons.

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Mar 19, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum watches his team during a practice session at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 6 Missouri

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Game info: March 20th at 7:35 p.m. ET on truTV

McCollum had a ton of success at Northwest Missouri State, where he worked with WVU AD Wren Baker and won four Division II national titles. In his first year at Drake, he’s led the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record with a brand new roster, most of which is made up of his guys from the D-II level.

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Mar 19, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun talks with media during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 7 UCLA

Game info: March 20th at 9:25 p.m. ET on TNT

Calhoun is the only one on this list who has a direct tie to West Virginia University, spending time as an assistant here from 2007-12. He won big at Fairmont State, turned around a bad Youngstown State program, and is now finding success at Utah State.

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Mar 1, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Niko Medved looks on in the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 5 Memphis

Game info: March 21st at 2 p.m. ET on TBS

Medved was a name that was linked to West Virginia last year, so surely he’ll be at least in the conversation once again. He’s led the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last four years.

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GCU Lopes head coach Bryce Drew yells out to his team as they play against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Jan. 4, 2025. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 4 Maryland

Game info: March 21st at 4:35 p.m. ET on CBS

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Drew didn’t have much success in his first big-time job at Vanderbilt, but he might be ready for a second chance. He’s done wonders with the Grand Canyon program, going 120-39 in five seasons. Before his stint at Vandy, he was very successful at Valparaiso, going 124-49.

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New Mexico’s head coach Richard Pitino watches his team during the first round game between Clemson University and University of New Mexico in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, March 22, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

1st round game: No. 7 Marquette

Game info: March 21st at 7:25 p.m. ET on TBS

The son of the legendary Rick Pitino is having success with the Lobos and considered one of the up-and-coming coaches in the game. He had an up-and-down stint at Minnesota from 2013-21, but didn’t have much to work with there and may have been taking on a job he wasn’t quite ready for. Pitino is 87-48 in four seasons at New Mexico.

John Groce (Akron) vs. No. 4 Arizona

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Ritchie McKay (Liberty) vs. No. 5 Oregon

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

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WVU Coaching Search: Potential Top Target Already Off the Board

Wren Baker Tells it Like it is, WVU has More Recent Success Than Indiana

Wren Baker Addresses Patrick Morrisey’s Legal Action Against the NCAA

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Skydiver rescued after crashing into scoreboard during Virginia Tech football scrimmage

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Skydiver rescued after crashing into scoreboard during Virginia Tech football scrimmage



A skydiver crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard before Virginia Tech’s spring football game Saturday.

Virginia Tech officials said on X that the skydiver “was safely secured and is currently stable” following rescue efforts. The incident caused a delay in the start of the spring game.

“Thankful for game days with Hokie Nation and for the Blacksburg and Virginia Tech first responders whose quick actions safely returned today’s parachuter to the ground without injury,” the university said.

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The name of the skydiver wasn’t released.

A paratrooper crashed after high winds blew him into the jumbotron prior to the Virginia Tech spring football game on April 18, 2026, at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images


“Our primary focus remains on their well-being,” Virginia Tech officials said in a statement. “We extend our sincere appreciation to the first responders, event staff, and medical personnel for their swift, coordinated and professional response.”

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Video footage showed the skydiver’s parachute landing between the “C” and the “H” on the Virginia Tech lettering on top of the scoreboard before first responders rescued him.

CBS News has reached out to the Blacksburg Fire Department for details on the incident. 



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Clemson baseball picks up big Game 2 win over Virginia Cavaliers

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Clemson baseball picks up big Game 2 win over Virginia Cavaliers


A much cleaner performance carried Clemson baseball on Friday, as it answered the previous night’s loss with a 5-1 win over No. 9 Virginia.

Michael Sharman set the tone from the start. He kept Virginia off balance all night, working eight innings while giving up just a single run. There weren’t many free passes, and he consistently pitched ahead, which allowed him to stay in control deep into the game. Hayden Simmerson wrapped things up in the ninth without any trouble.

At the plate, Nate Savoie was the difference. He delivered two home runs, including a go-ahead shot later in the game that put Clemson in front for good. His first long ball gave the Tigers an early edge, and he finished with three RBIs on the night.

Virginia managed to pull even midway through, but Clemson quickly responded. The offense strung together quality at-bats, with Bryce Clavon driving in a run and Luke Gaffney continuing his strong weekend with multiple hits. The Tigers created more separation late, adding another run after working a bases-loaded situation.

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Clemson moves to 25-15 overall and 6-11 in conference play with the win. The series now comes down to Saturday’s matchup in Charlottesville.

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.



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Car crashes into Murphy’s Irish Pub patio on the Oceanfront

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Car crashes into Murphy’s Irish Pub patio on the Oceanfront


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A car crashed into the patio at Murphy’s Irish Pub on the Oceanfront on Friday night.

Virginia Beach medics arrived at the scene around 7:54 p.m. at Murphy’s Irish Pub and found several victims, according to police. All were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from non-life-threatening to very severe.

Medics are still on the scene, according to News 3’s team onsite.

This is an active scene and an ongoing investigation; News 3’s team will continue providing updates.

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