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Landon: Pruett wanted to return Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch
December 12, 2009
Bobby Pruett wanted to come back.
The Marshall coaching icon wanted to come out of retirement.
Pruett wanted a chance to rekindle the excitement, the success and the championships he and the Herd enjoyed for nine glorious seasons.
He wanted to be Mark Snyder's predecessor and successor.
But Marshall president Steve Kopp ruled out an attempt by a group of supporters intent on Pruett reprising his role as Herd head football coach by replacing Snyder, who resigned two weeks ago.
When reached at his home, Pruett finally broke his silence to end the rumors and innuendos.
"Would I like to come back to Marshall?" said Pruett rhetorically. "I would be honored to coach Marshall.
"I have never left. I changed my role to a financial supporter. I've been a speaking ambassador when asked. And I've been a huge fan.
"I'm proud of our great university."
Pruett realizes the first question many Herd fans will ask is why he wanted to return as head coach now, after abruptly retiring a few months following Marshall's 2004 season.
"I know when I retired I probably disappointed and even angered some people. ... about the timing and what happened," said Pruett. "Never have I ever wanted to hurt this university. And never have I wanted to leave this university.
"But, at the time, it was an emotional decision. And it was a health decision. I felt like it was the best thing for the university and, certainly, for my family at the time.
"If that offended someone, I'm deeply sorry."
It obviously didn't offend a group of well known Marshall financial supporters. Instead, they lobbied Pruett to come out of retirement and return Herd football to its winning ways after five consecutive non-winning seasons.
"I am a blessed man," said Pruett. "I have many wonderful friends. A special group of people would like for me to come back."
One of those friends even offered to pay Pruett's salary for three years if Marshall would hire him. The benefactor's offer was to contribute $650,000 per year, which would amount to a $2 million donation.
"That monetary figure," said Pruett, "is over and above what the other supporters in the group might want to donate financially in support of the program."
This group of well heeled Marshall supporters was offering to pledge strong support for the football program if Pruett were named head football coach.
But Kopp, who was hired as Marshall's president about four months after Pruett retired just prior to MU's 2005 spring practice, declined.
"Dr. Kopp is the head of the university and it's his prerogative to do what he thinks is best for Marshall," said Pruett. "I'm not mad. I'm not leaving Huntington. It is my home.
"I love southern West Virginia. I enjoy going to Florida and playing golf with friends, but my home is in Huntington.
"I look forward to continuing with the many charities and things I believe in. We always need to find ways to make our young people feel proud of our great state.
"Shucks, I wasn't even Elsie's (Pruett's wife) first choice.
"I'm looking for our football program to return to championship level. I feel Mike Hamrick is the right man for the athletic director job and I give him my full support.
"Go Herd."
So, now, Marshall fans who wondered both privately and publicly if Pruett were a candidate for the Herd's head football coaching vacancy have their answer.
Marshall fans are the most delusional fans in the world.
You want to return to your er...."winning ways?" Get the hell out of the C-USA, go to the Big East.
Going to a bigger conference means more TV time, which in turn leads to better recruits, winning seasons, and the most important thing...money.
Look at what happened to the U of C. They left the MAC for the Big East...in a few years they have gone from being nobodies to being in the top 5 in the BCS and playing in a major bowl game against FLORIDA! Plus, playing in the Big East creates WVU vs. MU EVERY year instead of having the fucking governor making you play
Sure, going to a bigger conference means you may suck for a few more years, but like Cinci...keep recruiting quality players, get better coaches...and you could be playing in a major bowl game, too.
You Marshall fans want respect? You want to play with the big boys? Lobby the program to go into a bigger conference. You went from the MAC...which is slowly becoming a decent conference, to the fucking C-USA!! WHY?? That's downgrading. The boosters, the fans, the players, the coaches, and whoever needs to stop making excuses as to why Marshall isn't in the same league as WVU. "Almost" beating a rival or a bigger school doesn't mean jack shit..."almost" doesn't get you respect or bigger bowl games or placement in the Top 25. You guys want to continue playing in the "Husson's Pizza and V Club Bowl" every year??
I'm done laughing at you guys, it's becoming sad.
Remember when you guys played Cinci in the MAC? Watch Cinci take on Florida and think about what could have been.
[quote="genlock"]First U. of C. was in C-USA not MAC.
Marshall had infinitely more TV in the MAC and the div 1-aa Southern Conference.
Otherwise you are right.
Almost right... He also is apparently unaware of how many more bowls are available to the C-USA teams as compared to the MAC teams, nor does he realize that Hell would freeze over before WVU would allow Marshall into the Big East...
Honestly, I am not sure if Marshall had stayed with the Mid-American Conference that they would have had a better record. I would have said that the coaching change had a bigger impact than the shift to C_USA.
The first step in a successful revolution is to defeat all competing revolutionaries.
I dont think WVU would try to stop marshall from entering the big east, hell, it would be a FREE conference win for them, fact is Mark Snyder was and is a piss poor coach. I'm not a huge sports fan, not really a fan at all, just know enough to see where the problem lies at within the 'ol blundering turd.......
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