WVU Coaches Using Bye Week To Recruit - WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

West Virginia University dismantled Marshall 69-34 in the season opener and promptly entered its first bye week of the season. WVU coaches admit that they would have preferred to wait a little longer before having a bye week.

One positive of the early bye week is that virtually the entire coaching staff is hitting the road to recruit potential future Mountaineers.

"When we have a couple of days we can get to Texas and get to Florida," WVU Head Coach Dana Holgorsen said. "We'll probably send four to Texas and three to Florida. I think Steve (Dunlap) is going to stay local, other than that everybody is going to be on an airplane going somewhere."

WVU assistants will visit numerous high schools in various states Friday. They will also have the opportunity to watch some of these prospects play in person.

"We'll be at a high school game, possibly two on Friday night," Holgorsen stated. "They'll be a bunch we can go watch on Saturday, because there are a lot of games in Texas and Florida that are played on Saturday."

WVU assistants will fan out across the Midwest and Florida. The goal is to evaluate these prospects through conversations with high school coaches as well as watching some of them play in person.

"We can call them this week and let them know that we are coming down to see them," Defensive Coordinator Joe DeForest said. "After a big win that was on TV, I think we are going to have a good response."

These visits are certainly important in the recruiting process. The staff tries to be deliberate in selecting games to attend. Not only are the coaches looking to evaluate prospects by attending these games, but they are also going to be sending a strong message to these prospects.

"I think whenever high school kids see you at their game and see you at their school in the middle of the fall season, I think it is important," Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson stated. "It emphasizes the fact that the interest level is high."

Holgorsen's assignments include wearing multiple hats. He will not only be sitting in the stands at a game in Houston as West Virginia's Head Coach, he will also be there to support his nephew, Clayton Holgorsen.

"I'm going to watch my nephew play in Houston, because that is the only time I can go watch him play is if I count it as an evaluation," Holgorsen shrugged. "I can only go watch my nephew play one time, that's the dumbest rule in the world."

Holgorsen and his assistants will be very busy this weekend and try to take advantage of the time. WVU will not have another opportunity to recruit during a bye week until the end of October.