Baseball America | Blog | Baseball America College Blog | West Virginia Parts Ways With Coach Greg Van Zant

The 2012 coaching carousel started spinning less than an hour after after West Virginia ended its regular season Saturday with a 5-4 loss to South Florida. Mountaineers athletic director Oliver Luck announced that the university would not renew head coach Greg Van Zant's contract.

"Greg has spent a total of 26 years with the Mountaineer baseball program, including the last 18 as head coach, and we appreciate his many years of service to West Virginia University," Luck said in a statement. "During his time here, he has contributed to our baseball program as a student-athlete, assistant and head coach, and we wish him the best."

Van Zant posted a 528-451-1 record in his 18 seasons as head coach, including a 23-32 record this season. The Mountaineers won 35 or more games in 2006, '07 and '08, but they haven't been to a regional since 1996, Van Zant's second year as coach.

But as Van Zant told reporters after Saturday's game but before his dismissal was announced, West Virginia has not invested heavily in its program during his tenure.

"You're going to have success based on how well the school supports you," he said, per West Virginia Illustrated. "We've been in the Big East 17 years and we've only had eight and a half scholarships, and we've never been fully funded. You can go get a coach from wherever and they're just going to come from programs that have been fully funded that have success. You're only as good as your support.

"I think our school is going to make a commitment to baseball and we'll see what happens."

With West Virginia set to enter the Big 12 next season, the school might indeed be poised to ramp up its support for the baseball program. Its on-campus park—Hawley Field—could use additional seating, in addition to other improvements.

"I think we can easily play at Hawley Field," Van Zant said. "There's nothing wrong with playing Big 12 games at Hawley Field. We could play here right now. We need a major upgrade to the facility or a new facility, mainly to recruit with. It's not that we can't play the games here—this is a beautiful ballpark, we just need new dugouts and a clubhouse. I've been saying that for 15 years."

It's a shame Van Zant did not get to show what he could do with a full array of 11.7 scholarships and a better facility. His successor faces an uphill battle, leading a geographically disadvantaged program with substandard facilities into the Big 12. But if the university is serious about committing more resources to baseball, it will be interesting to see what kind of candidates West Virginia can attract.

One obvious possibility is former Arizona State coach Pat Murphy, who remains eager to return to the college coaching ranks. Hiring Murphy would be a bold move in light of the way his tenure ended at Arizona State, but the Mountaineers would be hard-pressed to find a more proven winner who might be receptive to their overtures. That kind of hire that would make a splash as the program transitions to the Big 12.

Aaron,
There is a reason why the university did not "back" the baseball program, and mainly Greg Van Zant. This is not just a coindicence that one of the largest Division 1 Sports Universities with an abundance of money put little into their basball program. Its because WVU is a business, and they made smart business decisions. As a business man (and former Division 1 coach), I understand – why would any one put bad money after bad money? Why would you invest in a program that you know it destined for failure? On your blog – the biggest question shouldn't be – "what could he have done with more financial support?" – your question should be; "How did he stay around as long as he did"? … And although Oliver Luck finally pulled the plug, they probably should have done this 2-3 years ago so that they would be prepared to enter into a bigger conferece. Now, WVU's biggest challenge is going to be TIME. How are they going to find the right coach and build the right facility, and expect to be a contender in the BIG 12 in the upcoming years?…Not going to happen. Its all about timing, and unfortunately Luck came into a sticky situation that the previous administration should have done a long time ago.

Posted by Chris | May 20, 2012 at 2:26 am | Shortcut

Great comment, Chris. WVU has been awful for years, and one must really wonder why he stayed around. Oliver Luck made a great move.

Posted by Abe | May 20, 2012 at 4:27 am | Shortcut

Wow, that's it? A man dedicates 26 years of his life to a baseball program and that's all you have to say about him? What a shame. I don't know the man or the program, but I do know that he deserves better than that. And yes, a baseball program does require full support from the administration to be a winning program. It sounds to me like he had some big hurtles to overcome (Only 8.5 scholarships! Are you kidding me?!) and continued to struggle year after year to do his best for the program. I say to the WVU administration – shame on you folks for not giving your full support to the program and then rewarding someone for working within the limitations you placed on them by firing them. Coach Van Zant, best of luck to you!

Posted by Diane | May 20, 2012 at 12:36 pm | Shortcut

Diane – Unfortunately because you dont know the man or the program you are speaking with little knowledge of the situation. If you knew Van Zant personally, you would not be wishing him good luck. And by the way, you don't need full financial support to win, or else why do these little schools end up doing well? Do you think that Fullerton and Long Beach have money, not at all! They are a California State University. Its because really good coaches can figure out ways to win on small budgets. How do you think Oregon State did it? THey didn't ahve money either. In fact, Oregon State had the second to lowest athletic budget in the Pac-10, and THEY STILL WON IT ALL! TWICE!! Greg Van Zant is actually lucky. Lucky that he got allt he chances in the world to do something he loves. Unfortunately, he is just not a very good coach, and I wont be surprised if he ever coaches again.

Posted by Chris | May 20, 2012 at 4:18 pm | Shortcut

Chris, there is one huge, huge difference: all those other programs you mentioned are fully funded — that is, they have the full 11.7 scholarships. Van Zant has had to make due with just 8 or 8.5 scholarships, competing against teams that have 11.7. That is a MAJOR handicap. And of course, Fullerton and Long Beach and Oregon State all have nice facilities and fan support (not SEC-caliber facilities and resources, of course, but the gulf between their resources and what Van Zant had to work with at WVU is enormous). Your analogy really holds no water whatsoever, I’m afraid.

Posted by Aaron Fitt | May 21, 2012 at 3:06 am | Shortcut

why would murphy want to go to west virginia? that is beyond ridiculous. he has declined interviews with better programs. he was the 4th highest paid coach in college baseball and at one of the premiere programs in the nation, anyone think he'll go to some backwater place like west virginia? if anything he'll go to a program like a usc

Posted by ScottAZ | May 21, 2012 at 10:20 am | Shortcut

Scott, Pat Murphy was ready to take the UC Santa Barbara job last year before the Gauchos got cold feet. You think that’s such a better job than West Virginia, which is going to the Big 12 and is likely to ramp up its investment in the program? Murphy just wants to get back into college coaching in a bad way, and I don’t think he’s going to wait around for the perfect opportunity to come along, because that may never happen. I think he’d be very interested in a chance to get into the Big 12.

Posted by Aaron Fitt | May 21, 2012 at 11:40 am | Shortcut

Chris – Aaron points out that Oregon State, Cal St. Fullerton and Long Beach had better facilities and were fully funded in comparison to WVU. One thing he didn't point out – but is a HUGE advantage for those schools over West Virginia – recruiting base. Fullerton and Long Beach are located in fertile recruiting areas, places where you can field Top 20 programs if you just recruit the 50 square miles around your campus. Oregon State plays in the Pac 10 – historically the best baseball conference in the country. Recruiting west coast kids to that program isn't nearly as difficult to recruit as it is / will be at WVU.
I don't know Van Zant but if you claim to be a former Division I coach, you should know better than to spout that nonsense. Maybe he failed at WVU for lots of reasons but he was dealt a poor hand and if WVU expects to be competitive in the Big 12, they better invest in the program or they should get used to losing records.

Posted by Rick | May 21, 2012 at 11:55 am | Shortcut

I know Greg Van Zant from years ago in Connersville IN. He was a great coach and from what I could tell he loved WVU. I saved Greg's life one night.
It is very sad to see a man dedicate his life to a program and not get a fair shake from the University. Good Luck Coach Greg Van Zant.

Posted by Eric | May 21, 2012 at 9:23 pm | Shortcut

All – I know Van Zant personally as well. Not the best human being you ever met. Many people dedicate their life to things, it doesn't mean you deserve ANYTHING!! Look at Bill Stewart, he was one of the best people you would have ever met, and he had a lot of success at the helm of the football program at WVU. He died earlier today, What about what he deserved? I can tell you, he deserved alot more than Van Zant ever did. Aaron-how much background research have you done on Van Zant? Have you actually talked to personel at WVU? that is why you are only a writer and not a coach. I have been directly and in-directly involved with Long Beach, Oregon State, and WVU. ANd I can tell you Oregon State didn't have the facilities and funding until AFTER they had success. I know first hand what success can bring, and how it can turn around a program. Eric- your point about the recruiting base is good, but does not hold as much weight as you might think. The major factor for WVU is the weather. So that would rule out Fullerton and Long Beach. Lets narrow it down to Oregn State. Before Oregon State had their success, they had a VERY hard time recruiting. Who wants to play baseball in the Northwest? WIth all that rain and cold? Nobody. And I can personally attest that their facilities were sub-par before they were successful. This is just a testament to how good Pat Casey is as a coach. He successfully found the talent, was able to actualy bring them to OSU, and found ways to win despite playing in the very tough PAC-10. Not very many people could do that. And that is what WVU will need to win. After all they will be playing in the Big 12, which is one of the best baseball conferences as well. WIth all that said, my points are only relevant to people who actually understand the intricacies of college baseball. The only reason I have been blogging on this particular matter is for people to understand that its not always as it appears on the surface. WVU knows that they need to do better to give themelves a chance to play in the Big 12. And they knew that wouldn't happen with Van Zant. WIll they have success? who knows, but at least Oliver Luck is making a step in the right direction.

Posted by Chris | May 22, 2012 at 12:55 am | Shortcut

And to followup on my point. All baseball players know its not about scholarships, because NOBODY gets a full ride. It is rare that a highly recruited player gets above 70% scholarship. With that being said, there are only 3-5 players on each team with that high of a scholarship. Most players on each team settle for below 50%. Scholarships dont make or break a program in college baseball, talent does. WVU is one of the biggest athletic programs in the nation. They have a NIKE ELITE sponsorship. The program alone gets over $1 million from Nike just towards apparel for its student athletes. So please dont tell me that a student athlete wouldn't want to go there. I am from the West Coast. There are highly talented kids that would die to go there for a chance to play with tha big of a program. However, it is the reputation that Van Zant made for himself. If he had respect from his peers he could have receievd so much alumni support it wouldn't even be funny. But everyone knew it would be a waste of their money as long as Van Zant held the position. Aaron- I challenge you to follow up with Luck in the next year or two and see just how much financial support the baseball program gets. Its going to be because they found a coach that they think is worth investing in, and a program that they think can compete in the Big 12. All of this just goes back to my first piont – WVU is a business, and they make decisions based on that, period. Give it a few years and you will see.

Posted by Chris | May 22, 2012 at 1:15 am | Shortcut

Chris you may have more up-close info but the changes at O-State started before their title; the ballpark was built around the existing field in around 2000 or 2001, off the top of my head. Oregon State didn’t go to regionals unti what, Pat Casey’s 11th year? Sounds an awful lot like Greg Van Zant’s tenure at West Virginia, on the surface. Talent in Oregon is greater than it is in West Virginia but a lot of factors came together for the Beavers, from talent and coaching to great makeup guys like Mitch Canham and of course Darwin Barney.

My take is Greg Van Zant did fine for what he had; he didn’t over-achieve, but he didn’t serve West Virginia poorly either. The program is going to a much more challenging league for baseball, decided it needs to pay the spot more attention and decided to do that with a new coach. I respect that, I’m glad the school decided to give a damn about baseball, and I’m sorry for Greg that he won’t be around for it. But it’s logical and the way sports works, and he knows that.

Posted by John Manuel | May 22, 2012 at 8:04 am | Shortcut

I will add that checking through old BA questionnaires, the last three years, WV’s questionnaire lists 11.7 scholarships.

Suffice it to say that the program will be held to a higher standard playing in the Big 12; it’s going to be good for college baseball if West Virginia’s passionate fan base starts to care about baseball as well. But this is the first time in 15 years at BA that I’ve ever heard anyone kicking up much of a ruckus.

Posted by John Manuel | May 22, 2012 at 12:17 pm | Shortcut

"My take is Greg Van Zant did fine for what he had; he didn’t over-achieve, but he didn’t serve West Virginia poorly either."

Spot on in my opinion. Chris may be right that WVU made a business decision not to pump money into baseball, but that I that shouldn't reflect negatively on GVZ in any way. There is regularly snow on the field till mid March, facilities are well below average (even for the BE), the program wasn't fully funded, and the state WV isn't exactly known for their baseball talent. Throw in that some of the other sports have…we will say strongly encouraged their players NOT to play multiple sports [from what I have heard] and you pretty much have a situation where it would be difficult for anyone to compete on the national level. Further, I imagine GVZ cost less than better options and they weren't pumping money into the program…so why go out and get a top level coach?

I don't know GVZ personally but I watched a lot of WVU baseball the ~6 years I was in Morgantown. From my interactions with him, he seemed like a great guy but, unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily translate into being a great coach. I think WVU made the right decision not to pump money into the program before the move to the BIG 12 and I think the decision to change coaches is probably the right move now that they are moving to the BIG 12. Sure it would have been fair to give GVZ a chance with a fully funded program and adequate facilities but clearly the university wants to begin a new chapter in WVU athletics.
I think it will be very interesting to see if WVU (which has been very successful in recent years at MBB, WBB, FB, GYM, MSOC, WSOC, Rifle, and CC/Track…possibly a few others I am overlooking) can find success on the baseball field. It seems the athletic department is finally committed. I hope they can compete with the likes of Texas but I fear it will be a very difficult transition.

Posted by Josh | May 22, 2012 at 1:26 pm | Shortcut

"why would murphy want to go to west virginia? that is beyond ridiculous. he has declined interviews with better programs. he was the 4th highest paid coach in college baseball and at one of the premiere programs in the nation, anyone think he'll go to some backwater place like west virginia? if anything he'll go to a program like a usc"

Sadly, it would seem you know nothing about WV or Morgantown. It certainly isn't LA but it isn't southern WV and it isn't the early 1900's. Morgantown is a very nice, quaint college town that gets a horrible reputation in the media for fan behavior. In all fairness, I will admit that reputation is well deserved sometimes, but the behavior is far more often no worse than many other major Division I schools. The WVU athletic department also has shown that they will pay competitive salaries to get the right man for the job if they indeed feel he is the right man for the job. You may be right that Murphy wont consider the job (he may not even be a candidate) but I think your comment is pretty out of line.

Also, wish there was a preview function, formatting can be a little difficult to predict on here sometimes.

Posted by Josh | May 22, 2012 at 1:37 pm | Shortcut

John. your points are valid. But the funny thing is that your stats just refuted Aaron's whole point of the article. You revealed that indeed he had the full amount of scholarships. I mean we wouldnt even be talking about it if it were Southeast Misssouri State. But the fact that we are talking about WVU, has got to show you that there was more going on than you think. He had 18 years to prove himself. How much longer are you going to give a person? And if he couldn't win in the Big East, which is a far less superior conference than the Big 12, how could anyone think that because he now has a better facility and plays in a bigger conference that he is going to finally be a winner? Some people just dont have it. The only reason I have been as ademate about my position is because I have been there. I know what that make-up of a good coach looks like. And I would suggest you and Aaron to do more research next time, before you write an article pulling for one side against the other. I dont work for WVU or its administration, never have. But it was clear you were pulling more for the coach than the university without a complete understanding of the situaton. Obviously Van Zant was doing something right to stay around for as long as he did. But what was he doing?Take a look at WVU's schedule the past few years. His carrer record is just above .500. Most of their wins were from smaller schools with less than mediocre programs. So my final point in this whole blog, is to reveal that there are alot of better deserving coaches that will be more qualified for the job, and that you shouldn't feel bad for a person who never proved anything.Lets face it- he did just enough to stay out of the radar. And for that I commend him. But it finally caught up to him. Good luck to the next coach.

Posted by Chris | May 23, 2012 at 12:00 am | Shortcut

I wasn’t intending to make a case either for or against Van Zant, just pointing out that he never had a really strong commitment from the university, and I don’t know how he would have done with better facilities and 11.7 scholarships. I don’t know how many scholarships they’ve had to work with. They’ve entered 11.7 on our questionnaire, but Van Zant has said 8 or 8.5 in the media. It’s certainly possible that they mistakenly listed 11.7 scholarships (Van Zant doesn’t necessarily fill out the questionnaire), or that they had 8.5 scholarships up until the last couple of years. I don’t have the answer to that. But either way, I think it is clear that West Virginia has not really invested in its program at a level necessary to be truly competitive on a national level.

Posted by Aaron Fitt | May 23, 2012 at 1:21 am | Shortcut

I don't know anything about the questionnaire you speak of but Luck announced earlier this year that the WVU baseball program would be fully funded beginning in 2013:

http://blogs.dailymail.com/wvu.....-11-7-win/
http://dailymail.com/Sports/201203270188
http://wvgazette.com/Sports/WV.....uild=cache

So perhaps the 11.7 scholarships were technically available but he didn't have permission to use them? I am not sure but I believe the 11.7 scholarships is incorrect and he has been working with fewer scholarships (likely including this season).

Chris main points are valid but I don't think he has as good of an understanding of the situation as he thinks he does.

Posted by Josh | May 23, 2012 at 8:51 am | Shortcut

Posted by ScottAZ | May 23, 2012 at 9:23 am | Shortcut

Chris – what is your point? That guys like Van Zant are holding jobs more 'qualified' coaches should have? If so, just say it. Your rants on here just make you look like someone that has a grudge against him.
And as for your point about Van Zant never having 'done anything'? How about the fact that he spent the majority of his adult life dedicated to a university and the young men under his leadership? I don't recall WVU ever having a scandal or problem with its baseball program; so maybe he didn't win the Big East, get to regionals or compete for a national title. And for that – WVU chooses to replace him. Fine, it's their right. But it sure seems you have more than a passing interest in this story and I wish you would just admit your bias. What's your problem with the man?

Posted by Rick | May 23, 2012 at 1:03 pm | Shortcut

A lot of these comments and most don't know the whole situation. For 18 years, take a look at the winning percentage and the caliber of teams that Van Zant played against. He front loaded his schedule with cupcakes and obtained most of his wins. Another thing, he doesn't even have pitching and batting coaches and how are you successful without those. There are a great amount of ex-players that have quit the team because of his coaching style of berating his players. How do you not make it to the World Series and you had at least five guys playing in the major and minor league systems. I'm not agreeing with a man losing his jobs, but there has to be factors to his release. I have to agree though, if you win the Big East once in 18 years, how are you going to win in the Big 12 where the competition is greater.

Posted by James | May 28, 2012 at 7:43 pm | Shortcut

I am not a GVZ hater, but he did underachieve while at WVU. He has had teams that barely hit .500 (sometimes lower) that have had 5 players enter the major leagues. I would think any team that contained 5 MLB prospects should have done better.
Basically, it came down to this in my mind. Oliver Luck extended him a year when his contract was up after the 2011 season to see what he could do. If ANYONE would have been paying attention to the product on the field, you would realize that this was not the coach to take us into the Big 12. His teams lead the NCAA in bunting, but that is about it. Some games, it seemed like no one cared. I remember the trip out to Oregon in March, where we went 0-4 and 3 of those games were ended with a mercy rule before the eighth inning. All that money that the AD paid to send them out and play on the west coast, and the coach doesn't even have the team ready to be competitive?
Oh, and for all of those that think Hawley Field is a dump (which it is), if the program would have won or even been competitive on a semi-regular basis, I am sure Ken Kendrick, from the AZ Diamondbacks, would have FUNDED a damn field long ago. He had a falling out with the university when Stewart was hired as the football coach, but I would think he might still fund some of our new park anyway, he does love the Mountaineers…

Posted by BlueNGoldBlooded | May 29, 2012 at 7:39 am | Shortcut