Dana Holgorsen
Encyclopedia
Dana Holgorsen is an American football
coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at West Virginia University
, having succeeded Bill Stewart, who resigned under pressure on June 10, 2011. At the end of the 2010 season West Virginia
athletic director Oliver Luck
announced that Holgorsen was hired as the offensive coordinator for the 2011 season and would become the Mountaineers 33rd head football coach in 2012. During his coaching career he has served under innovative coaches such as Hal Mumme
, Mike Leach and Kevin Sumlin
.
, whom Holgorsen had previously coached with at Valdosta State under Hal Mumme
. While there, his offenses increased the amount of yardage from 324.8 yards of total offense to 529.6, an increase of more than 200 yards per game. The Red Raiders were No. 7 nationally prior to Holgorsen becoming offensive coordinator and raised their yardage total to No. 4 in 2005, his first season directing the offense. In his two years as offensive coordinator, his squad was nationally ranked No. 8 in 2006 and No. 3 in 2007. In 2007, Texas Tech led the nation in passing (470.31), was No. 2 in total offense (529.62) and was No. 7 in scoring offense (40.9). Quarterback Graham Harrell
led the nation in total offense and Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree
led the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. In 2006, the Red Raiders ranked No. 3 nationally in passing offense and No. 6 in total offense. Harrell once again was outstanding, finishing No. 3 nationally in total offense with 344.38 yards per game. Texas Tech led the nation in passing in 2005, was No. 4 in scoring offense (39.4) and No. 6 in total offense (495.83). Quarterback Cody Hodges
was No. 2 in the nation with 396.08 yards per game.
, led the nation in total offense in 2008 and 2009, totaling 403.2 yards per game as a sophomore and 416.4 yards his junior season. He also ranked among the Top 10 nationally in pass efficiency both years.
, given to the top quarterback in the nation. Wide Receiver Justin Blackmon
was named the recipient of the 2010 Biletnikoff Award, given to the top receiver in the nation, and running back Kendall Hunter
was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award
, given to the nation’s top running back. Weeden, Hunter and Blackmon become only the second trio in NCAA history to pass for at least 3,000 yards, run for more than 1,500 yards and finish with more than 1,500 yards receiving in the same season.
Record-breaking Cowboys offense under Holgorsen
With one game remaining, these are the school records set by the Dana Holgorsen-coordinated Oklahoma State offense during the 2010 season:
also announced that Holgorsen would replace Stewart as head coach in 2012, saying that he didn't think Stewart was capable of leading the Mountaineers to a national championship.
The relationship between Stewart and Holgorsen was strained from the start, and finally came to a head when Colin Dunlap, a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
claimed Stewart had asked him and another reporter from the Charleston Gazette to dig up negative information about Holgorsen. While Luck was unable to substantiate the reporters' claims, he decided that Stewart had become too much of a distraction and forced Stewart's resignation on June 10.
Luck had anticipated that the coach-in-waiting arrangement might not work as originally planned. Holgorsen's contract stated that his salary would be prorated at $1.4 million for the remainder of the season should he become head coach before 2012. In addition, the $250,000 annual bonus applied to the head coaching salary would begin a year early, resulting in an additional $2 million over the six-year period addressed by his contract.
where he graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1989. Holgorsen played wide receiver at Iowa Wesleyan College
, earning a degree in 1993 and a master’s in health and physical education from Valdosta State University
in 1995. Holgorsen had been recruited to Iowa Wesleyan by head coach Hal Mumme
and offensive coordinator Mike Leach
; both of whom he would coach with later in their careers.
Holgorsen has three children: McClayne, Logan and Karlyn.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, having succeeded Bill Stewart, who resigned under pressure on June 10, 2011. At the end of the 2010 season West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
athletic director Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
announced that Holgorsen was hired as the offensive coordinator for the 2011 season and would become the Mountaineers 33rd head football coach in 2012. During his coaching career he has served under innovative coaches such as Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme
Hal Clay Mumme is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at McMurry University.- Playing career :...
, Mike Leach and Kevin Sumlin
Kevin Sumlin
-External links:*...
.
Early career
Holgorsen also spent time at Valdosta State (1993–95) as the quarterbacks, receivers and special teams coach, at Mississippi College (1996–98) as the quarterbacks, receivers and special teams coach and at Wingate (1999) as the quarterbacks and receivers coach.Texas Tech
Holgorsen was a member of the coaching staff at Texas Tech from 2000–07, serving as the inside receivers coach from 2000–04, before being elevated to co-offensive coordinator in 2005 and offensive coordinator in 2006-07. The move reunited him with head coach Mike LeachMike Leach
Michael C. "Mike" Leach is head coach of the Washington State Cougars football team. For 10 years he was head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team. Leach had a winning season every year during his tenure at Texas Tech....
, whom Holgorsen had previously coached with at Valdosta State under Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme
Hal Clay Mumme is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at McMurry University.- Playing career :...
. While there, his offenses increased the amount of yardage from 324.8 yards of total offense to 529.6, an increase of more than 200 yards per game. The Red Raiders were No. 7 nationally prior to Holgorsen becoming offensive coordinator and raised their yardage total to No. 4 in 2005, his first season directing the offense. In his two years as offensive coordinator, his squad was nationally ranked No. 8 in 2006 and No. 3 in 2007. In 2007, Texas Tech led the nation in passing (470.31), was No. 2 in total offense (529.62) and was No. 7 in scoring offense (40.9). Quarterback Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
led the nation in total offense and Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
led the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. In 2006, the Red Raiders ranked No. 3 nationally in passing offense and No. 6 in total offense. Harrell once again was outstanding, finishing No. 3 nationally in total offense with 344.38 yards per game. Texas Tech led the nation in passing in 2005, was No. 4 in scoring offense (39.4) and No. 6 in total offense (495.83). Quarterback Cody Hodges
Cody Hodges
Cody Hodges is a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and former professional American football player, playing in the National Football League, Arena Football League. Hodges is best known for his one season as the starting quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2005 season. He led...
was No. 2 in the nation with 396.08 yards per game.
Houston
Holgorsen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston. During his two-year tenure with the Cougars, his offenses posted impressive numbers, accounting for 563 yards of total offense per game, passing for 433.7 yards per game and totaling more than 42.2 points per game. His offense ranked No. 3 in total offense in 2008 and No. 1 in 2009. His quarterback, Case KeenumCase Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
, led the nation in total offense in 2008 and 2009, totaling 403.2 yards per game as a sophomore and 416.4 yards his junior season. He also ranked among the Top 10 nationally in pass efficiency both years.
Oklahoma State
When Holgorsen was hired at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys' offense was ranked No. 61 nationally in total offense. In his first season the offense led the nation in total offense, averaging 537.6 yards per game, was No. 2 in passing offense, averaging 354.7 yards per game, and No. 3 in scoring offense, averaging 44.9 points per game. The Postseason accolades have been plentiful for Holgersen’s offensive players in 2010, quarterback Brandon Weeden became the first OSU passer to ever earn first team All-Big 12 honors. He was also finalist for the Manning AwardManning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
, given to the top quarterback in the nation. Wide Receiver Justin Blackmon
Justin Blackmon
Justin Blackmon is an American football wide receiver. He currently attends Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in his junior season. He is considered one of the best wide receivers of his class....
was named the recipient of the 2010 Biletnikoff Award, given to the top receiver in the nation, and running back Kendall Hunter
Kendall Hunter
Kendall Hunter is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers. He was chosen with the 115th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He previously attended Oklahoma State University–Stillwater. He is the Cowboys' fourth all-time leading rusher...
was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
, given to the nation’s top running back. Weeden, Hunter and Blackmon become only the second trio in NCAA history to pass for at least 3,000 yards, run for more than 1,500 yards and finish with more than 1,500 yards receiving in the same season.
Record-breaking Cowboys offense under Holgorsen
With one game remaining, these are the school records set by the Dana Holgorsen-coordinated Oklahoma State offense during the 2010 season:
- Total yards: 6,451 Old record was 6,340, set in 2002
- Scoring: 539 points Old record was 530, set in 2008
- Passing yards: 4,256 Old record was 3,414, set in 2002
- Pass attempts: 491 Old record was 454, set in 2002
- Pass completions: 332 Old record was 243, set in 2002
West Virginia
On December 22, 2010; Holgorsen moved to West Virginia as offensive coordinator. At that time, athletic director Oliver LuckOliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
also announced that Holgorsen would replace Stewart as head coach in 2012, saying that he didn't think Stewart was capable of leading the Mountaineers to a national championship.
The relationship between Stewart and Holgorsen was strained from the start, and finally came to a head when Colin Dunlap, a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
claimed Stewart had asked him and another reporter from the Charleston Gazette to dig up negative information about Holgorsen. While Luck was unable to substantiate the reporters' claims, he decided that Stewart had become too much of a distraction and forced Stewart's resignation on June 10.
Luck had anticipated that the coach-in-waiting arrangement might not work as originally planned. Holgorsen's contract stated that his salary would be prorated at $1.4 million for the remainder of the season should he become head coach before 2012. In addition, the $250,000 annual bonus applied to the head coaching salary would begin a year early, resulting in an additional $2 million over the six-year period addressed by his contract.
Personal life
Holgorsen is a native of Mount Pleasant, IowaMount Pleasant, Iowa
Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa, in the United States. The population was 8,668 in the 2010 census, a decline from 8,751 in the 2000 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders.- History :...
where he graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1989. Holgorsen played wide receiver at Iowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church located Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.Iowa Wesleyan is recognized as a pioneer in higher education in America. Founded in 1842, it ranks as the oldest coeducational college located west of the Mississippi River...
, earning a degree in 1993 and a master’s in health and physical education from Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
in 1995. Holgorsen had been recruited to Iowa Wesleyan by head coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme
Hal Clay Mumme is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at McMurry University.- Playing career :...
and offensive coordinator Mike Leach
Mike Leach
Michael C. "Mike" Leach is head coach of the Washington State Cougars football team. For 10 years he was head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team. Leach had a winning season every year during his tenure at Texas Tech....
; both of whom he would coach with later in their careers.
Holgorsen has three children: McClayne, Logan and Karlyn.