MORGANTOWN - Having grown up in often-frigid Buffalo and then having spent the past four years in always-sizzling Phoenix, Dale Wolfley never batted an eye when told that the almost-May temperature in Morgantown on Tuesday hovered in the 40s.
MORGANTOWN - Having grown up in often-frigid Buffalo and then having spent the past four years in always-sizzling Phoenix, Dale Wolfley never batted an eye when told that the almost-May temperature in Morgantown on Tuesday hovered in the 40s.
"I can't wait. I'm kind of a polar bear myself,'' Wolfley said. "I don't need the 110 degrees for 40 days in a row.''
By the time Wolfley arrives in June to begin whatever it is he winds up doing with West Virginia's football program, the weather will be the least of his concerns. Exactly what he will be doing, though, seems the big question.
The former WVU lineman, who has spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Phoenix College in Arizona and this winter helped steer three of his players to West Virginia, will join the WVU staff in time for the program's summer camps. He resigned his position at Phoenix on April 22 without knowing exactly what he would be doing at his alma mater.
"I wasn't sure at the time and I'm still not sure,'' Wolfley said Tuesday. "But I needed to go ahead and resign so they could begin to move on.''
The only thing certain seems to be that Wolfley will be a part of West Virginia's staff. Coach Bill Stewart said Tuesday that could be in any of a number of roles, from a graduate assistant either on or off the field to any number of administrative positions ranging from fundraising to public relations.
"No matter what he ends up doing, he's a terrific guy and a great addition,'' WVU's head coach said Tuesday. "We just have to find the right place for him. The first thing he'll do when he gets here in June is work our camps and then we'll see where it goes.''
As far as Wolfley is concerned, he will be happy just to be in the place he considers home and working in any role Stewart eventually finds for him.
"It sounds confusing, but for me and my family it's really not,'' said Wolfley, who is married with four young children. "I told coach Stewart from the very beginning, 'Whatever you need me to do to help West Virginia, I will do.'
MORGANTOWN - Having grown up in often-frigid Buffalo and then having spent the past four years in always-sizzling Phoenix, Dale Wolfley never batted an eye when told that the almost-May temperature in Morgantown on Tuesday hovered in the 40s.
"I can't wait. I'm kind of a polar bear myself,'' Wolfley said. "I don't need the 110 degrees for 40 days in a row.''
By the time Wolfley arrives in June to begin whatever it is he winds up doing with West Virginia's football program, the weather will be the least of his concerns. Exactly what he will be doing, though, seems the big question.
The former WVU lineman, who has spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Phoenix College in Arizona and this winter helped steer three of his players to West Virginia, will join the WVU staff in time for the program's summer camps. He resigned his position at Phoenix on April 22 without knowing exactly what he would be doing at his alma mater.
"I wasn't sure at the time and I'm still not sure,'' Wolfley said Tuesday. "But I needed to go ahead and resign so they could begin to move on.''
The only thing certain seems to be that Wolfley will be a part of West Virginia's staff. Coach Bill Stewart said Tuesday that could be in any of a number of roles, from a graduate assistant either on or off the field to any number of administrative positions ranging from fundraising to public relations.
"No matter what he ends up doing, he's a terrific guy and a great addition,'' WVU's head coach said Tuesday. "We just have to find the right place for him. The first thing he'll do when he gets here in June is work our camps and then we'll see where it goes.''
As far as Wolfley is concerned, he will be happy just to be in the place he considers home and working in any role Stewart eventually finds for him.
"It sounds confusing, but for me and my family it's really not,'' said Wolfley, who is married with four young children. "I told coach Stewart from the very beginning, 'Whatever you need me to do to help West Virginia, I will do.'
"The main thing is that I consider West Virginia to be my home. I want my family to grow up with the West Virginia values that I became so endeared to when I was at West Virginia.''
Wolfley was only a student at West Virginia for a relatively short time. He played offensive line from 1987 to 1990 and was a team captain as a senior.
But his brother Ron played fullback for the Mountaineers from 1981 to 1984 and Dale spent a lot of weekends in Morgantown during that time. Then, when his other brother Craig played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was in the area quite a bit to visit him. Dale also spent three years as a graduate assistant on Don Nehlen's staff after his playing days.
"It really developed into a home atmosphere,'' Wolfley said. "And Craig is still living in Pittsburgh. I'm really looking forward to coming back and being in a place I feel comfortable.''
Wolfley was the head coach at Phoenix the past three years, succeeding brother Ron in the job. Three of his players from last year's team - defensive lineman Tevita Finau and defensive backs Brantwon Bowser and Courtney Stuart - signed with West Virginia in February.
"Honestly, my goal is to do what the program needs me to do,'' Wolfley said. "If it's in administration I certainly have those abilities. As a head football coach at the junior college level you do just about every job there is.
"Whatever coach tells me to do I'm going to go at it 100 percent and do it to the best of my ability.''
To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734.
Post a comment