The decision on who would serve as the interim head coach for the Frisco Bowl wasn't a complicated one.
Athletic Director Wren Baker met with former head coach Neal Brown when he was relieved of his duties and the recommendation was to tab offensive coordinator Chad Scott in the position.
"He has an infectious enthusiasm about him. I think he’s particularly suited for this role. You’ve got young people that have a tough thing that happens to them then they have to rebound and get ready for a bowl game. He very quickly has rallied those guys, and the staff has been tremendous," Baker said.
It isn’t the first elevation for Scott, who came to Morgantown in 2019 when Neal Brown first took over the program as the running backs coach, but a significant opportunity.
It’s another rise up the ladder for Scott, who has been bumped from co-offensive coordinator, run-game coordinator, offensive coordinator and now interim head coach. While Scott is handling the football side of it all, strength and conditioning coach Mike Joseph has taken on the other aspects of the program.
"He told Coach Scott to focus on the football stuff we want to simplify this. Mike Joseph, who’s been here a long time, is very highly regarded and respected, we’ve got him on the non-football stuff," Baker said.
Scott is a high-energy coach who has connected well with the players during his time on campus. That made his appointment an easy one considering the circumstances.
That was evident by the overwhelming support by the team in the room when he was first appointed as the offensive coordinator.
It was a new role for Scott but one where his personality traits helped to endear him to the offense as a vocal leader while not necessarily handling the full responsibility of play calling.
“I think one of my best abilities is to be able to connect with the guys and bring out the best in them,” he said.
Prior to West Virginia, Scott served as the running backs coach at Troy, Texas Tech and Kentucky before also taking on the run-game coordinator role with the Wildcats. The then coached tight ends and hybrids at North Carolina before briefly accepting a job as the running backs coach at Louisville before arriving in Morgantown.
"I think if you ask anybody to a man i think that they would all say he truly cares about everyone in the building. You can't really hide his energy and love for everybody in the building. Guys have seen that the last five years with him and it’s easy to rally behind a coach like that," senior quarterback Garrett Greene said.
West Virginia sits a 6-6 on the season and will square off against Memphis in the Frisco Bowl Tuesday night at 9 p.m.
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