Wickline: Like father, like son

Offensive line coach Joe Wickline was in a difficult position during the past recruiting cycle caught in between being a coach and a father.

His son, Kelby, was a highly-touted junior college offensive linemen that held offers from a number of programs such as North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, TCU and many others.

Given the fact that there was such an obvious connection to begin with between the two, recruiting the younger Wickline would appear to be an easy task for his 35-year coaching veteran father.

In actuality, not so much.

“I did (recruit him) starting off. That’s why he left,” Wickline joked.

Wickline was actually a walk-on at West Virginia in the spring coming over from UTSA but elected to leave and spend a year at the junior college level developing. During that time, Wickline gained 15-pounds and a load of confidence holding his own at one of the premier junior colleges in the nation Jones J.C. That brought a number of schools into the picture interested in his services.

“He had to step his game up. From a confidence standpoint, he built a lot,” the elder Wickline said.

While West Virginia was always in the picture, dad kept out of his son’s recruitment for the most part instead offering guidance instead of attempting to lure him to Morgantown. So after taking several officials visits, Wickline eventually decided on North Carolina as his college destination.

The elder Wickline was satisfied with the choice, as he himself never played for his father who was a high school coach so he assumed that his son would follow the same path.

But that’s when the rest of the West Virginia coaches stepped up and increased their pursuit on Wickline eventually getting him to campus the weekend before junior college signing day and securing his flip from the Tar Heels to the Mountaineers.

“He wanted to go many places and felt in the end, it’s not just dad but West Virginia is one of the top places in the country. It offers a great education and a chance to get better,” Wickline said.

Now, comes the hard part. Actually coaching his son.

Wickline believes that Kelby could fit in at various spots along the offensive front and it was his versatility that made the Mountaineers prioritize him down the stretch. He could eventually settle in ay any of the five spots on the offensive line and putting on his coach hat there is a lot to like.

“He’s a three dimensional guy,” Wickline said. “Movement, size, range and things he can get done. He can help us be successful.”

Wickline will have three years to play three beginning this fall and his father has already told him that nothing will come easy based on blood ties alone. That must be earned by his play on the practice field.

It’s a battle though that Wickline admits will be difficult being both a father and a coach.

“I’m doing better,” he said. “You maybe lean on a guy harder because he’s your son or don’t lean as hard. He understands you get what you earn.”

And for now the elder Wickline is excited for the future but has a word of advice for coaches in a similar situation in the future.

“It’s not easy. You really start thinking about is it because of the connection of a father and son or is it best for him. But he did his own thing,” Wickline said.