3/5/2017 football Edit

WVU taking new approach to special teams

Holgorsen will now oversee special teams.

Keenan Cummings • WVSports

Managing Editor

When it comes to the area of special teams, West Virginia is going for something different this spring to try to make the unit truly special.

After assistant Mark Scott oversaw the units last year, the Mountaineers are now switching things up. Scott will primarily serve as a defensive assistant working with the linebackers and coordinator Tony Gibson on game day responsibilities, while still working with the specialists.

However, the rest of the unit will be divided amongst the rest of the team.

“We’re going to be splitting special teams up,” head coach Dana Holgorsen said.

It was a black eye at times for West Virginia during the 2016 season as the Mountaineers struggled mightily with multiple areas in the special teams department.

The Mountaineers ranked 103 in kickoff return defense allowing 22.96 yards per attempt, 124th in punt returns averaging just 1.86 yards per attempt, 57th in kickoff return, 41st in punt return defense and also struggled with several other issues with the special teams unit.

So West Virginia will be dividing the responsibilities amongst several coaches on both sides of the ball with the defensive coaches taking kickoff, punt return, onside kick and field goal block.

While offense will handle punt, kickoff return, field goal and the hands team.

"I like it, you get a lot of different input from a lot of different guys," defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. "It helps when you have nine or ten guys pitching in."

What that essentially means is that those units will handle the hard, coaching and technique aspect of those various special teams departments while the actual kickers will still work with Scott.

Given the fact that Holgorsen has elected to give up play calling duties on the offensive side, he will now step into more of a CEO type role and is expected to oversee the special teams as a whole.

“I’m going to oversee it. I’m going to have a little bit more time on my hands to be able to do some different things, so I’m going to oversee all special teams,” Holgorsen said.