On Friday, West Virginia announced the hiring of a tight ends coach who's much more than a tight ends coach.
Blaine Stewart has re-joined a program he literally grew up in; Blaine is the son of the late former WVU head coach Bill Stewart. The elder Stewart spent 11 years in the program from 2000-10, going 28-12 in three seasons as the Mountaineers' head coach. Stewart passed away in 2012.
"I am so thankful to Coach Neal Brown for the opportunity to return home to a program that means so much to me and my family. West Virginia will always hold such a special place in my heart," Stewart said. "It is an honor and privilege to come home to represent not only the University, but the entire state. I am ready to get to work to provide a product that Mountaineer fans will be proud of on and off the field."
Blaine Stewart was a standout player at Morgantown High School before playing college ball at James Madison and the University of Charleston, from where he graduated in 2017.
He entered coaching as a coaching assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2018-20 and spent the past two seasons as the Steelers' assistant wide receivers coach.
"He builds relationships, and you can tell that he is the son of a coach. He knows and has worked with members of our current coaching staff in the past which will also be an asset," Brown said. "His enthusiasm and love for this program will be contagious."
With the move, tight ends coach Sean Reagan will return to quarterbacks, the position he manned from 2019-21.
The Stewart hire fills the vacancy created by Graham Harrell's departure to Purdue. Running backs coach Chad Scott has been promoted to offensive coordinator, a move Brown announced earlier this week.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.