MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University is looking into an “alleged incident” believed to involve the football team’s offensive coordinator and head coach-in- waiting, Dana Holgorsen, at a Cross Lanes casino last week.
Multiple sources told the Charleston Daily Mail Holgorsen was removed from Mardi Gras Casino & Resort after 3 a.m. May 18. Holgorsen had been at a Mountaineer Athletic Club function earlier in the day in Logan before spending the evening at the casino with other university representatives.
In a statement released late Tuesday night, Michael Fragale, the assistant athletic director for communications, said, “Athletic director Oliver Luck and head coach Bill Stewart have been made aware of the alleged incident. Once they have all the facts, they will deal with it appropriately.”
The statement was released not long after a Daily Mail reporter left a voice message for a football program official asking if the university was aware of the incident involving Holgorsen.
Holgorsen’s behavior allegedly reached a point that necessitated involvement from on-site security, sources said. Holgorsen was escorted out of the casino with the episode caught on surveillance. University representatives who were with Holgorsen were said to have then intervened. No arrest was made.
Police records indicate Metro 911 received a call from the casino at 3:13 a.m. that night. A “white male” was said to be “refusing to cooperate with the casino’s management.” Casino supervisors had the male detained at the time.
The Mardi Gras casino referred all requests for information about the incident to casino general manager Robert Lagg, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday morning.
Holgorsen was hired from Oklahoma State in December to succeed Stewart beginning in the 2012 season.
Is WVU really replacing such a stand up guy as Bill Stewart with this guy?! In all his years as head coach, never once has their been any issues or problems. Holgorsen is already making the program look bad and he hasn’t even started coaching.
Statement from West Virginia University Director of Athletics Oliver Luck and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen
OLIVER LUCK:
“After looking into the details and throughly investigating what took place last week, I believe inappropriate behavior did occur.
“Coach Stewart and I have made it clear, and will reiterate, that our coaches and staff are representing the University and the state at all times. We expect them to always display appropriate behavior.
“I take this matter very seriously, but I do not plan on commenting on it further.”
DANA HOLGORSEN:
“I learned a valuable lesson from this incident. As a football coach, I am always in the public eye and I have to hold myself to a higher standard, which is what I ask our players to do. I’m sorry that this incident has put the University and the football program in a difficult position. I will not put myself in that situation again.”
Discussion about this post