WVU FLIRTED WITH HOLTZ BEFORE FIESTA WIN

As the West Virginia University Mountaineers prepare to play at East Carolina on Saturday, the guy on the other sideline (to the extent that they can see the other sideline) is a guy who could have been on their own sideline.According to Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, WVU formally launched a flirtation with Pirates coach Skip Holtz on the same day that the Mountaineers would later trounce Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl."The morning after the bowl game, we were done with that,” Holtz said this week. “About an hour after the game, that selection committee was done with their issues."They made a great hire in Bill Stewart. I’m excited for him. He’s been there a long time. It’s in his blood. He’s been very loyal to that program. You could just see, as the game went on, that was the best hire for West Virginia. And I’m excited for them."Holtz agreed last week to a contract extension through 2013, which as we’ve learned over the years is essentially meaningless if/when a bigger school wants a guy and the guy wants the bigger school.And that means that, a year from now, Skip Holtz might not be at East Carolina. Especially if he beats West Virginia."Doesn’t matter who his father is,” Stewart said of Skip Holtz, the son of Lou Holtz. “This guy can coach ball. Probably could beat his dad. Tell Lou I said that."We’ll tell him, Coach. But we can’t guaranteed we’ll be able to relay Lou’s response back to you. Frankly, we can’t understand a word the guy says.