For the second time in a year, West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck’s name came up in discussion for an open job elsewhere.
And, for the second time, Luck has opted to stay put.
Speaking to Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette (Clements has alerted other local media as well), West Virginia University president James Clements said Luck, whose name had been seriously linked to the open AD job at Stanford, told him he was staying at WVU.
“I sat down with Oliver,” Clements said. “I told him I need to know because I’ve been getting inquiries, calls and texts, and he said, ‘Jim, I love it here; I’m a Mountaineer; I’m staying.'"
Luck was previously connected in passing with the Big 12 commissioner’s job that was occupied in the interim by Chuck Neinas, to which Luck vehemently said he wasn’t interested. Incidentally, it was when Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby took that Big 12 commissioner gig earlier this month that Luck’s name once again came up.
But instead of shooting down the Stanford rumors like he did with the Big 12, Luck maintained a “no comment” platform, leading one to believe that perhaps he was interested in the job if it was his for the taking.
There would certainly be incentive. Stanford’s an incredible gig and he would be reunited with his daughter, a volleyball player for the Cardinal. But Luck sounds like he’s staying in Morgantown for a little while longer.
If I were a WVU fan, though, I’d be prepared (if I wasn’t already) for Luck’s name to keep popping up for other opportunities on a yearly basis.