Heisman Candidate Suggests WVU Baseball Coach Has Issues With African Americans

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Pat White may be a Heisman Trophy candidate. He may well go down as the greatest QB in West Virginia history. Obviously an extremely talented athlete, he was also an excellent baseball player. As a high school senior he was drafted in the 4th round by the Anaheim Angels in the 2004 MLB Draft, but decided to play football at West Virginia. Even not having played baseball for the past few years, the Angels selected him once more in the 50th round this year.

White apparently toyed with playing baseball for West Virginia as well. Even getting permission to do so this past year from Coach Bill Stewart. The problem seems to be with the Mountaineer Baseball Coach Greg Van Zant and, uh, White.

Asked if he had spoken directly with Van Zant about playing for him, White said: "(No), he wasn't (excited). He wasn't interested."

Then he paused and added:

"In my knowledge of West Virginia baseball, there's not been many players of my race on his team. He's not too high on it.

"Every player I've talked to doesn't like him. He's not a well-liked coach but I guess he has tenure so they never got rid of him. They're not successful at all."

Asked if he might have played if there were a different baseball coach at West Virginia, White said, "Maybe."

Wow. That is something you don't get at most media days. White sounded off on this at the Big East Media Day in front of several reporters. This is not likely to go away soon.

Van Zant hasn't returned any calls for comments as of yet. It seems there is some dislike of Van Zant out there, yet he just finished his 14th season as coach.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-30-2008 @ 12:37AM

George B Vieto said...

There are some coaches who have prejudices against minority players in some colleges.

7-30-2008 @ 7:01AM

hootie_69 said...

Also, some people wear t-shirts sometimes. I think you may have forgotten to make a point.

If that linked article about about GVZ is even a little bit true the guy is possibly one of the worst coaches I have ever heard of.

7-30-2008 @ 7:53AM

GatorHater said...

Sounds like the qb is the racial one here. Says he never talked to the baseball coach, but has the audacity to call the coach racist. Mr. White, you are the racist in this story. My distant opinion of you has gone from good to bad. there is a time and a place for this kind of story and you picked a bad time to stir the pot, right before football season. I see a not so good year for you this season but of the the timing of your statements.

7-30-2008 @ 12:00PM

How exactly does saying that you have heard someone else is racist (even if it was untrue for that matter) and saying as much make you racist? They must have changed the definition of the word without telling me.

If there is widespread hate of this coach I don't see why it would be a problem for Pat to honestly answer the question asked of him. As Pat said, even the players he talked to on the team don't like the guy.

7-30-2008 @ 8:23AM

Moonshine Mike said...

Typo in the headline? "Afircan" ?

7-30-2008 @ 8:24AM

Chas Rich said...

Yow. Thanks for catching that

7-30-2008 @ 11:16AM

GD said...

Never meeting the coach, how in the world can he form an opinion. Oh wait, this is wvu, the school where you can but a diploma, as did the Gov. daughter and probably many others.

7-30-2008 @ 10:28PM

WhiteFan said...

White is right on....

Here is a quick read on GVZ

http://www.gvz-sucks.com/

8-02-2008 @ 8:28PM

Chris said...

Nothing in that gvz-sucks article seems false. Slanted maybe, but there is nothing overtly blasphemous. When Pat White said Van Zant's players don't like him, I have to believe it is true.

Pat White doesn't say much, and when he does say something, it's usually truthful and modest. I have to believe that Van Zant is a terrible coach because Pat White said it and it is backed up by this website. I don't know if Van Zant is racist, but based on that website I would not put it past him.

7-31-2008 @ 6:32PM

Larry Wertan said...

All someone has to do in these times is to point a finger and say, he don't like black people and you're in trouble. The accuser does not have to prove anything, he just has to be black and point a finger at a white guy and the presumption of guilt is automatic. Or if a girl or boy says of a teacher or other adult, he or she touched me, then your life is ruined. No proof needed. You've had it, you're screwed, your life as you know is over. Or he called me an N-word. Judging by the media that ranks above premediatated murder as a serious offense.

I don't know anything about this coach, and don't care about him, but it sounds to me more like this coach didn't kiss this Prima donna football player’s butt when he showed-up for baseball, which is the treatment he gets at the football field, and it made him angry. So, he thought he would play the race card. Give the coach some slack, he just didn't know he was suppose to kiss White’s butt. Send him to reeducation camp, then return the hotshot quarterback to the baseball team. They can prepare a chair with a hole in the bottom and put it on a table. The quarterback can sit in the chair, and have one of those kneelers they use at weddings,and the coach can kneel down, kiss his butt, and everything will be okay.

EVERYTHING IS NOT RACIAL.