Lockwood feels at home on WVU staff

MORGANTOWN - Three heads are better than one.

Just ask first-year West Virginia University head football coach Bill Stewart. When the Mountaineers return for the opening day of practice at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel will again be in charge of the team's prevent unit.

But, joining him on Stewart's first staff will be former-WVU defensive coordinator Steve Dunlap as well as former-Mountaineer defensive back David Lockwood.

"It's a great relationship," said Lockwood, who served as the defensive coordinator at Minnesota. "Sometimes I sit back when we're in a meeting talking and I think about first coming here as a player.

"A lot of what I have learned through the years is attributed to Steve Dunlap as far as my coaching style."

Following his playing days in Morgantown, Lockwood spent one year as an assistant before leaving to work with Bob Davie at Notre Dame in 2001. He has also coached at Kentucky and Memphis.

Lockwood takes over as the cornerbacks coach-a position hit hard by graduation following WVU's 11-2 season last year. Not only will the Mountaineers be without the services of Antonio Lewis, Vaughn Rivers, Eric Turner and Larry Williams, but also will be minus senior-to-be Charles Pugh, who was dismissed from the team earlier this summer.

"Anytime you lose somebody that was in your depth chart, I think it's a huge factor," explained the assistant. "I can't sit here and tell you how many plays he played a year ago, but he was in our depth.

"At the start of the spring he was No. 1 or No. 2. Anytime you have that it's a big loss."

Another potential 'big' loss could surround last year's starting safety Quinton Andrews. The team's fifth leading tackler brought down opposing runners 51 times (28 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception.

"Right now, if we were to play today, it would be the same lineup we finished with in spring ball," said Lockwood. "The guys have to do what they're supposed to do both on and off the field."

West Virginia opens the 2008 season with a home encounter with Villanova on Saturday, Aug. 30.