Nov 21, 2025
WVU Kierra Wheeler seems to be to go in opposition to Appalachian State. (Picture by Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Put up)
MORGANTOWN — It’s been a 20-year journey now for Mark Kellogg, one which hit a serious milestone Thursday, after the Twenty third-ranked WVU girls’s basketball workforce surged previous Appalachian State, 80-51, contained in the Hope Coliseum.
For Kellogg, it was his five hundredth profession victory.
An Training Day crowd of 10,067 witnessed the occasion, though it didn’t come as easily because the scoreboard may need indicated.
“It was an attention-grabbing recreation,” Kellogg mentioned. “Didn’t love the best way we performed, to be sincere. In my youthful years as a coach, I most likely would have let (his gamers) have it within the locker room. I let up slightly bit as we speak.”
Don’t let Kellogg idiot you, he’s nonetheless received loads left within the tank. He’s nonetheless just a few weeks shy of his fiftieth birthday and his profession file of 500-136 equals out to a 78.6% clip of profitable. That’s the next share than Corridor of Famers and legendary coaches corresponding to C. Vivian Stringer and Muffett McGraw.
“It means so much, however I don’t mirror a complete lot on it till somebody asks me to,” Kellogg mentioned. “It means you’ve been within the recreation for a short time, however I’ve been actually lucky.”
In these 20 years, onerous selections have been made, however they have been made with the concept of preserving Kellogg marching ahead.
“We’ve moved 5 instances, so my household has bounced throughout the nation for this man to chase a dream,” Kellogg mentioned. “They’ve been there by way of all of it.”
He was handed nothing alongside the best way, solely given alternatives. It started at a small liberal arts faculty in Durango, Colo., the place the house gymnasium sits solely 2,750 for hoops video games.
There was a one-year cease at one other small Division II faculty in Missouri – that was a possibility given to him by his present boss, WVU athletic director Wren Baker – earlier than heading again to his residence state of Texas.
“You’ve received all of those gamers, coaches, directors and AD’s that gave me an opportunity,” Kellogg continued. “One right here that’s given me an opportunity twice. These are the issues I’ll briefly mirror on.”
In his third season with the Mountaineers (5-0), Kellogg is already as much as 55 victories. He has WVU in an early place to contend for one more spot within the NCAA match, though that’s nonetheless too far-off to consider.
On this one, it was bizarre for a variety of causes. WVU was coming off its monumental win final Friday in opposition to Duke, by which the Mountaineers needed to play the second half of that recreation with simply 5 gamers, however nonetheless held on for a 57-49 win.
His rock, Jordan Harrison, was compelled to sit down out the Appalachian State recreation whereas serving a one-game suspension handed down by the NCAA for her position within the shoving match in opposition to Duke.
“This was my first recreation with out Jordan Harrison in three years and 5 days,” Kellogg mentioned. “I assumed we have been slightly off there. There was some worth that we clearly missed along with her.”
There was additionally the wave of feelings that got here after the Duke win, and Kellogg mentioned his gamers needed to be taught to take care of the aftermath of the victory.
“If you wish to be nice, I hope we’ve different large wins,” Kellogg mentioned. “We now have to be taught and develop. We needed to get after them slightly bit (Wednesday), as a result of I didn’t suppose they have been doing what they have been presupposed to.”
Gia Cooke led the Mountaineers with 19 factors, as WVU compelled 27 turnovers and shot 56% from the sector. Kierra Wheeler added 15 factors and 5 rebounds and Jordan Thomas added 10 factors.
All of it added as much as a five hundredth notch on Kellogg’s win complete. The spectacular half is these wins got here in simply his 636th profession recreation.
“It’s profitable 500, however to do it on the success fee that we’ve is each bit as (vital),” Kellogg mentioned. “You understand, if I used to be 500-500, it nonetheless means you’ve been doing it some time, however you’re not overly profitable. To do it and have the profession we’ve had, it’s particular.”
The very best half? That simply could also be West Virginia getting set to journey to the Bahamas this weekend to play within the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship. WVU takes on McNeese State within the first spherical on Monday and can doubtless face Ohio State within the title recreation.
“Not a foul solution to spend it, proper?” Kellogg joked. “I don’t know if we’ll be on the seashore so much, however perhaps I’ll take a fast second to go on the market earlier than we tip it off for the subsequent one.”
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