When it comes to WVU sports, nobody was a better authority on the Mountaineers than Mickey Furfari.
The legendary sports writer covered WVU sports for seven decades, dating back to his time as a student at West Virginia University. Furfari loved the Mountaineers, but still did his due diligence to cover the team in the right way.
He worked until the day he died, which was Monday morning. Furfari was 92 years old.
Furfari was the longtime sports editor of the Dominion Post in Morgantown. He grew up in the city where his career actually began, when he was a writer for the Morgantown High School student newspaper.
He was able to work in the golden age of newspapers and true reporting. However, as the times changed, so did Furfari.
While he still covered nearly every West Virginia football and basketball game and practice, Furfari was a step slower than the social media savvy reporters of today. Nonetheless, Furfari still wrote in his unique voice. His personal, syndicated columns appeared in many newspapers across the state of West Virginia after he retired as a full-time sports reporter with the Dominion Post.
Again, Furfari was known for his love of the Mountaineers.
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His bias may have come out later in life. There were coaches he preferred (like former WVU football head coach Bill Stewart and former WVU wrestling coach Craig Turnbull). He also preferred the Mountaineers to stay in an eastern-based conference, as opposed to the necessity of joining the Big 12.
Furfari did not like former West Virginia Athletic Director Oliver Luck, though he may have been warming up to current AD Shane Lyons.
WVU basketball coach Bob Huggins and current head football coach Dana Holgorsen handled Furfari’s quirks and mannerisms quite well in press conferences. His articulation wasn’t always the best in the past decade, but he still managed to command the respect he deserved.
In the present day, Furfari was losing his eyesight and his hearing, but he never lost his devotion to the job he loved so much. Furfari was a staple in the Milan Puskar press box and press row at the WVU Coliseum this past season. He had trouble getting around properly, but because of his notoriety as the “Friendly Scribe” many media members and other guests were quick to offer a helping hand.
That’s because Furfari was a mentor to many writers within the state of West Virginia and within the Perley Isaac Reed College of Media at West Virginia University.
Thankful my parents always had a newspaper around the house so I could grow up reading Mickey Furfari's work. He's an example of dedication.
— Shannon Stowers (@shannonpstowers) July 11, 2016
Gonna miss Mickey Furfari's phone calls over the years. They would always end with us solving the injustices of the world. RIP my friend.
— Bill Nevin (@wvubandvoice) July 11, 2016
So sad to hear of Mickey Furfari's passing. Like his writing or not, he loved WVU, loved the state and loved what he did for 60-some years.
— Nick Cammuso (@npc210) July 11, 2016
The passion Mickey Furfari had for sports writing was up there with anybody. RIP to a man who was much more than a W.Va. legend.
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) July 11, 2016
Any professional, in an position, should want to leave the legacy that Furfari did. Whether it’s as a lawyer, doctor, salesman, banker or writer, it’s hard to achieve the status that Furfari did throughout his life. However, the hard work, dedication and loyalty to Furfari showed until his dying day should not only be recognized, but replicated in our own daily lives.