It's Zac Alley's first year as a coach for WVU football, but it didn't take him too long to get on board with the program's culture and traditions – including The Backyard Brawl, the program's biggest rivalry.
Alley spoke at his weekly press conference on Tuesday, and when he was asked his thoughts on the rivalry, his answer was short and sweet – and likely music to the ears of West Virginia fans.
“They hate us, and we hate them. It’s going to be great," Alley said.
Alley has been in some serious rivalry matchups already throughout his coaching career, including the Palmetto Bowl (Clemson-South Carolina) and the Red River Shootout (Oklahoma-Texas). But he thinks the Backyard Brawl can measure up to any of them in terms of intensity.
“I’ve been fortunate, I’ve been a part of a lot of great rivalries. South Carolina, Clemson. Texas, Oklahoma, last year. It’s been fun… and this one is just as big as any of those," he said.
And he's been doing his best to get his fellow newcomers to the program ready for a rivalry with stakes and emotions as high as the Brawl. With numerous new coaches and over 80 new players on the team, it can be hard to convey the meaning of such a deep and bitter rivalry. But Alley figured out what the rivalry really means quickly, and he is doing the most to make sure everyone in the locker room understands as well.
"All they’ve heard since they got here is, you know, this is the one that matters. The guys coming down, it’s an important game,” said Alley.