Was Hiring Bill Stewart a Poor Choice for the West Virginia Mountaineers?

When West Virginia University hired long-time assistant Bill Stewart, many claimed it was an emotionally-charged decision.  

He won the Fiesta Bowl over a Sam Bradford-led Oklahoma Sooners team that many thought deserved the national championship game.

A poor choice?

Fresh off the Fiesta Bowl victory, Stewart promptly hired a highly regarded staff.

He completed the 2008 season with a 9-4 record and a Meineke Car Care bowl victory over the University of North Carolina.  

For Act Two, the Mountaineers currently sport a 9-3 record going into a Gator Bowl showdown against Florida State University.  

A poor choice?

Now, let's go back in time...

What if West Virginia had hired a young up-and-coming coach?

For example, Turner Gill or Skip Holtz.  

I'll use Gill as the example. 

Now West Virginia has a young and promising Turner Gill as head coach.

Gill puts together a quality staff. Finishes the 2008 season 9-4 with a bowl victory.  

He then recruits the best class ever at West Virginia—on paper.  

Fans and pundits label this a success, obviously during a "transition year."

Gill then proceeds to complete the 2009 with a 9-3 record (with a controversial Cincinnati game).

That team finished second in the Big East, beat No. 9 Pittsburgh, and is on their way to the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.

Gill is also outpacing recruiting from last season. 

If the previous scenario were true, West Virginia would be considered a team on the rise.

Gill would be lauded as a great coach on the rise.

WVU fans would be ecstatic.

Now replace Gill with Stewart.

Popular sentiment is that West Virginia is winning in spite of Bill Stewart.

Stewart is too nice to be a good coach, etc., etc.

So was this a poor choice?

When examining the overall body of work, I would say it wasn't a poor choice.  

Stewart has been criticized from Day One, and winning has been his response.

I'll admit I was very skeptical about his hire. 

I have also questioned many of his calls (hello, punting from USF's 32-yard line). 

However, just because he isn't a young coach and sometimes wears goofy hats, doesn't mean he isn't and won't be a very successful head coach. 

A poor choice? 

How about a great choice?