WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Jay Sawvell is ACC-bound.

The 1989 Barnesville High grad has been named defensive coordinator at Wake Forest University, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. His move comes on the heels of a highly successful six-year stint with Minnesota.

Sawvell was the Golden Gophers’ defensive coordinator this past winter after serving as defensive backs coach from 2011-15. Under Sawvel’s tutelage, the Minnesota defense led the country in fumble recoveries with 16 and ranked among the nation’s top 25 in scoring defense (22.1 points per game), yards allowed per game (348.8), sacks per game (2.85) and turnovers forced (25).

Minnesota enjoyed a fine 9-4 season, including a 17-12 Holiday Bowl win over Washington State. In that bowl win, Sawvell’s defense limited the Cougars to their lowest point total of the season and only 264 total yards.

Sawvell was not retained, however, when head coach Tracy Claeys was let go. Claeys was fired after allegations of sexual assault were brought upon several Minnesota players. Ten players were suspended indefinitely just two weeks before Minnesota was scheduled to play in the Holiday Bowl.

The Minnesota football team decided to boycott all team activities leading up to the bowl game. Claeys came out in support of those plans which rubbed the administration the wrong way, costing Claeys and his staff their respective jobs.

Sawvell, however, has landed on his feet quite well.

“I am excited about the opportunity to coach in a great conference like the ACC. It is an honor for me to be the defensive coordinator at a great school like Wake Forest and to try and help this program continue building to a championship level,” Sawvell said. “Leaving Minnesota was tough – it’s always tough to change jobs after you spent six seasons building a program from the ashes to where we had become a difficult opponent for everyone we played. But the new AD wanted his own head coach and that is a part of the business.”

Wake Forest went 7-6 last fall, including a Military Bowl win over Temple. Former Brooke High star Thomas Cole is a frosh receiver for the Deacons.

“I did hit the ground running – my first day here was Jan. 20 which was the start of a recruiting weekend, and that was followed by a lot of visits to our committed defensive players and 2018 recruits – and then we had to build and install a new defensive system here – very busy time,” Sawvell stated. “I have known of Coach Dave Clawson, our head coach, for a number of years. While I didn’t know him personally, I knew he had a great reputation as a program builder and successful head coach.

“It has been enjoyable working for him so far – he’s very intelligent and organized,” he added. “This program is making the right steps – two years of building, then a bowl victory in year three, and a good recruiting class just signed.”

After starring at Barnesville, Sawvell, now age 45, matriculated to D-III power Mount Union. He was a three-year letterman and an all-Ohio Athletic Conference linebacker.

He launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky (1994-95) and Notre Dame (1996-99), earning master’s degrees from both universities.

He then moved on to coach defensive backs/special teams at Ferris State (1999-2000); Southern Illinois (2001-07) and Northern Illinois (2008-10) before joining the Minnesota staff.

“I make it back to Barnesville typically at holidays. Winston-Salem is much closer than Minneapolis so those opportunities will be there more,” Sawvell said. “I spent a lot of time in Barnesville in the past year coming back to see my dad, who died of cancer.”

Sawvell and his wife, Jeannine, have two daughters – Mackenzie and Miranda.

TODD FITCH

FORMER BELLLIARE High football standout Todd Fitch enjoyed a banner first year coaching at Louisiana Tech this past fall. Fitch served as offensive coordinator for Coach Skip Holtz’s squad.

Tech went 9-5 which included a bowl win over Navy. Fitch did such a quality job with the Tech receiving corps that he was named the recipient of FootballScoop Wide Receivers Coaches of the Year Award presented by ProGrass as selected by prior winners.

Moreover, Fitch was a finalist for the Broyles Award given each year to the nation’s top assistant football coach. Clemson’s Brent Venables was the eventual recipient.

After Bellaire, Fitch starred at Ohio Wesleyan before embarking on a successful and well-traveled coaching career. He has been offensive coordinator at Boston College, South Florida and East Carolina among his stops.

BUBBA’S BITS

WVU is too good a basketball team to squander a 14-point lead with three minutes to play regardless of the opponent or venue. The Mountaineers pressure as good as any team in the nation. They should also be able to handle it. A win in Lawrence would have played out huge when it came to Selection Sunday and bracket seeding.

DON OGDEN has stepped down after seven years as the Madonna girls basketball coach. He led the Lady Dons to the state tournament last winter.

MICHELLE BIELANSKI-Filander has her Austin College (Texas) women’s basketball team enjoying another successful season. The former St. John Central all-stater has guided the Kangaroos to a 17-7 record and a 9-4 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference mark. She is in her seventh season at the Austin helm. Bielanski-Filander is a 1997 SJC grad, scoring 1,436 points for the Lady Irish, earning a hoop scholarship to Robert Morris.

REGARDLESS of the sport, 100 straight wins is mind-boggling. That amazing feat was achieved Monday by the UConn women’s hoop team. The Lady Huskies obviously have five-star talent, but so do a lot of schools. Head coach Geno Auriemma doesn’t get enough credit for such remarkable success.

WE HAVE another month of winter but Wheeling Post 1 has already finalized its summer Legion baseball schedule. The two-time reigning state champions open play Sunday, June 4, hosting Morgantown.

TWO TEAMS and three individuals really stood out in last weekend’s OVAC Girls’ Basketball Championships. Wheeling Central and Wheeling Park were both ultra-impressive in gaining titles. The Maroon Knights manhandled Steubenville Central in Class 2A while Park pressed Parkersburg South into oblivion in winning the 5A crown. Individually, Linsly’s Vivian Allison, Union Local’s Haley Porter and Park’s Josie Daugherty all were exceptional. Daugherty did her best Suzie Dailer impression by burying eight treys en route to a tourney record 28 points.