WEST LIBERTY — “If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.”

Those words were spoken by West Liberty co-athletic director and highly successful women’s basketball coach Lynn Ullom. It is a statement I am in full agreement with.

Ullom’s remark came on the heels of WLU President Stephen Greiner’s announcement during a Wednesday press conference that the Route 88 institution was adding men’s soccer as its 18th varsity sport. He subsequently announced that Marshall University assistant Thomas Olivier has been chosen to get the program off the ground as head coach.

A native of France, Olivier was the top assistant to legendary Marshall University coach Bobby Gray, spending the past eight seasons with the Thundering Herd after serving eight years as a coach with a youth club in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The move, as we see it, is a positive and progressive one.

WLU brought women’s soccer on board five years ago. Coach Barry Christmas has quickly turned the Hilltoppers into one of the top programs in the Mountain East Conference.

There is no reason to believe the men’s soccer program cannot follow along the same timeline of success. The Hilltoppers will field a club team in the fall before moving to NCAA Division II varsity status in 2018, competing with a full Mountain East Conference schedule.

In essence, Olivier has a year-and-a-half to hit the ground running in the MEC. It will be time well spent on scouring the landscape for quality talent.

Olivier’s background should be beneficial when it comes to recruiting. Serving as a Marshall aide has enabled him to target the premier players in the tri-state area. He also has roots in Michigan.

He can also use Christmas’s recruiting expertise as a template. The Hilltopper women’s roster is stocked with players from West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, including three OVAC products. Christmas, however, has no geographic barriers in landing talent as he has a player from Australia and another from Canada on his team.

Soccer is a growing prep sport in the Ohio Valley. It will steadily yield more and more college soccer recruits in coming years. That bodes well for both West Liberty and Wheeling Jesuit.

Olivier is highly regarded in collegiate soccer circles. He enters his latest challenge fully confident he can deliver a competitive program early on.

It will be no easy task. The MEC is a strong soccer conference. The MEC annually qualifies multiple teams to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The University of Charleston is the kingpin, advancing to the Final Four the past three seasons.

Olivier beat out more than 50 applicants for the WLU job. Only three were interviewed. That speaks volumes of his credentials.

“Players can go to other places around here and be a part of history. Or they can come here and make history,” Olivier said at the press conference.

With his pedigree, personality and confidence, Olivier appears the right fit for a fledgling program.

In October, West Liberty added Acrobatics & Tumbling as its 17th varsity sport. The two new sports will help increase enrollment.

HOLUBECK BLOOD DRIVE

GARRETT HOLUBECK was a three-sport standout during his prep days at St. John Central. The 2014 SJC is now waging a passionate fight against non-Hodkin’s lymphoma.

Holubeck started chemotherapy on Dec. 15. If things go as planned, those treatments will cease this May. To help his cause, a blood drive is scheduled Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marian Hall at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Clairsville.

There will also be a bake sale and basket raffle at the event. If anyone wishes to bake, donate or obtain more information, call Jeff or Cara Gazdik at 740-695-1490. Anyone wishing to schedule an appointment to donate, call Joyce at 740-695-5799 or 740-310-2410. Walk-ins are welcome.

Garrett was a standout in track, cross country and basketball at SJC. He owns the school record in the 400-meters.

BUBBA’S BITS

MEREDITH MILLER enjoyed a breakout game last week for the Western Michigan University women’s basketball team. The 5-10 sophomore netted 17 points, going 7-of-11 from the floor. Her sparkling effort was not enough as the Broncos fell to MAC-leading Northern Illinois, 67-62. Miller is the daughter of Shadyside High legend Pat Miller. Meredith is averaging four points and 14 minutes per game. The Hilliard Bradley High product played in 26 games as a frosh, averaging five points per game. Pat was an all-Ohio baseball player at Shadyside as well as state pole vault champion. He starred at Ohio U. on the diamond, earning all-MAC honors twice. He is an OVAC Hall of Famer.

IF THERE were any doubts prior to Super Bowl 51, they are no more. Tom Brady is the best quarterback in NFL history. Coming back from a 28-3 second-half deficit to defeat Atlanta cemented his legendary status. With that said, the Falcons terribly mismanaged their lead and the clock. I was nearly spot on with my prediction. I called for a 30-27 Pats’ win.

SPEAKING OF the Patriots, their cornerbacks coach has Eastern Ohio connections. Josh Boyer is in his fifth year on the New England staff. He is a 2000 Muskingum University grad. He was a four-year grid letterman for the Muskies.

CONGRATULATIONS GO out to Bethany College senior hoop star Hayley Holenka. The former Shadyside High standout recently cracked the 1,000-point mark for the Bison. She turned the same trick for the Lady Tigers, joining older sisters Ashley and Shayla in that grand category.

SHADYSIDE HAS filled its week 10 football vacancy created by the scheduled closure of Bishop Donahue High School by adding Linsly to its 2017 football slate.

KUDOS GO out to Bishop Donahue hoop star Taylor Straughn on becoming the school’s all-time scoring leader, surpassing Mark Gordon. Straughn is an exceptional hoopster and student while always handling himself in class fashion. His scoring record is one that will never be eclipsed unless the bishop changes his mind to close the school this spring.