WCU hires former Kannapolis star

None — Western Carolina, fervently hoping for a winning football team after six straight losing seasons, believes it has found one in Kannapolis native Mark Speir.

The Catamounts didn't have to look far. Speir, introduced Thursday as their new football coach, has been an assistant at Appalachian State the past nine seasons, coaching linebackers, defensive ends, defensive linemen and running backs and serving as the recruiting coordinator.

He said he had some mixed feelings about leaving ASU but that the opportunity to be a head coach is great.

"It was a wonderful experience at App," Speir said. "And you know I'm still pulling for them except one Saturday a week now."

Speir does have connections to Western. He earned his master's degree there while serving as an assistant under Steve Hodgin (1991-96).

After 21 years as an assistant — as a student at his alma mater, Clemson, and then at Western, Presbyterian, Elon and ASU — Speir, 43, is now a head coach.

"It's only so often you get the opportunity, and sometimes it's your only opportunity," Speir said. "It is bittersweet. Both my boys were practically raised in Boone, and I have a lot of wonderful memories there — three national championships, beating Michigan, six straight SoCon championships and just working for a legend like Jerry Moore. The good Lord has surely blessed me. I wish everybody at App all the best, but I am excited about this opportunity, and I look forward to making it a real rivalry."

Besides an opportunity, the job is no doubt a challenge.

Western has had just three winning seasons in the last 17 years. It hasn't won more than two games in a season since 2005. None of the last five coaches has had a winning record. The last coach, Dennis Wagner, resigned in November with an 8-35 record.

"It is a challenge, but that's the reason I'm here," said Speir, who was part of an ASU program that was 92-28 during his time as an assistant. "The wins haven't come the last several years, and that's not any knock to a coach or the players. Sometimes it's just the fit and the team chemistry. The thing is there is tradition here. They played for a national championship here (in 1983). Coach (Bob) Waters established a program that dominated in the SoCon back in the ‘80s, and it's exciting to hopefully bring that back."

Moore said: "It's a perfect fit for him. He should do a great job there. He's been there before, and he's a fine coach and a great man. I'm happy for him."

Moore's staff has been raided somewhat in recent years, part of the cost of success.

"We have had a lot of guys who have gone on and done well," Moore said. "I do think it speaks a lot for our program that people look at our coaches. I'm proud of that, even though I don't like to lose them."

Moore could very well have more than one position to fill other than the inside-linebackers vacancy left by Speir. Speir hopes to have most of his staff in place by Jan. 3 and has extended invitations to some members of ASU's staff.

"I'd love to have some from the Appalachian staff, it would make the transition easier, but I do not have commitments from anyone on the Appalachian staff right now," Speir said. "Obviously, I'd love to have guys who have been around that kind of program and around Coach Moore, because he's been a big mentor for me, and we do a lot of things the same way, so I'd like to have people like that."

ASU also must find a new strength and conditioning coach, with the departure of Mike Kent to Colorado State.

Scot Sloan, ASU's defensive backs coach, will replace Speir as recruiting coordinator.

"We shouldn't skip a beat there," Moore said. "Scott has a background for that, and he and Mark have worked hand in hand in that, so we'll be fine with that."

Randy Eaton, Western's new athletics director, said that Speir had qualities he was looking for. He wanted a coach from a successful program, particularly at the FCS level.

"I thought that was very important to have somebody that understood the resources that we have available to get it done and having been somewhere with similar resources and they got it done," Eaton said.

He also wanted a coach with deep ties to regional high-school coaches.

"When I came in here, it seemed as if some of those relationships were beyond fractured, to the point of almost being non-existent," Eaton said. "I can tell you with (Speir), in the state of North Carolina in that part of it, those relationships … we've gone from last to first."

WSOC