Stewart

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia's Bill Stewart has been selected as head coach.

The school dropped the interim tag from Stewart's title after the 11th-ranked Mountaineers' 48-28 win over No. 3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night.

Stewart will be officially introduced today at a news conference, athletic department spokesman Mike Fragale confirmed in a phone call with The Associated Press.

Stewart was promoted from associate head coach to interim coach after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan last month.

Stewart came to West Virginia as quarterbacks coach in January 2000 after two seasons as offensive coordinator in the Canadian Football League.

Don Nehlen, the former Mountaineers coach who hired Stewart, said today he was glad his former assistant had landed the job.

"He's just such a good person and the kids love him," Nehlen said. "It's such a good fit with the program."

A message left for Rodriguez early Thursday was not immediately returned.

Stewart, a New Martinsville native, was head coach at VMI from 1994-96, compiling an 8-25 record. He also had stints as an assistant at Salem College, North Carolina, Marshall, William & Mary, Navy, Arizona State and Air Force.