Kramer can have success in Year One

In 2006, West Virginia men's soccer coach Marlon LeBlanc took over the program just days before the team reported for preseason camp.

With an NCAA investigation a potential burden hanging over the program's head after former coach Mike Seabolt was fired, the expectations were muddled.

But LeBlanc came in with a new sense of excitement. He not only got the most out of his new players, but he even created a buzz in the community about the program.

It also helped he had a veteran team led by goal scorers Jarrod Smith and Andy Wright and goalkeeper Nick Noble.

The 2006 Mountaineer men's soccer team started the season Aug. 25 and didn't lose a game until Sept. 19 when it played No. 1 Virginia – and even that took overtime.

The Mountaineers beat six top 25 teams that season. A stunning 2,153 fans saw WVU defeat No. 6 Notre Dame 2-1, which at the time was a Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium record.

WVU won the regular season Big East Conference title. While WVU did end up losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at home to UNC Greensboro, LeBlanc's first season was above and beyond expectations.

Since then, LeBlanc has dealt with some NCAA issues brought on by the previous coach, which limited scholarships and spring practices.

Yet, he has still been able to put a successful group out on the pitch.

"It's been a slow build," LeBlanc said. "We've been able to build this team to finally have a little bit of depth. There were some challenges early on because of the NCAA issues our first year and the loss of a spring season."

Heading into such a difficult situation, it proved any coach is capable of taking over a team in the first year and winning big.

That's new WVU volleyball coach Jill Kramer's job this year.

Kramer took over the program from long-time coach Veronica Hammersmith just one day before preseason camp. Hammersmith abruptly retired in July.

Kramer, the former Virginia assistant coach, had a team dinner to get to know the players and quickly got to work.

Similarly to LeBlanc's first team, Kramer has a veteran roster. The team's four

seniors accounted for more than 50 percent of the team's sets played, and that is expected to continue this year.

Kramer will use those four seniors as leaders. She also has the help of Hammersmith's assistant coaches Bakeer Ganes and Ashley Pappas who know the team already.

"I need them," Kramer said while laughing. "They know Morgantown. They know West Virginia. They know the girls and have some stability with them, so that's important."

The one key difference is the goal.

LeBlanc set his goal early of making it to the NCAA Tournament – a place Seabolt had been to.

Kramer's goal is set lower and rightly so. The team had been less successful over the last three years under Hammersmith than the men's soccer program was under Seabolt.

Still, a Big East tournament bid in 2010 would be a big win for Kramer in her first year.

And, despite the time crunch, Kramer isn't making excuses. WVU has to make progress in the first year under her guidance.

"As soon as you start looking for excuses, you've got a problem," she said. "It's a unique situation, but it's a great opportunity. We have an advantage, because we're going to be in the honeymoon stage for a while."

With what a little history shows, it's possible.

Just ask LeBlanc.