Sands has an impressive showing at NFL Combine

Former West Virginia safety Robert Sands had a successful day at the NFL Combine, as he finished at or near the top among safeties in many of the drills.

Sands finished first in the broad jump (10 feet and four inches) and the 60-yard shuttle (11.2 seconds).

Sands tied for second in the vertical jump (35 inches) with Clemson's DeAndre McDaniel and UCLA's Rahim Moore. Florida's Ahmad Black had the top jump.

Sands was also second in the 20-yard shuttle time (4.06 seconds), coming in just 10 seconds behind Moore.

Sands ran a 4.57 40-yard dash, which is the third-best among his competition, bested only by Boise State's Jeron Johnson and Appalachian State's Mark LeGree.

Sands' 12 reps of the 225-pound bench press ranked sixth.

Former WVU cornerback Brandon Hogan, who is still recovering from an ACL injury that kept him out of the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl, did not compete in any of the running drills at the NFL Combine.

Hogan did, however, finish 10th out of the cornerbacks in the bench press. He had 19 reps of 225 pounds.

Former WVU OC Jeff Mullen has a new job

Former West Virginia offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen has been tabbed UNC-Charlotte's first offensive coordinator when the football program starts up in the 2012-13 season.

Head coach Brad Lambert, formerly Wake Forest's defensive coordinator, had a history with Mullen. He coached with Mullen at Wake Forest when Mullen was quarterbacks coach of the Demon Deacons before moving to WVU.

"When he first got interested in this situation, he said, ‘Jeff, I really want you to be a part of it'," Mullen said to the University Times, UNC-Charlotte's student newspaper. "I said to Brad that of all the things I had going on then, I pray to God it works out. There isn't a finer guy than Brad Lambert."

Mullen told the newspaper he would like to implement a spread, shotgun-style offense similar to the one he ran at West Virginia.

Sloanhoffer named EAGL Rookie of the Week

West Virginia freshman gymnast Hope Sloanhoffer was named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Rookie of the Week for the sixth time this season.

The award is the ninth of the season for the Cornwall, N.Y., native and her second straight rookie recognition. She also has been named the EAGL Specialist of the Week three times this year.

Sloanhoffer is the first Mountaineer to earn at least six rookie weekly honors. Senior teammate Amy Bieski (2008) and former gymnast Mehgan Morris (2006) both garnered five honors as freshmen; Morris was named the 2006 EAGL Rookie of the Year.

Nationally, Sloanhoffer ranks No. 11 on beam, No. 20 on floor and No. 40 on vault. In addition to her EAGL vault and beam rankings, she also ranks No. 2 on floor.