WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — West Virginia natives who have made it big on the national stage — led by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and United States Sen. Joe Manchin — will join with current and former West Virginia University and Marshall University athletes and coaches, and others from outside the Mountain State’s borders, to become Game Changers. They are all committing to a single team to support the mission of positively impacting the opioid epidemic in West Virginia, and they will come together next week as part of The Game Changer Golf Classic and Prevention and Education Luncheon at The Greenbrier resort.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry will serve as hosts for the event. A Monongah, West Virginia, native, Saban is considered by many as the greatest football coach of all time, having captured seven national titles and won more than 250 games. Terry is also a Marion County native and a former educator. The two proud West Virginians are committed to helping the youth of the state.
Another North-Central West Virginia product who made a name in coaching on the national stage, current Louisiana Monroe offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez, has also committed to be a Game Changer and attend the event. The Grant Town native led his alma mater, West Virginia University, to some of its biggest wins, including a triumph over Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl. After leaving WVU in 2007, he went on to coach at Michigan and Arizona. In total, Rodriguez won 163 games as a college head coach. He was the Big East Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2005 and the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2014.
Other famous West Virginians who will be at The Greenbrier next week include a pair of longtime NBA contributors in Lewisburg native Bimbo Coles and Belle native Jason Williams. Princeton native Mike Eades and Marshall County native Teddy Valentine have been in the national spotlight as college basketball officials and have also joined the cause.
Heavily dominating the list of Game Changers are former and current WVU and Marshall players and coaches. The Mountaineer contingent expected to attend includes Marc Bulger, Meg Bulger, Warren Baker, Neal Brown, Shane Lyons, Mike Carey, Darryl Talley, Jeff Hostetler, Don Nehlen, Bob Huggins, Anthony Becht, George Henshaw, Matt Moore and others.
Expected to represent the Thundering Herd are Charles Huff, Bob Pruett, Dan D’Antoni, Brooke Burkhammer and many more, including Marshall men’s soccer coach Chris Grassie, who led his team to a national title earlier this week.
Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock, former NFL receiver and current analyst Joey Galloway, former Heisman Trophy finalist Ryan Leaf, NFL receiver and Charleston native Ryan Switzer, Super Bowl champion fullback Johnny Davis, former Alabama assistant coach and Welch native Joe Pendry and “Barnwood Builders” television show host Mark Bowe are among the others committed to attending the event and supporting the initiative.
On Wednesday, May 26, the event kicks off with a reception and dinner, followed by a celebrity golf tournament on the Old White Course slated for Thursday morning, May 27. Coinciding with the Golf Classic will be the Prevention and Education Luncheon, beginning at 11 a.m. on Thursday. This event will feature prevention specialists and top educators from West Virginia and around the nation, detailing the Game Changer plan to address the growing opioid and substance misuse problem in West Virginia and the country.
Presented by the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, West Virginia Game Changer, through a partnership with the world-famous Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, was founded in 2019 by Morgantown businessman Joe Boczek, West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission Executive Director Bernie Dolan and MVB Bank Executive and Chief Financial officer Don Robinson.
Game Changer, through its partnership with The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, is a cooperative effort between the Office of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, the West Virginia Department of Education, The West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy, The West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, Help & Hope WV, and the state’s six Prevention Lead Organizations. West Virginia Game Changer is a youth-led, adult-based prevention, peer-to-peer influence, positive youth development and community enhancement initiative designed to educate, support, and empower youth to make healthy choices as they prepare to be our leaders of tomorrow.
To register for the event or become a Game Changer sponsor, visit WVGameChanger.com or email joe@wvgamechanger.com
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