Steve Forbes? West Virginia Fans Aren't Too Thrilled About the Idea

Many names have been floated around for the West Virginia job over the course of the last week, and with Ben McCollum and Niko Medved, two of the top candidates taking jobs elsewhere, new names are beginning to surface.

Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes is among those being tossed around, and by a quick glance on X, you can tell Mountaineer fans are not thrilled about the idea.

I can’t believe how many people are against Jerrod Calhoun being the Head Basketball Coach 😂😂😂

You guys really want Steve Forbes? He’s had players like Andrew Carr, Hunter Salis, Boopy Miller at Wake and still has yet to make the tournament 😂

And in a WEAK ACC you all would…
— Coach Taylor (@Woodzyzewski) March 25, 2025

Jerrod Calhoun>Steve Forbes
— Sidelines - West Virginia ⛰ (@SSN_WVU) March 24, 2025

If I hear one more person mention Steve Forbes for this job I might lose it.
— Gold And Blue Zone (@GoldAndBlueZone) March 24, 2025

What in the world happened with Calhoun? Now Ross Hodge is the favorite?!? They better not hire Steve Forbes. Him even being discussed makes no sense to me.
— Yetti304 (@Rslush) March 25, 2025

We're seriously gonna hire Steve Forbes, aren't we? https://t.co/lkY7PYiiGA
— Logan Stanislawczyk (@Stan_Logan1996) March 24, 2025

I may honestly doubt Wren for the first time if he hires Steve Forbes
— The Fake Real Brad Howe (@fake_howe) March 24, 2025

Why is Forbes not a popular candidate? Well, it probably has something to do with the fact that he's yet to take Wake Forest to the NCAA Tournament, and there are a handful of younger coaches who have accomplished more.

That being said, Forbes did inherit a program that logged three consecutive losing seasons and hasn't had a true NCAA Tournament appearance (excluding the First Four) since the 2009-10 season. The Demon Deacons are viewed as the fourth-best team in its state behind North Carolina/Duke and NC State, which makes recruiting a bit of a challenge.

With little recent success and NIL being a big hurdle for Wake, Forbes has done a pretty admirable job. He's logged three 20-win seasons over the last four years, which is the most in a four-year stretch since Skip Prosser did it from 2001-05. He's also recorded four consecutive .500 or better seasons in ACC play, also the first time since Prosser's early 2000s run. And lastly, Forbes has won 13 ACC games twice, which ties the program record.

Is Forbes the best candidate for West Virginia? Probably not, but he is at least worthy of a discussion, considering what he's been able to do at a school that has struggled mightily over the last decade and a half.

Utah State's Jerrod Calhoun and North Texas' Ross Hodge are not only better fits for the WVU job but are considered to be among the top choices.

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