Payton Hawkins has found his next home. Stephen Dye has not.
Such is the state of affairs for Alderson Broaddus University student-athletes and coaches following an announcement earlier this week that the school will be forced to close based on Higher Education Policy Commissioners unanimously voting to revoke AB’s authorization to confer degrees in the state effective this December 31.
Hawkins, who played at Lincoln High School and opted to stay nearby for college, started for two seasons at left tackle along the Battlers’ offensive line.
“I was in complete and utter shock about what had just happened,” Hawkins said. “Committing to a school and spending two years there, you don’t ever expect it to close, especially that close to camp. It was mind-blowing and left me in shock. We didn’t really have an idea and it was something that was not talked about like it should have been.”
Hawkins was to move back to Philippi on Friday and the Battlers were to begin football practice Monday. Instead, he wound up applying Tuesday to Glenville State and discovered he’d been accepted the next day. The 6-foot-8, 280-pound offensive lineman will move into his new place Saturday, joining another Mountain East Conference program 70 miles from the one he previously played at.
“I wouldn’t say I was short of opportunity,” Hawkins said. “Probably had 80-plus coaches reach out, including seven from Division I. “I toured Glenville on Tuesday and realized it was my best option for the fall.”
Still, Hawkins leaves behind fond memories and the family-like atmosphere at a smaller school like Alderson Broaddus made the news tougher to take.
“Whenever you come to a place like AB, it’s truly a family,” Hawkins said. “You make friends and new brotherhood with guys from all over the country. When that’s pulled from you four days before you are going to move back into school, it’s difficult for sure. I didn’t take it the best.”
That family-like atmosphere is something Dye knows of quite well. He graduated from Alderson Broaddus in 2006 and remains one of the more accomplished basketball players in school history. Dye was West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, one of the more proficient perimeter shooters in all of Division II and a four-year starter that played in four NCAA Tournaments. He served as head coach of the men’s basketball program at Glenville from 2009-18 and left to replace Greg Zimmerman at AB, who served as Dye’s head coach during his playing days.
“I loved every second of it as an undergrad, student and basketball player,” Dye said. “I met my wife [a former women’s basketball player at AB] there. The four years I had playing for coach Zimmerman, we won back to back league championships and we were Top 25 in the country. So many positive moments and the town of Philippi was so many amazing to me and always has been. I have so many memories. It’s just sad.”
Dye worries about the negative impact the school’s closure will have on the town of Philippi.
“This is going to have a huge impact on the town of Philippi,” he said. “You might not see it initially, but probably within a few years, you’re going to see that this is going to hurt the town. I hope not, but I have a bad feeling it will.”
Dye was aware of the school’s financial troubles, though he never imagined his fourth season guiding the Battlers would be his last.
“We all knew AB’s financially been struggling for a while. I’m an alum and from everything I understand, this has been a 25-to-30 year problem,” Dye said. “In the back of my head I always felt we’ve always had money problems and we’ll make it through. When it actually came through, it was definitely shocking.”
In the aftermath of the unfortunate news, the well-being of his players weighed heavily on his mind.
“We’re trying to wrap our head around it. My first concern is my guys,” Dye said. “Been on the phone with a bunch of schools everywhere asking about our guys and their situations and I’m focusing most of my time on that. When I get that done, I’ll have to figure out what I’m going to do. Right now, I don’t have anything in the works. A pretty frustrating time is in front of us I’d think.”
A plethora of colleges across West Virginia have offered to help and have done just that in part by providing financial aid and waiving application fees.
“Some of the upperclassmen especially, we have to find them a school to finish out their degree,” Dye said. “That’s the most important thing right now. It’s not going to be easy for some, but the helping hand of local schools could make for an easier transition.”
What doesn’t make matters easier is the timing of the closure, which comes a few weeks before the start of school and a few days before the start of fall athletics.
Coaching vacancies are few and far between, something Dye is well aware of.
“Timing is definitely not on our side right now,” Dye said. ‘“’m trying to help these guys out first and hoping and praying that as I’m doing that, something points me in the right direction as well. With coaching, it’s not ideal for us either, because most jobs are already filled and most staffs are full. Not many opportunities out there in the coaching world right now.”
As Hawkins heard from colleges and pondered his next school, all the while, he says he had a tough time not thinking of the football coaching staff at AB, as well as other Battlers’ coaches such as Dye.
“One of my initial thoughts and something I kept thinking of was what happens to our coaches,” Hawkins said. “This is their livelihood and they have families. I understood I could find a home for two more years, but they have to find something to support people and put a roof over their heads.”
