When the West Virginia University football team took the field Saturday night they wore the new “Coal Rush” uniform. Our players were accompanied onto the field by miners from Core Natural Resources” Leer Mining Complex in Grafton where the Coal Rush concept was derived.
The Coal Rush uniform was designed to pay tribute to the work ethic and bravery of the West Virginia coal miner and to celebrate our state’s coal industry.
In announcing the uniform design, WVU Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said, “If our football team was going to have a black alternate uniform, we wanted it to tell a story and mean something to our fans. Coal mining has a deep history in West Virginia, and the work ethic of coal miners is woven into the fabric of our culture. Our football team looks forward to honoring the rich tradition and history of West Virginia’s coal mining industry…”
The uniforms were released with the slogans ‘West Virginia Mined and ‘Built on Bravery” in recognition of the working life of a miner and symbolizing the characteristics embodied in all Mountaineers.
The Coal Rush uniform joins other mining-related traditions and symbolism at Milan Puskar Stadium and the University, ranging from the “Mountaineer Mantrip” tradition, the piece of coal touched by each player as they enter the stadium, and the buildings on campus which bear the names of coal industry stalwarts.
For generations miners have gone to work each day to provide the energy and steel America needs to run our economy and build our great country. Coal mining and coal miners have defined West Virginia culturally and societally throughout our history and we will continue to make substantial contributions into the future.
As an industry, we are appreciative of this acknowledgement of coal’s role in shaping our state and people, and we thank West Virginia University for this unique recognition.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
