Drew Schifino Details Journey From Bitterness to Embracing WVU Legacy

The saying “once a Mountaineer always a Mountaineer” is complicated for former WVU basketball star Drew Schifino. Getting in tune with his emotions after attending the Pittsburgh stop of the WVU Coaches Caravan, Schifino is willing to share how he feels about his checkered past now that he’s enjoying being a fan again.

Rewinding back to the 2003-04 season, Schifino, who was in the midst of his junior year after being recruited out of Pittsburgh’s Penn Hills High School, was dismissed from Mountaineers by former head coach John Beilein, reported at the time as “insubordination” and repeated violations of team rules.

Feeling bitter and dissatisfied with his abrupt end to his WVU career, Schifino was unable to root for his school in the years that followed, especially as long as Beilein was at the helm – he would depart West Virginia for Michigan following the 2006-07 season, capping off his tenure with an NIT championship.

“I love West Virginia University. I met lifelong friends there. Built relationships that still exist today. Had some of the best moments of my life there. I still support the program. I still go to games. I still know coaches, people in the athletic department, and people around the university,” said Schifino in a post on his freshly launched personal website “Say Less Media” on Tuesday.

“Basketball-wise, I had real success there, too. I scored over 1,000 points in two seasons. Last player to average 20 a game there. Still holds the school steals record. For a period of time, I was one of the most electric players to wear the uniform. But if I’m being honest… part of me still hurts over how it ended. That part never fully leaves. People see stats and headlines. They don’t always understand how complicated emotions become when your dream ends abruptly in a place you still care about.”

Schifino’s exit meant he was left on the outside looking in when Beilein led the Mountaineers all the way to the Elite Eight in the spring of 2005, a year after deciding to part ways with his leading scorer. Unable to fully get rid of the “what if” factor made Schifino’s relationship with WVU complicated over the years.

But now over 20 years and several coaches later, Schifino is in a place where he can put the past behind him and be a member of Mountaineer Nation, rooting on Ross Hodge and dong whatever he can to assist the current team.

“Even now, when I walk into the Coliseum, it can feel heavy. Dark almost. Certain memories hit me instantly. Sometimes, even hearing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” brings back emotions I can’t fully explain. That song means celebration for most WVU fans. For me, sometimes it reminds me of unfinished business. When Coach John Beilein was there, I honestly couldn’t root for WVU. The bitterness was too fresh. It felt personal. Like I had been erased from part of the story. Once he left, though, my relationship with WVU slowly changed again. I became a fan. Started appreciating the university separate from the pain. Because despite everything… WVU is still part of me,” he wrote.

However, time healing all wounds doesn’t mean Schifino will ever truly forget how one decision shaped the way he would be viewed by fans forever.

“What bothered me most wasn’t just how my career ended. It felt like everything I accomplished got overshadowed by the dismissal. Sometimes people remember the controversy before the basketball. And that’s hard when you know how much you gave to a program. Time helps. Growth helps. I’m older now. I understand life better. I understand mistakes, politics, emotions, and timing better, too. I don’t carry hatred for WVU. I carry complicated emotions.”

Schifino’s will always have love for West Virginia, but that doesn’t mean his relationship with WVU basketball won’t always be complicated, too.

Because the same place that gave me some of my greatest memories also gave me one of my deepest disappointments. And maybe that’s why it still means something to me after all these years.

For those unaware, Schifino was averaging 17.6 points through 11 games in the 2003-04 season at the time of his dismissal. He averaged 20.1 points per game, still the last player to finish a season above 20 points, in 2002-03. Schifino averaged 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and shot 43.5% from the field in 68 games and 51 starts at WVU.