It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Brooks Memorial Fountain gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Marshall, IN is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“I think it’s one of the best companies there’s always someone ready and willing to go help people with great attitudes! Anyone that wants to live at home but needs a little extra help should definitely get someone from this company at your home to help out!”
“Working for Always Best Care has been very rewarding for me to help others in need. Whatever my questions may be or any help I need as a health care provider for my client they have always came through with help.”
“Very compassionate caregivers!”
“Great staff. Well trained and kind people.”
“The Beache’s Family are great people and I would trust my mom’s well- bean in their hands”
“Natalia has experience taking care of people with Alzheimer and I would be very trust my dad’s safety if they taking care of him.”
“They offer a wide range of services with professional, organized individuals willing to help care for members of your family.”
“Exceptional staff and very caring. I know my loved ones are taken care of which gives me a peace of mind. Definitely recommend!”
“Mr. and Mrs. Beach are the owners of this location, and they are some of the most caring and dedicated people I have ever met. They truly want to help people get the best care for their loved ones. My grandmother would have loved to have care like this.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Turkey Run State Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Schuler's Restaurant Pub or visit Marshall Field and Company Building, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Marshall, IN, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Marshall, IN understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Marshall, IN 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Click here for important updates to our privacy policy.MADISONAsheville Citizen TimesMARSHALL - A newly-re...
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Asheville Citizen Times
MARSHALL - A newly-released vinyl album recorded in Madison County will not only provide residents with an emotional piece of artwork to help them continue to process a natural disaster, but benefit a number of local organizations, too.
The Resonance Sessions is a new album recorded at Old Marshall Jail after Tropical Storm Helene ran through downtown Marshall and Western North Carolina.
The project proceeds will be split between the Madison County Arts Council and Rare Bird Cultural Arts, the new nonprofit organization associated with Rare Bird Farm, in Spring Creek. The album was pressed on vinyl by Citizen Vinyl in Asheville.
Marshall resident Clay White produced the project. White, a trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist, also performed on a number of tracks.
The vinyl album will feature art and local photos on its six-panel trifold jacket, along with a booklet with more photos, stories and song lyrics.
The idea for the album originated with Old Marshall Jail owner Josh Copus sharing videos of Madison County ballad singers Donna Ray Norton and Sheila Kay Adams performing in the mostly-empty building just a few weeks after Helene tore through downtown Marshall.
Luke Mitchell owns Out There Studios, a recording studio in the Shelton Laurel community of Marshall. Mitchell and Bridger Dunnagan, who owns production studio Parkway Studios with Aaron Stone, performed the audio engineering.
Stone also filmed and edited video for the project, and music videos for the project are available on the Parkway Sessions YouTube page.
The team said there were concerns about the recording quality at first, as they prepared to bring a bunch of really expensive, fragile audio equipment into a dirty, flooded-out building.
But as time went on, the group discovered Old Marshall Jail's layout made for a gritty ambiance that captured the hustle and bustle of the town amid the rebuild. including the U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in downtown Marshall, and the heavy equipment operators working to clean up debris.
"I was just really happy to listen to the masters and everything and realize that it just made everything better," Mitchell said. "It feels so real, to hear Tyler Ramsey finish a beautiful song on acoustic guitar, and then you hear an Army convoy truck going by right as he finishes. It made it that much more authentic and interesting."
Mitchell praised White, who has been booking artists at Zadie's since 2024, for his efficiency in bringing artists on for the project.
"Nobody else could have wrangled that many people and had them in and out like clockwork," he said. "It was pretty incredible."
The project was very visual too, according to White, as John DuPre was on hand to take behind-the-scenes photos throughout the project, in addition to Stone's videos.
In all, roughly 50 people, including 35 artists, helped bring the project to life.
Among the musical projects featured on the record is Doug Carr, a Marshall resident and employee at Marshall Relief Alliance.
Carr's music lives on two extreme ends, in his own words. On one extreme, his music is a "maximalist" glitchy experimental pop. But for the Resonance Sessions piece, he used a more stripped-down approach.
White and Carr said one of the silver linings of Helene was the new friends they made through their work on the album and in helping out with relief work around town.
Becca Nicholson is one of the artists featured on the benefit album.
Nicholson has performed with Dr. Dog founding member Scott McMicken.
Nicholson said one of the side effects of trauma is losing one's sense of self. But the people of Marshall's response to Helene helped the town preserve its core identity.
"Marshall stayed very Marshall during the cleanup effort," she said. "That was another reason why I felt so grateful to do a project like this, because it felt like, to me, it was coming back to myself, just for a minute, to inject something really beautiful into this very weird and terrible scenario."
Mitchell said one of his favorite moments from the process was seeing Kevin Williams and McMicken pushing a piano down Baileys Branch Road to bring in to Old Marshall Jail for the recordings.
"That was really inspiring," he said. "Seeing people kind of take it in when they first got there, it was tough to see people realize, 'Oh, this is really bad.'"
Mitchell and White were in a serious collision when a semi truck T-boned their vehicle while on tour together in 2017. Luke and his wife Mary Alice Mitchell also moved to Nashville, Tennessee, just one day before the May 1-2, 2010, Tennessee floods. So, the traumatic images were in some ways retraumatizing for them.
But the sense of community resilience and spirit was something that drove the artists.
Mitchell pointed to a quote from River Whyless fiddle player Halli Anderson about the importance of music and art in the aftermath of Helene.
"She was like, 'I see people with huge machines moving dirt and stuff, but this is just as important. It takes all kinds to be a part of a community,'" Luke said. "The whole community just got busy and kind of didn't take a break for months. It felt nice to just slow down and hear some really beautiful music. It made me feel human again, instead of just in that trauma, PTSD-brain."
Mitchell, Nicholson and White grew up in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Luke and Mary Alice Mitchell perform in The High Divers, along with White.
Luke and Mary Alice Mitchell finished writing their song the night before recording, making the performance even more cathartic for the couple, Luke Mitchell said.
During one of the days of recording, then-Attorney General Josh Stein joined Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood and Judge Larry Leake on a tour through Marshall. During the tour, Stein was invited in to witness eighth-generation Madison County ballad singer Donna Ray Norton performing in Old Marshall Jail.
"I totally did not sing the song that I was going to sing, because I was a nervous wreck immediately," Norton said.
"When I got done performing, he pulled me in for a hug, and he said, 'Girl, you just did that.' It really meant a lot that he was there."
Norton said the moment was a very emotional one for her. She said she spoke with Stein after the recording and told him about musicologist Cecil Sharp's trip to Madison County immediately after the 1916 flood, and what the ballad singing tradition means to Madison County.
"In his journal, he talks about how he had to cross these foot bridges, and he got mud all over his shoes," Norton said. "In August of 1916, the day Sheila (Kay Adams') mom was being born across the mountain in Sodom, he recorded our great-great-great aunt Mary Sands singing over 20-something ballads, and she was eight months pregnant."
Sharp's seminal book, "One Hundred English Folk Songs for Medium Voice" spotlights many Madison County ballad singers. Sharp dubbed the county and its outsized talent as "a nest of singing birds."
In the weeks following Norton's recording, Stein asked Norton to perform at his gubernatorial inauguration, but the performance was canceled due to weather.
According to White, the team did not have a name for the project before recording.
"Resonance," a word suggested by Stone, was an idea that connected with White on a number of levels, he said.
"The word made sense because of the resonance of the stairwell, the money getting turned into something that will help people," White said. "It just felt good. It rolls off the tongue."
While Cecil Sharp's book is still being talked about in Madison County more than 100 years after its publication, White and the team said they hope 100 years from now, Marshall and Madison County residents will be able to revisit Resonance Sessions.
"I'd love for them to grab a copy from the Marshall Museum, the Helene Museum," White said.
"That was one thought that was on my mind — what will all the people who have lived here for generations, and what will all the people who moved here think about this project, think about it, and remember it? Let's have a real impact."
The album is available to purchase digitally at the Resonance Sessions Bandcamp site.
To view live music videos of the project, visit the Parkway Sessions YouTube page.
Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or [email protected].
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was making such a fuss over Naji Marshall on Wednesday night that he probably wound up being the president of the Dallas Mavericks forward’s fan club.Prior to the game against the Mavs, Carlisle went on and on about how impressed he is with Marshall and what he’s been able to accomplish this season with the Mavs.“He’s an aggressive player and a player that I really like,” Carlisle said. “I can see why (the...
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was making such a fuss over Naji Marshall on Wednesday night that he probably wound up being the president of the Dallas Mavericks forward’s fan club.
Prior to the game against the Mavs, Carlisle went on and on about how impressed he is with Marshall and what he’s been able to accomplish this season with the Mavs.
“He’s an aggressive player and a player that I really like,” Carlisle said. “I can see why (the Mavs) liked him and wanted to acquire him.”
Marshall signed a three-year, $27 million free agent contract with the Mavs last summer after he spent the first four years of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans. And he’s been a beacon of light for the Mavs this season.
“I liked him a lot in New Orleans,” Carlisle said. “He was starting to take his game up in a lot of ways.
“He was starting to shoot the three consistently.”
Over eight games before Wednesday’s contest against the Pacers, Marshall averaged 22.9 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. That includes scoring 20 or more points in six of those games, including a 34-point, nine-rebound, 10-assist outing against Phoenix on March 9.
Marshall added to his hot scoring streak during Wednesday’s 135-131 loss to the Pacers when he collected 20 points on 8-of-15 shots. He also had nine rebounds, and now has five or more rebounds in eight of the last nine games.
A series of unfortunate injuries to several of his teammates has led to some increased playing time for Marshall. And he pounced on his opportunity and has become one of the Mavs’ most effective players.
“You knew he was a hard-playing hit-first guy that was going to play with a lot of attitude and was about the right things,” Carlisle said. “He’s getting a lot of shots and guys like him love opportunities like this.”
EXTRA OFF DAY: Monday and Tuesday marked the first time since the All-Star break that the Mavs had at least two days off between games.
Indeed, it was refreshing for the Mavs to get an extra day off considering they’ve been besieged with injuries throughout this season.
The Mavs have played 14 games since the All-Star break, playing games every other day except when they had contests on back-to-back nights at home
against Phoenix on March 9 and at San Antonio on March 10. Prior to playing the Pacers, the Mavs last played on Sunday at home against Philadelphia.
BRIEFLY: Before Wednesday’s victory over the Mavs, the Pacers recently won a pair of games in dramatic fashion. On March 11, they trailed Milwaukee by three points with 3.2 seconds remaining. But Tyrese Haliburton nailed a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds left, was fouled on the play by Giannis Antetokounmpo, then hit the free throw to complete the unbelievable four-point play which led to a 115-114 triumph for Indiana. On this past Monday in Minnesota, the Pacers trailed the Timberwolves, 130-129, late in overtime, until Obi Toppin drained a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds to go to give Indiana a 132-130 victory. “I do like how we’ve played in recent weeks,” Carlisle said. “We’ve had some lulls, but we managed to be very resilient. It is a group that I love and believe in. This past week we had to be really opportunistic to win a couple of these games, and these games are all tough. If we drop those games we’re probably in sixth right now (in the Eastern Conference standings) instead of fourth. That’s how close everything is in the NBA.” . . . Thanks to the Phoenix Suns’ 127-121 win over the Chicago Bulls Wednesday, the Mavs and Suns are tied for the 10th and final Western Conference spot for the NBA play-in tournament with identical 33-37 records. And if the Mavs and Phoenix end the season with the same record, the 10th spot would go to the Suns by virtue of them winning the season series against the Mavs, 3-1, and the Mavs would head to the NBA Draft Lottery.
X: @DwainPrice
MORGANTOWN — As far as West Virginia football goes right now, there’s a lot more important things than thinking about renewing the non-rivalry rivalry of facing Marshall.There’s a matter of Rich Rodriguez making all of the king’s horses and all the king’s men and trying to put the pieces together of a still-proud but not very productive football program that fell off the wall under the watch of Dana Holgorsen and Neal Brown.Then there’s the reinvention of the college game itself with players ...
MORGANTOWN — As far as West Virginia football goes right now, there’s a lot more important things than thinking about renewing the non-rivalry rivalry of facing Marshall.
There’s a matter of Rich Rodriguez making all of the king’s horses and all the king’s men and trying to put the pieces together of a still-proud but not very productive football program that fell off the wall under the watch of Dana Holgorsen and Neal Brown.
Then there’s the reinvention of the college game itself with players now business partners and NIL driving the price of those business partners skyrocketing into areas that would leave even Knute Rockne speechless.
But maybe — and right now that’s a non-committal maybe — this might just be the right time to talk about it.
In truth, the conversation has already begun, as former WVU defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, a 30-year assistant coach at all levels of the game, has taken over as head coach at Marshall, and in a conversation with Taylor Kennedy of the Charleston Gazette-Mail, a WVU graduate, he has expressed a strong desire to restart the 12-game rivalry that has been dormant since 2012.
Over the years, WVU has shown less than little interest in playing Marshall, but times change and situations change and, as noted, the situation now may be right to begin negotiations.
Let’s first listen to what Gibson told the Gazette-Mail.
“I want to play them,” Gibson said. “I think that would be great for our two universities and keep the money in the state, so I’m trying to make a big push toward making that happen.”
That said, there comes the inevitable “but … ”
“But I’m only one voice, but I’m never going to stop,” Gibson said.
Chances are he never will be heard, but his reasoning for the game is sound. With the Big 12 now spread across America, WVU is looking for regional non-conference games and they want to lighten up their schedule that has seen them lose their last four opening games, two to Top 10 regional rival Penn State, one to Pitt when it was ranked No. 17 and one at an unranked Maryland team.
This fits well with a reason Gibson gives for wanting to face WVU.
“It would benefit us in that my first game at Marshall we have to go to Athens and play Georgia,” Gibson said, with a knowing giggle. “I’m not saying that to take anything away from WVU, but if we are going to play a Power 4 school, let’s play our in-state Power 4 school, where it means something to everybody.”
WVU is looking for money games, though, in this era where $100 million doesn’t give Power 5 schools near the top athletic budget.
However, Gibson counters that with this argument.
“They say you only hold 30-some thousand at your stadium,” Gibson said. “Well, Ohio University only holds 25,000 and WVU is going there, so it doesn’t make sense to me that it can happen but we can’t play a game.”
The truth is that there is only one reason that keeps the two schools apart and that is that WVU has nothing to gain by playing Marshall and Gibson knows that personally from his involvement as a coach at WVU.
“I was on the other side of this rivalry and we don’t play for a lot of different reasons, but the biggest one was you didn’t want to be the one who lost to Marshall,” Gibson admitted.
That is a strong reason, to be honest.
Now it’s true that Marshall could not beat WVU when it had Randy Moss at wide receiver, arguably the greatest football player ever from West Virginia, in 1997, but when they did play that game Moss caught two TDs and Marshall led 31-28 going into the fourth quarter.
But the true scare came in 2010, when a WVU team quarterbacked by Geno Smith and with Noel Devine, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey found themselves trailing 21-6 with 14:55 left in the game, only to come back and force overtime on Smith’s two-point conversion pass to Jock Sanders after throwing a TD pass to tight end Will Johnson with 12 seconds left.
Tyler Bitancurt’s 20-yard field goal in overtime stood up as the winner when Marshall missed a 36-yard try to tie the score.
However, with Rich Rodriguez now at WVU and Gibson at Marshall, you have two state natives coaching and that adds to the draw of the game but also adds to a reason why WVU would not want to risk playing it.
Still, Gibson sees it as a reason to get the rivalry going again.
“It’s awesome for the state,” Gibson said. “This works out. Rich is from northern West Virginia; I’m from southern West Virginia. He’s from WVU, I’m from Marshall. You got guys who want to be here; want to be where they’re at. They’re not looking for the next job.”
Perhaps not, but the loser of that game may well be asked to go find a next job.
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