John Beilein, WVU s new head basketball coach, will be the guest of honor at a special event hosted by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the West Virginia University Alumni Association and the Mountaineer Athletic Club in cooperation with WheelingJesuitUniversity.

The coach will answer questions and mingle with fans on Aug. 27 from 6-8 p.m. at the WhitePalace in WheelingPark. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Complimentary hot snacks will be served.

“John has some very exciting plans, which probably comes as no surprise to folks in the Wheeling area, who have been watching him for a very long time,”says Stephen L. Douglas, chief executive officer of the WVU Alumni Association.”We know how many Mountaineer fans there are in the OhioValley �€this is a great opportunity for them to hear from the coach himself.”

Beilein, 49, has a career record of 447-257 (.635), compiling winning records in 22 of 24 years as a head coach, including the past nine seasons. He has made six postseason appearances in his 10 years at the helm of a Division I college basketball program. He was named WVU s 20th head basketball coach in April. Beilein received his BA in history from Wheeling Jesuit, where he played college basketball from 1971 to 1975. He served as team captain his junior season.

The WVU Alumni Association, chartered in 1873, represents more than 140,000 university graduates residing in every county in West Virginia, every state in the union and approximately 60 foreign nations. With nearly 100 registered chapters and constituent groups, the associations 26,000 dues-paying members support Homecoming Weekend, the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni and dozens of other social and philanthropic programs.