Coach Steve Sabins Issues Emotional Apology to WVU Fans After Loss to LSU Tigers: “I’m Sorry. It Is My Fault. Put the Blame on Me.”
MORGANTOWN, WV — In the aftermath of a stunning 38–17 loss to the LSU Tigers, West Virginia University interim head coach Steve Sabins stepped up to the podium with heavy shoulders and a solemn gaze. Under the blinding lights of the press conference room, his voice wavered—but not out of fear. It was accountability that weighed on his chest like an anchor.
“I’m sorry. It is my fault. Put the blame on me,” Sabins declared, silencing the murmuring reporters with a rare kind of sincerity not often heard in the world of high-stakes college football.
For Sabins, who took over the reins following a turbulent offseason, this wasn’t just a loss. It was a wound to a program still trying to recover its identity. West Virginia, once a powerhouse in the Big East and a respected contender in the Big 12, had seen flashes of promise this season. But Saturday night in Baton Rouge exposed raw vulnerabilities. Missed assignments, a porous defense, and an offense that sputtered after halftime left fans disillusioned and players emotionally gutted.
Sabins, known for his fiery passion and deep loyalty to WVU, didn’t deflect. He didn’t point fingers at coordinators or single out players. He took the heat.
“I asked these young men to trust me,” Sabins continued. “To give me everything they had. They did. And I didn’t put them in the position to win. That’s on me. I own that.”
The game started with promise. WVU struck first with a crisp 14-play drive capped by a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Dylan Colbert. But LSU’s athleticism and depth soon overwhelmed the Mountaineers. LSU quarterback Jace Dupree torched WVU’s secondary for 327 yards and three touchdowns, while their defensive front suffocated the Mountaineers’ run game.
Despite the growing deficit, Sabins never stopped coaching. He paced the sideline, clapped for effort, and shouted words of encouragement until the final whistle. And then, when most coaches would retreat into the locker room or issue a canned statement, he stepped into the fire willingly.
His apology resonated far beyond the walls of the press room. Mountaineer fans, though disappointed, flooded social media with messages of support.
“He may have lost the game,” one fan tweeted, “but he won our respect.”
“Coach Sabins is what WVU needs right now,” said former player and alum Tavon Austin. “A man who leads with heart and takes ownership.”
Sabins ended his statement with a promise: “This is not the end. It’s a beginning. We’ll learn. We’ll grow. And we’ll fight like hell to make you proud again.”
With a brutal Big 12 schedule looming, Sabins has his work cut out for him. But in a sport often marred by ego and deflection, one thing is clear—WVU has a coach who stands tall in the storm, even when the scoreboard doesn’t.
