Title: Tensions Mount as WVU Baseball HC Steve Sabins Refuses Contract Extension Over Unpaid Salary Dispute
In a shocking turn of events that has sent ripples through the college baseball world, West Virginia University (WVU) Baseball Head Coach Steve Sabins has publicly refused to sign a proposed contract extension, citing unresolved issues over months of unpaid salary. The decision, announced during a press briefing on Tuesday morning, has ignited controversy within the athletic department and left the future of the Mountaineers baseball program in serious jeopardy.
Sabins, who took over the head coaching role in 2024 following the retirement of long-time coach Randy Mazey, has been widely credited with revitalizing the WVU baseball program. Under his leadership, the team secured a historic run to the NCAA Super Regionals, bringing national attention to Morgantown and galvanizing a once-dormant fan base. But behind the scenes, Sabins says the institution has failed to uphold its most basic obligation: paying its coach.
“I have given my heart and soul to this program, and I’ve done it with integrity and passion,” Sabins stated firmly at the podium. “But I cannot, in good conscience, continue to serve an institution that has not honored its financial commitments to me. Until the full balance of my unpaid salary is rectified, I will not entertain any contract extensions.”
Sources within the athletic department, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirm that Sabins is owed nearly $375,000 in back pay—accumulated over the last two fiscal years due to what university officials have described as a “budgetary processing error.” Yet, repeated internal requests for resolution have allegedly been ignored or delayed, prompting Sabins to take a stand that many see as long overdue.
The university’s official statement was terse, acknowledging an “ongoing financial discussion” with Coach Sabins but denying any breach of contract. Still, the tension between the coach and the administration was palpable during Tuesday’s press conference, where Sabins appeared without WVU Athletic Director Wren Baker or any university representatives.
“What’s most disheartening,” Sabins continued, “is that this isn’t just about me—it’s about the values we preach to our student-athletes. Accountability. Honesty. Respect. If we can’t practice what we preach, what example are we setting?”
The fallout has been immediate. Several assistant coaches have reportedly signaled they may not return next season in solidarity with Sabins. Player parents are circulating an open letter to university leadership demanding transparency, while fans have flooded social media with support under the trending hashtag #PaySabinsNow.
As the College World Series looms in the rearview and recruiting season approaches, WVU finds itself in a storm of its own making. Whether the university can weather it—or risks watching its most promising baseball era unravel—will depend on how quickly and earnestly it moves to make things right with the man who brought them back into the national spotlight.
