By JOHN ANTONIK

WVUsports.com

 

Another year full of thrills, chills and surprises is in the books for West Virginia University intercollegiate athletics.

 

Big news happened as soon as the calendar flipped to January when Parkersburg native Shane Lyons answered the call to come home and lead the Mountaineers as the school’s 12th director of athletics. Lyons spent the past three years at Alabama as the Crimson Tide’s No. 2 administrator, working closely with athletic directors Mal Moore and Bill Battle in Tuscaloosa following previous stops at the Atlantic Coast Conference, Texas Tech, the NCAA and Big South Conference.

 

At his introductory news conference on Saturday, January 10, Lyons talked about continuing WVU’s impressive success on the playing field and in the classroom while underscoring the three core values he wants the athletic department to exhibit moving forward: integrity, innovation and excellence.

 

“I won’t lose sight of one thing,” said Lyons. “This department will always support the great mission of the University.”

 

The Mountaineers certainly accomplished that in 2014-15 in what was another academic calendar year worth remembering.

 

We witnessed the revitalization of men’s basketball, more championship performances from rifle and women’s soccer, freshman Zeke Moisey’s improbable journey to the podium at the 2015 NCAA wrestling championships, the opening of a new ballpark, another first round draft selection in football, women’s basketball’s WNIT run that ended at our state capital, of all places, and, as always, many more unforgettable upset victories that have become one of the trademarks of Mountaineer athletics.

 

So without further delay, here are the 10 most memorable moments from 2014-15:

 

Click HERE for the top 10.

 

Editor's Note: Photos shows Shane Lyons, left, being introduced as WVU's new athletic director. Photo by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.