Last week was the finale of this year’s Position Review series, going down the line detailing each position group on WVU Football’s roster.
With that out of the way, and the season opener just a few weeks away, here is a closer look at the coaching staff who will be representing the Mountaineers on the sideline this season. Read more: Meet the WVU Football coaching staff.
There are new faces on the sidelines for WVU this season, but also plenty of familiar faces as well.
HC Rich Rodriguez
He is the man at the top; head coach Rich Rodriguez. Entering his ninth overall season as the head coach of the Mountaineers, Rodriguez has already cemented himself as one of the pioneers of modern college football.
With previous stops at schools like Salem University, Glenville State University, the University of Michigan, Arizona, and most recently Jacksonville State University, the West Virginia native has put together quite a strong resume.
He enters the 2026 season as the No. 3 winningest active football coach at the Power Four level. Rodriguez is also known as a godfather of the no-huddle, spread-option offense.
Related: Rodriguez outlines expectations as Mountaineers begin Year 2 of second stint
Popularized by electric players like Pat White and Steve Slaton in the 2000s, Rodriguez has built a reputation as a coach who likes to play fast and use all 11 players on the offense. He has never been afraid to use the quarterback in the running game.
Rodriguez has also never shied away from his personality as a coach. Throughout the years, he has remained true to his tough, almost rugged personality when coaching his teams. At the end of the day, Rodriguez preaches effort and hard work as cornerstones of his coaching philosophy.
DC Zac Alley
Entering his second year as the defensive coordinator, Zac Alley has quickly proven to be one of the brightest defensive minds across college football. After getting a start as a graduate assistant at Clemson, Alley comes into his sixth year as a defensive coordinator.
Along the way, he became the youngest defensive coordinator in the NCAA when he took over the role at University of Louisiana Monroe 2021. Alley was just 27 at the time.
A year later, he followed Rodriguez to Jacksonville State as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He remained there for two years before he went over to Oklahoma as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
However, he would not stay down south for long. The following year, he once again joined a Rodriguez staff as the defensive coordinator at WVU. Alley is also the assistant head coach.
Despite West Virginia not having a good year last season, Alley’s defense still played well in many games. Nationally, the unit ranked No. 15 in team tackles for loss per game (6.7), No. 23 in fumbles recovered (9), and No. 36 in turnovers gained (20).
WVU’s defense is in great hands this year under Alley. Expect that unit as a whole to a major step forward from last season.
Special Teams Coordinator Pat Kirkland
Pat Kirkland is also entering his second year with the Mountaineers under the same role as special teams coordinator and defensive assistant. It is also his third stint with Rodriguez as he spent time on WVU’s staff in 2007 and at Jacksonville State from 2022-24.
Kirkland began his coaching career in the high school ranks at John Glen High School in Ohio. After one season as an assistant coach there, he returned to his alma mater Muskingum University.
Kirland also served as the secondary coach and academic coordinator. Following that, he spent seven years at Glenville State as the defensive coordinator. In his final two years, he was also assistant head coach.
Kirkland first joined Rodriguez’s staff in 2007 as the outside linebackers and safeties coach. After two years in thet role, Kirkland was named the Coordinator of Recruiting in 2009.
After a couple years, Kirkland finally got his opportunity to be a head coach at the University of Charleston in West Virginia. From 2011 to 2022, Kirkland compiled an overall record of 70-41 and six runner-up finishes in Mountain East Conference.
Following the 2022 season, Kirkland joined Rodriguez’s staff at Jacksonville State as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.
Once Rodriguez left for West Virginia in 2025, Kirkland followed him.
Offensive Line Coach Rick Trickett
A list regarding coaching at WVU is never complete without mentioning longtime offensive line coach Rick Trickett. Entering his 53rd season in college football, Trickett has spent nearly all that time focused on the offensive line.
He has spent time at some of the most elite schools across the country. That includes places such as LSU, Auburn, and Florida State. In fact, he was a part of the Seminoles’ 2013 National Championship win.
Originally from Masontown, West Virginia, Trickett returns for his third stint at WVU. Previously, he was at the program from 1976-79 and 2001-06. This is also his third time on Rodriguez’s coaching staff, as he was the offensive line coach at Jacksonville State from 2022-25.
Related: Fall camp: Kevin Brown emerging as serious contender along offensive line
Overall, Trickett has coached 62 all-conference honorees, 15 All-Americans, and two Rimington Award winners. He has also helped over 40 players make it to the NFL.
Beyond his coaching career, Trickett is a United States Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran. He also released a book in 2012 titled “Complete Offensive Line”.
One of his three sons, Travis Trickett, is also on the coaching staff as a senior offensive assistant.
Defensive Ends Coach Deke Adams
Another new addition to the coaching staff this season is defensive ends coach Deke Adams. With nearly 30 years of coaching experience, Adams has spent almost all that time coaching the defensive line.
Throughout his career, he has spent time at numerous schools like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Ole Miss. Before taking the job at West Virginia, Adams was the defensive line coach at Arkansas.
During his career, he has developed three All-Americans, 14 all-conference selections, and 10 NFL draft picks.
Adams also played for Southern Miss as a linebacker; collecting 76 tackles, five tackles for loss, and interceptions.
Plenty more on the sidelines
There are numerous other coordinators and coaches on West Virginia’s sideline this year. In total, including the strength coaches, there are 31 coaches listed on WVU Football’s athletic page.
Guys like Gabe Franklin (safeties), Ryan Garrett (wide receivers), Michael Nysewander (tight ends), and Rod West (cornerbacks) all return for their second year in the same position at WVU.
The staff also boasts some legends that came out of the program, including Noel Devine and Pat White. Devine is the assistant running backs coach and White is the assistant quarterbacks coach, while also acting as a direct assistant to Rodriguez.
As a whole, this year’s coaching staff offers a ton of experience across all levels of college football. Coaches like Trickett and Adams bring decades of experience to the staff.
New running backs coach Jay Boulware also joins the West Virginia staff with almost 30 years of coaching experience.
With so many coaching veterans on the staff, it would seem that the Mountaineers have the right voices in the room to bounce back from last season.
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