The preseason AP Top 25 rankings are out, and West Virginia are nowhere close to the list. In fact, the Mountaineers last cracked the preseason poll in the summer leading up to the 2018 season.
That year, the Mountaineers entered the season at the No. 18 spot. However, nearly a decade has passed since the AP voters thought WVU deserved a top-25 ranking heading into a new season.
Throughout that time, a lot has happened at West Virginia, and with the 2026 season drawing near, it warrants a dive into all those changes since that 2018 preseason ranking. Read more: What has happened at West Virginia since the last time the team cracked the AP Top 25?
Two head coaches since Holgorsen
That 2018 season was the final year for former head coach Dana Holgorsen. After eight seasons at the helm and a 61-41 overall record, Holgorsen decided to leave WVU to coach the Houston Cougars.
The move did not exactly work out for him, as he only had two winning seasons across five years with the Cougars. Heading into 2026, Holgorsen is entering his second full season as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator.
As for the Mountaineers, they opted to poach Neal Brown from Troy University. At the time, Brown was considered one of the best offensive-minded young head coaches across the country.
Before coming to West Virginia, Brown was coming off three straight 10-win seasons at Troy, all ending in bowl wins. At the time, it looked like a smooth transition that would allow West Virginia to stay as an elite offensive team.
In actuality, that was far from what happened on the field. Brown’s tenure was largely unsuccessful at WVU, finishing with a 37-35 record across six seasons.
With Brown at the helm, the Mountaineers eclipsed the six-win mark just one time and never once found themselves in the AP Poll. Most of the fan base was ready to see him go after the 2024 season.
Related: WVU has the resources, but now comes the test of retaining its top players
The fans were eager to see who the next head coach was going to be, in hopes it would be the guy to put West Virginia football back on the map.
Rich’s return
That guy was none other than Rich Rodriguez. After almost 20 years, the man who brought West Virginia to some of its highest highs had returned.
Year One did not go as planned, as the Mountaineers finished with a disappointing 4-8 record. Going into Year Two, though, it looks like some of the stars are starting to align once again for Rodriguez and the Mountaineers.
He has his running back in Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook. The veteran coach also has two mobile quarterbacks in Scotty Fox Jr. and Michael Hawkins Jr., who should be able to flourish in his offense.
The Mountaineers are not starting the season ranked this year. But, if they can get some breaks to go their way, they could crack the polls at some point this season.
New leadership at the top
West Virginia did not only go through multiple different head coaches since the last time the football team was in the preseason top 25 rankings. The university also brought in a new Director of Athletics during that span, Wren Baker.
Baker came from North Texas, where he found a lot of success running the Mean Green’s athletic department. Specifically, he built a strong reputation as someone who could hire well and lead effective fundraising campaigns.
He was hired on November 30, 2022, following the departure of former AD Shane Lyons. Before leaving the university, Lyons served as the AD since 2014.
With almost four years under his belt at WVU, Baker has proved he was the right man for the job. With him leading the way, the future looks bright for West Virginia athletics.
In addition to Baker, West Virginia University’s Board of Governors hired Michael T. Benson as the new president of the school on July 15, 2025.
He became the 27th president at the school after replacing longtime president Dr. E. Gordon Gee. Benson has proven to show good chemistry with Baker thus far, and displays interest in taking sports at WVU to the next level.
Overall football stats
Flipping back over to football specifically, West Virginia has had an overall record of 49-48 since its last appearance in the preseason polls. Other than reaching as high as No. 6 in the polls in 2018, the Mountaineers have not been ranked once during that span.
In terms of bowl appearances, the Mountaineers have made five appearances with just two wins. Brown coached both of those victories, with the first coming in 2020 in the Liberty Bowl and the second in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in 2023.
West Virginia has also seen 14 players hear their names called in the NFL Draft, including players from the 2018 team. Former WVU center Zach Frazier remains the earliest pick after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him 51st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
When it comes to developing NFL talent since 2018, West Virginia has done a decent job with other guys like Colton McKivitz and David Long Jr. also finding consistent roles at the next level.
Related: Bishop, Coats, and Greene headline Mountaineer performances in Week 1 of NFL Preseason
The way back
The Mountaineers have had a rough stretch since their No. 18 ranking ahead of the 2018 season. However, they have also seen a lot of changes throughout the years.
With NIL also coming into the picture, West Virginia has started to put the building blocks together for a more successful future. Rodriguez was able to bring in top talent like four-star offensive lineman Kevin Brown and four-star safety Matt Sieg in the 2026 recruiting class.
Throw in a highly touted transfer portal class, and it starts to look like WVU’s disappointing seasons in recent memory are in the rearview mirror.
At the same time, a spot in the AP Poll is not out of the question for West Virginia’s future. The wait, for fans and the program alike, will be well worth it once it happens.
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There will be no way back! Always same Ole song and dance, No Defense and very little offense. NEED COOACHES AND CANT AFFORD ELITE PLAYERS