Analysis: A Closer Look at new WVU Defensive Coordinator Jeff Koonz
By Joseph Smith
There's a new leader at the helm of the West Virginia football defense.
On Tuesday, WVU Head Coach Neal Brown relieved Jordan Lesley of his duties as defensive coordinator, appointing special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz as the replacement.
RELATED. cdvdsv. Firing Jordan Lesley may be WVU head coach Neal Brown's best decision yet. dark
We know what we got with Lesley at the helm, and it wasn't good. The Mountaineers currently are in the bottom four of six major defensive statistical categories in the Big 12, and amongst the 20 worst teams nationally in three of those categories.
What we don't know yet, however, is what exactly Jeff Koonz brings to the table. So let's take a look.
As a Mountaineer, Koonz has been on staff since Neal Brown's second season with the program in 2020. As inside linebackers coach, he oversaw current St. Louis Rams' player Tony Field's transition from outside linebacker at Arizona to an inside linebacker at WVU as Fields led the Big 12 in tackles as a senior, was named an All-Big 12 and All-American selection, and was selected as a fifth-round NFL draft pick.
He also oversaw the development of linebacker Lee Kpogba into a top Big 12 defender for WVU, and was the main recruiter for and the current coach overseeing standout sophomore Josiah Trotter.
As the special teams coordinator, Koonz has had multiple kickers (Casey Legg, Michael Hayes II) and punters (Tyler Sumpter, Oliver Straw) within the Top 2 in the Big 12 in at least one statistical category. Koonz led a punt return defense in 2023 that ranked fifth nationally in return yards allowed, and a field goal defense that blocked three field goal attempts. Most recently, we saw his special teams unit making an impact last week against Arizona, as the team converted a fake field goal for a touchdown.
He also brings some defensive coordinator experience, as he served as the co-defensive coordinator for Cincinnati in 2016 at the tail-end of a three-year defensive stint with the Bearcats. During that stint he coached a pair of future NFL players in Mike Tyson and Eric Wilson.