Now that Rich Rodriguez is officially the West Virginia football head coach and the Frisco Bowl is behind the program, it's time for Rodriguez to fill out his staff at WVU. Let's take a look at some of the names that could potentially be an assistant at WVU next year.
Defensive Coordinator:
Zac Alley, Oklahoma: A rising star as a defensive assistant, Alley is currently the Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach at Oklahoma under Brent Venables, a highly regarded defensive minded coach. Alley learned his trade under Venables as a student assistant and grad assistant at Clemson, foregoing collegiate ball as a player following his high school career to learn the coaching trade.
He helped coach two national championship teams for the Tigers. He was the DC at Louisiana-Monroe under Terry Bowden while Rodriguez helmed the offense, and followed Rodriguez to be DC at Jacksonville State under Rodriguez from 2022-2023 before reuniting with Venables in Norman. He has seen massive success in turning around defenses at every stop as a coordinator.
Jahmile Addae, Buffalo (NFL): Addae played for Rodriuez at WVU from 2001-2005 and coached under him at WVU, Michigan, and Arizona. He also served a separate stint as a WVU assistant under Neal Brown. He earned a national championship as the defensive backs coach at Georgia in 2021 and has spent three seasons in the NFL as a position coach. Addae has just one year of DC experience but is regarded as an elite recruiter and defensive position coach.
Jeremiah Johnson, Louisiana Tech: Another fast rising star, Johnson led a Top 10 defense in the FBS this season as the Defensive Coordinator at Louisiana Tech. He also led a Top 10 Red Zone Defense in FBS while serving in the same role at Kent State in 2022.
But his name was primarily built over two stints that totaled 15 years at FCS program Northern Iowa, including over a decade as Defensive Coordinator. He helped lead a defense that was ranked Top 10 at the FCS level in 29 different statistical categories over 11 seasons, and the program made 10 FCS Playoff appearances during his time at the school.
Luke Olson, Jacksonville State: The current Defensive Coordinator at Jacksonville State, Olson replaced Alley in the role in 2024 and helped secure a Conference USA Championship for JSU under Rodriguez. He brings over a decade of FBS defensive assistant experience.
Defensive Assistants/Analysts:
Matt Caponi, North Texas: Caponi currently helms the defense at North Texas, which was a Top 5 defense in the American Athletic Conference in 2023 before taking a slight step backwards in 2024 -- but his resume is golden outside of North Texas.
He brings Big 12 experience having contributed as a coach on multiple Top 10 defenses nationally and helping win a New Year’s Six bowl appearance under Matt Campbell at Iowa State, and also brings WVU ties -- he served as the WVU defensive backs coach from 2016-2018 under Dana Holgorsen.
He also has experience coaching under Rich Rodriguez at Arizona in the mid-2010s. He comes from a winning pedigree as a player as well, winning three national championships at Division 3 Mount Union in the 2000s during a stretch where the program went 55-1.
Mike DiAngelo, Philadelphia (NFL): A current NFL assistant with the Eagles, DiAngelo coached underneath Rodriguez extensively at Arizona in the 2010s. He would also bring more West Virginia ties to WVU, having gotten his coaching start at Division 2 Concord (WV).
Bruce Irvin, Free Agent: Irvin has no coaching experience, but is a decade-long NFL veteran who played at WVU from 2010-2011 and is currently not signed professionally -- he saw his most recent NFL action in 2023. Irvin expressed interest early in the search in joining the WVU staff, but how and where he fits with his lack of coaching experience is currently a mystery.
Pat Kirkland, Jacksonville State: Kirkland is currently at Jacksonville State where he has served as Rodriguez’s Special Teams Coordinator and Linebackers Coach. He served as Director of Recruiting and as an assistant on both sides of the ball for Rodriguez during his first WVU stint and served a long, successful stint at Division 2 Charleston (WV) where his teams were consistent conference championship contenders and secured a Division 2 playoff berth in 2015. He also played ball at Division 3 Muskingum (OH), and spent stints as an assistant at Muskingum and Division 2 Glenville State (WV).
Brandon Napoleon, Jacksonville State: The safeties coach under Rodriguez at Jacksonville State, Napoleon played briefly at WVU before finishing his career at Kansas Wesleyan. He coached standout JSU safety Zechariah Poyser in 2024, who was a standout for Jacksonville State and a top defensive transfer portal target before committing to Miami (FL).
Keith Tandy, Tampa Bay (NFL): Tandy played for Rodriguez, Bill Stewart, and Dana Holgorsen from 2007-2011 at WVU and spent six seasons playing with Tampa Bay in the NFL. Tandy is currently an assistant with the Buccaneers, a position he has held since 2020.
William Green, Jacksonville State: The current Defensive Line coach at Jacksonville State, Green has coached under Rodriuez at JSU and on the same staff as Rodriguez at Louisiana-Monroe. He also brings Power 4 experience as an assistant at Florida and Oklahoma in the past and won the 2008 BCS National Championship as a player at Florida.
Jeff Casteel, Free Agent: Casteel is a Paden City, W.Va. native who served as Rodriguez’s Defensive Coordinator at WVU in the 2000s and at Arizona in the 2010s -- he also served as DC for Stewart and Holgorsen at WVU, and as a position coach and analyst for Neal Brown from 2020-2023. Though currently retired, Casteel may be convinced to take up a role on an old friend’s staff.
Jake Casteel, Jacksonville State: The son of Jeff Casteel, Jake Casteel has served as a grad assistant under Neal Brown at WVU and is currently an analyst at Jacksonville State under Rodriguez. Casteel also has served as an assistant at Cal Poly and played collegiately at Northern Arizona.