Top five questions for WVU football this spring – No. 4 coaching changes

So, in memory of Casey Kasem, from coast to coast we continue our countdown … now on to No. 4.

4. Coaching changes — As he begins his sixth season as West Virginia’s head football coach, Neal Brown has enjoyed pretty good continuity within his staff.

Four assistants from his original assistant coaching group in 2019 are still at WVU — Matt Moore (offensive line), Chad Scott (running backs), Jordan Lesley (defense) and Mike Joseph (strength). In addition, linebacker coach Jeff Koontz is heading into his fourth year with the Mountaineers, and ShaDon Brown (defensive backs) and Andrew Jackson (defensive line) are each preparing for their third at West Virginia.

Still, there has been some shake-up within the staff since the end of last season, though, and this spring is an important opportunity to work out any kinks.

Sean Reagan, who had been the Mountaineers’ quarterbacks or tight ends has left WVU to become the offensive coordinator at Troy. In addition, Dontae Wright, who had been West Virginia’s safeties coach for four years, also is now at Troy, where he is the Trojans’ defensive coordinator. Both are working for new Troy head coach Gerad Parker, who spent the 2020 and ’21 seasons as the Mountaineers’ offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach before moving to Notre Dame for two seasons.

To replace Reagan and Wright, Brown promoted WVU offensive analyst Tyler Allen to become the full-time assistant in charge of quarterbacks and hired former Appalachian State coach Vic Cabral to oversee West Virginia’s outside linebackers.

As part of the addition of Cabral to coach outside linebackers, Lesley, who previously had coached that position as well as serving as WVU’s defensive coordinator, is now floating between various defensive groups rather than overseeing any particular one. He also continues his D.C. duties.

“Jordon is not going to have a position, and there are a couple reasons behind that,” explained Brown. “I want him to be more involved with each of the groups because I think that will help him from a relationship standpoint.”

The departure of Wright leaves WVU without a dedicated safeties coach. Lesley will work with safeties some, but the entire defensive backfield — corners and safeties — will now fall under the oversight of ShaDon Brown, who previously had coached just the corners.

“I wanted our secondary to be together,” noted West Virginia’s head coach. “Jordan is going to help ShaDon with that, and we also have some G.A.s who are really qualified there as well, but I wanted the secondary to be together, primarily from a communications standpoint. I wanted to make sure they all hear the same language and they all are on the same page. Having ShaDon in charge of that entire group, though Jordan and the G.A.s will help there as well, I think is important in having that entire group work together.”

A 2006 graduate of Georgia Southern, Cabral brings nearly two decades of coaching experience to WVU’s defensive staff, having spent time at Georgia Military Academy, Samford, Georgia Southern and most recently Appalachian State.

“I’m really excited about adding Vic Cabral,” stated Brown. “He’s coached in the style of defense that we’re running, and his units have been really productive, especially in terms of rushing the passer. I think that’s something we have to get better at. Our overall (tackle for loss) and sack numbers have been pretty good, but we need to win more one-on-one situations, and I think Vic will really add to that.”

Allen’s time on WVU’s staff goes back to 2019, initially as a G.A. before he landed a job as the quarterback coach at Jacksonville State for 2020 and ’21. He spent the 2022 season as a graduate assistant at Rice, and then returned to West Virginia in 2023, working as an offensive analyst and special assistant to the head coach. Now he’s going to be in charge of the Mountaineer quarterbacks.

“Tyler had an integral role in developing Garrett (Greene) and Nicco (Marchiol),” said Brown. “He’s also helped us in recruiting.”

West Virginia’s support staff is changing this year as well. Jeff Casteel is departing the program after serving as WVU’s defensive analyst and director of high school since 2020. Casteel also was an assistant coach with the Mountaineers from 2001-11, as well as a stint back on the field for WVU in 2020.

While Casteel is leaving, Ryan Nehlen is returning to Brown’s staff.

“We brought Ryan back to be in Tyler’s old role as my assistant and an analyst for offense,” explained Brown.

The grandson of former Mountaineer head coach Don Nehlen, Ryan was a wide receiver at WVU (2008-12) and was also an offensive analyst at his alma mater before serving as the tight ends coach at McNeese State in 2022 and ’23. Now he’s back at West Virginia.

In addition, former Mountaineer All-American linebacker Chris Haering (1986-89) is returning to WVU and will serve as a consultant, primarily with special teams.

“Chris has a lot of experience and will give us another set of eyes,” said Brown. “He was a head coach for a long time (17 years at Mt. Lebanon High in Pittsburgh), and he was a really successful special teams coordinator, both at Pitt (2012-14) and at Wisconsin (2015-22). He’s going to help us in a consulting role.”

Brown has a reason behind the rhythm of putting together a staff.

“I like trajectory,” the coach explained in terms of his hiring philosophy. “It doesn’t matter if I’m buying a stock or hiring people, I like upward trajectory, and hunger is really important.

“So, if you look at what we’ve tried to do from a staff standpoint, we’ve got systems we believe in and we don’t want those systems to change. But on top of that, we value leadership.”

It is a staff that has undergone some change since West Virginia’s 2023 season ended, but Brown is comfortable with the group he’s assembled.