MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After WVU and defensive coordinator Vic Koenning decided to mutually part ways in late July, coach Neal Brown had a decision to make: Hire an outsider this close to fall camp or hire within.
Brown chose the latter, but not in a way many thought. Defensive line coach Jordan Lesley was promoted to coach the “front” of the defense — the line and linebackers — while cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae would be in charge of the back” of it — corners and safeties. Neither one was labeled co-coordinators, however.
A big question heading at the time, though, was, “Who was going to call the plays?”
Koenning was the play-caller for the Mountaineers’ defense last season, but as the lone coordinator on the team, both the defensive front and back were on the same page. Now, with two different coaches making different calls, the dynamic will be critical to the success on the defensive side of the ball. Neither Addae or Lesley are concerned after working together last year, but they’ll be put to the test during Saturday’s season opener against Eastern Kentucky.
“The mechanics are worked out during the week. We’re on the same page,” Lesley said. “It’s just an open line of communication between both of us.”
“Jordan and I will meet and talk those things through before they happen,” Addae added. “It won’t be a game day conversation. That’s where you sit down a say, ‘OK, this is what’s going to happen.’ You have an action sheet that tells you what you want to do in certain scenarios.”
Addae and Lesley discuss specific plans of attack with the entire staff during game prep, but in the end, the secondary facilitates what the defense front does. As the week progresses, Lesley knows what to call based off what Addae calls on the back end. Specific pass rushes and linebacker responsibilities are based off what type of coverage the secondary is in.
For hours every day for months, Lesley and Addae work together in the same room and on the field. To a point, it’s been second nature for each.
“You evaluate every day what a guy can and can’t do and how it fits into your system,” Lesley said. “We talk about those things not even on a daily basis. We talk from drill to drill about that. Me and Coach Addae are always going, ‘What do you think here? What do you like here? What can this guy do? Do you like this package?’ It’s starting to come together.”
As for the other defensive responsibilities, Addae and Lesley will be on the sidelines during the game, while outside linebackers coach Jeff Casteel and safeties coach Dontae Wright will be in the press box to get a more panoramic view.
Kickoff for the EKU game will be at noon Saturday and will be aired on FS1.
