MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez announced former Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley as his pick for defensive coordinator Sunday.
“Zac is one of the top young defensive coordinators in the country and has proven his ability to lead and be an innovator at different stops during his career,” Rodriguez said. “I have worked with him several seasons, and he constantly impresses me with his ability to blend schemes with his personnel and develop winning results. I look forward to him joining our staff and making an immediate impact for us.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported late Saturday that Alley was finalizing a three-year deal with WVU.
“I am excited to join coach Rodriguez and the West Virginia University football program,” Alley said. “I have tremendous respect for coach Rod, as I’ve seen how he develops players and builds a program. I look forward to working with the players and doing my part to help WVU be one of the top teams in the Big 12 Conference and the nation.”
Alley, 30, spent 2022-23 as Rodriguez’s defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State before spending this past season as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Brent Venables and the Sooners.
This year, the Sooners tied for 30th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in allowing 21.5 points per game, highlighted by holding Alabama to just three points in a 24-3 win. Oklahoma was also 19th nationally in allowing just 318.2 yards per game.
In his last season at Jacksonville State, the Gamecocks were a top-50 defense in both points (33rd at 21.2 points per game) and yards (43rd at 352.8 yards per game) allowed.
Alley reportedly earned $850,000 this season at Oklahoma, making him one of the lowest-paid coordinators in the SEC.
The Mountaineers are in desperate need of defensive help after a dreadful 2024 performance where WVU finished near the bottom of the FBS in several major defensive categories. West Virginia ranked 110th nationally this season with 31.9 points allowed per game and 111th nationally at 415.2 yards per game.
Former coach Neal Brown fired defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley mid-season, replacing him with inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz, before Brown was fired himself the day after WVU’s loss at Texas Tech that ended the regular season.
Alley began his coaching career at Clemson, where he served as an undergraduate assistant and a grad assistant from 2012-18. He then coached linebackers at Boise State before becoming Lousiana Monroe’s defensive coordinator in 2021, which is when he first hooked up with Rodriguez, who was the program’s offensive coordinator that season.
— Story by Derek Redd
