WVSports.com looks at the assistant coaches on the current staff.
The Mountaineers have multiple assistants on staff and we examine their current situations, their responsibilities as well as their contract situations.
OFFENSIVE COACHES:
Senior Offensive Assistant Travis Trickett
Trickett returns to West Virginia after he previously served as the offensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina from 2023-24. He was last in Morgantown after serving as the inside wide receivers/tight ends coach from 2019-21. Trickett, a graduate of West Virginia, got his coaching start as a student assistant with the Mountaineers from 2003-06. He also has been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at South Florida (2022), Georgia State (2017-18), Florida Atlantic (2016) and Samford (2012-15).
Contract: $350,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Quarterbacks coach Rhett Rodriguez
Rodriguez comes over from Jacksonville State where he served as an offensive analyst for the 2024 campaign. A former quarterback, Rodriguez was at Louisiana-Monroe, in the Sunbelt Conference, in 2021 and at Arizona, in the Pac-12 Conference, from 2017-20. At ULM, he served as a team captain and was heavily involved in the weekly game planning as he assisted in breaking down opponent tendencies and analyzing film for the entire offensive unit. He is the son of Rich Rodriguez.
Contract: $225,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Pat White
White returns to West Virginia after a legendary career at quarterback for the Mountaineers from 2005-08 where he set the Big East records in touchdowns responsible for (103), total offense (10,529) and became the first player in Big East history to pass for more than 10,000 yards. After a career in NFL, White got into coaching where he most recently worked as an offensive assistant coach with the Los Angeles Chargers for two years. He also spent time as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Campbell (2022), was the interim offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama State (2021), the running backs coach at USF (2020) and the quarterbacks coach at Alcorn State (2018-19).
Contract: $120,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett
Garrett came with Rich Rodriguez from Jacksonville State where he served as the wide receivers coach for three seasons. Will inherit the same role on the Mountaineers coaching staff and also worked with Rodriguez as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Monroe. Prior to that Garrett worked as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at West Virginia State and started his career as a graduate assistant at Mississippi where he crossed paths with Rodriguez yet again.
Contract: $250,000 through Feb. 28, 2026
Offensive line coach Jack Bickell Jr.
Bicknell brings experience from both the college and NFL levels over the course his veteran career. Bicknell most recently served as the offensive line coach at Wisconsin where he spent one season after coming over from North Carolina. Bicknell has worked with offensive lines since 2007 where he took over at his alma mater Boston College from 07-08. He has also coached the offensive line at Mississippi, Auburn and Louisville during that time. Bicknell and Rodriguez were both on staff at Mississippi in 2019. He also served as the head coach at Louisiana Tech from 1999-06 and has stints in the NFL the assistant offensive line coach with New York Giants (2009-11), offensive line coach with the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), offensive line coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2013) and assistant offensive line coach with the Miami Dolphins (2014-17).
Contract: $450,000 through Feb. 28, 2026
Tight ends coach Michael Nysewander
Nysewander spent the past two seasons as the tight ends and inside wide receivers coach at Jacksonville State and makes the move with Rich Rodriguez to Morgantown. That familiarity was key as Nysewander looks to take the next step in his career. Prior to joining the Gamecocks, Nysewander was a senior analyst at Mississippi and played college football at Alabama where he won three national championships.
Contract: $225,000 through Feb. 28, 2026
Inside wide receivers coach Blaine Stewart
Stewart is the son of former head coach Bill Stewart and was hired to the West Virginia coaching staff after previously serving as an assistant wide receiver coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The up and coming assistant caught the eyes of the coaches with his understanding of the game and started at tight end.After the coaching transition, he was rehired by Rich Rodriguez and took over inside wide receivers.
Contract: $225,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
DEFENSIVE COACHES:
Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Zac Alley
Alley was the top target for Rodriguez as soon as he took the job in Morgantown and the Mountaineers were able to pull him away from Oklahoma. Alley spent two years on staff with Rodriguez as his defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State prior to arriving in Norman and the two worked together for a year at Louisiana Monroe. Considered one of the best young defensive coordinators in college football, Alley is known for his aggressive style of defense and how he can adapt it to his personnel.
Contract: $1,500,000 until Feb. 28, 2028.
Defensive line coach William Green
Green has spent time with both Rich Rodriguez and Zac Alley over his coaching career at both Louisiana Monroe and Jacksonville State. The former Florida Gator had two stints on staff at Jacksonville State and his units have been productive over his career. A young assistant that has plenty of familiarity with the scheme.
Contract: $250,000 through Feb. 28, 2026
Bandits coach Jeff Casteel
Casteel returns to West Virginia with a ton of experience coaching with 35 years total and 27 as a defensive coordinator. Casteel has two previous stops at West Virginia spanning from 2001-2011 where he oversaw the defense before returning in 2020. Casteel was part of Rodriguez's original staff in 2001 and now is on his initial staff in his second tenure in Morgantown.He also has served as the defensive coordinator at Arizona with Rodriguez as well as at Nevada and Shepherd.
Contract: $250,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Cornerbacks coach Rod West
West spent the last four seasons prior to being tabbed on the West Virginia staff at Appalachian State where he coached the cornerbacks. He added defensive passing game coordinator in 2022. Before arriving in Boone, West spent the three previous three-plus seasons on staff at Richmond, including serving as co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. West began his coaching career in 2009 at Kentucky Christian. He also had stints at Division II national runner-up Delta State (2010), Texas A&M-Commerce (2011-12) and Morehead State (2013-14). A young dynamic recruiter.
Contract: $225,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Safeties coach Gabe Franklin
Franklin had a successful tenure at his alma mater Boise State where he served as the safeties coach in 2016 and oversaw the nickels starting in 2019. He was with the Broncos for five seasons and helped the defense improve immediately. He also was on the coaching staff with Zac Alley. He also spent five seasons at UTEP as the defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator as well as various other stops.
Contract: $250,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Special teams coordinator and defensive assistant Pat Kirkland
Kirkland spent three years at Jacksonville State as the special teams coordinator and bandit coach prior to returning to West Virginia. Kirkland worked in Morgantown from 2006-07 and this will be the third time that he has worked under Rodriguez. Kirkland also served as the head coach at Charleston where he was 70-41.
Contract: $150,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
Nickels/sams coach Henry Weinreich
Weinreich comes to West Virginia from Oklahoma, where he worked with WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley as a defensive analyst, focusing on the linebackers and safeties. Aside from game-day duties, he was responsible for opponent breakdowns and scouting reports. Prior to that Weinreich was at Jacksonville State working with Rodriguez from 2020-23 where he started as a graduate assistant before being promoted to an analyst. He also served as a graduate assistant at West Georgia.
Contract: $120,000 until Feb. 28, 2026
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