As the Mountaineers look to return to winning ways, head coach Neal Brown has made several changes to the West Virginia coaching staff ahead of the 2023 college football season.
West Virginia Mountaineers Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Neal Brown
Brown heads into his fifth season as the Mountaineers head coach after joining the West Virginia coaching staff for the 2019 college football campaign. In addition to guiding the Mountaineers to two bowl games in his first three seasons, he has been credited with transforming the recruiting potential of the program during his tenure in Morgantown.
While compiling a 22-25 record during his first four seasons at the helm, Brown has helped engineer some standout victories for the program. The win over Oklahoma in 2022 was a Big 12 first for the Mountaineers. Meanwhile, their victory over Oklahoma State was their first since 2014. Two wins over ranked opposition in 2021 were the most in a single season since 2007.
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Brown got his first coaching gig at UMass after graduating from the program. In 2003, he was the tight ends coach for the Minutemen, followed by stints at Sacred Heart and Delaware. The WVU head coach made his name at Troy, where he started as a wide receivers coach before becoming offensive coordinator in 2008.
Stops at Texas Tech and Kentucky came before a return to Troy as head coach, where his 35-16 record earned him national recognition and, ultimately, the West Virginia head coaching job. A player-led coach, Brown has implemented multiple schemes since arriving in Morgantown aimed at supporting the off-field development of the student-athletes in his care.
Offensive Coordinator, Chad Scott
A member of the West Virginia coaching staff since 2019, Chad Scott was promoted to offensive coordinator of the Mountaineers for the 2023 college football season. He’ll also continue in his role as the team’s run game coordinator and running backs coach.
Under Scott’s stewardship in 2022, C.J. Donaldson emerged as one of the top true freshman running backs in the nation before injury halted his ascent to stardom. Meanwhile, he coached Leddie Brown to consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns between 2020 and 2021.
A standout running back at North Carolina during his own college career, Scott also spent time in the NFL but returned to Chapel Hill in 2006 as a graduate assistant. His full college coaching résumé, which includes multiple stints alongside head coach Brown, can be found below.
- North Carolina (graduate assistant, 2006)
- Troy (RBs coach, 2007-2009)
- Texas Tech (RBs coach, 2010-2012)
- Kentucky (RBs coach, 2013-2014; run game coordinator, 2015-2016)
- North Carolina (TEs and hybrids coach, 2016-2018)
- Louisville (RBs coach, 2019)
- West Virginia (co-OC, RBs coach, 2019-2021; run game coordinator, RBs coach; 2022-2023; OC, 2023)
Defensive Coordinator, Jordan Lesley
Since arriving on the West Virginia coaching staff in 2019, Jordan Lesley has seen multiple quick promotions, which culminated in his appointment as defensive coordinator ahead of the 2021 college football campaign. He was originally hired as the defensive line coach, progressing to co-defensive coordinator in 2020. He also works with the Mountaineers’ outside LBs.
Under his tutelage, WVU’s defensive front has established itself as consistently one of the best in the Big 12. Lesley’s success stories at the program include Akheem Mesidor and Dante and Darius Stills — with the latter being the first WVU player to achieve consensus All-American status since 2006.
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Lesley joined head coach Brown in Morgantown after serving as his defensive line coach at Troy in 2018. A former captain of the Trojans as a two-year starting tight end, Lesley also got his first coaching role at Troy as a graduate assistant. His full college coaching résumé can be found below.
- Troy (graduate assistant, 2006)
- Kilgore College (LBs coach, 2007-2009)
- Northwest Mississippi CC (DL coach, 2010)
- Kilgore College (DC, 2011)
- Northwest Mississippi CC (DC, DL coach, 2012)
- East Mississippi CC (DC, 2013-2015)
- Troy (DTs coach, 2016-2017; DL coach, 2018)
- West Virginia (DL coach, 2019; co-DC, DL coach, 2020; DC, OLBs coach, 2021-2023)
Special Teams Coordinator, Jeff Koonz
In addition to his role as special teams coordinator, Jeff Koonz is also the ILBs coach for the Mountaineers. He joined the West Virginia coaching staff in 2020 and oversaw the success of kicker Casey Legg and punter Tyler Sumpter. He began coaching in 2004 as a grad assistant at Auburn and has worked with LB groups at Ole Miss, Texas, Cincinnati, North Texas, and Louisiana Tech.
Offensive Line Coach, Matt Moore
An experienced OL coach who played 34 games at left guard for Valdosta State, Matt Moore joined the West Virginia coaching staff in 2019. He was formerly the OL coach and offensive coordinator at Troy, with stops at MTSU, Texas Tech, and Louisiana Tech, in addition to a nine-year stint as a high school coach in Georgia and Alabama. Moore is also the assistant head coach.
Defensive Backs Coach, ShaDon Brown
ShaDon Brown has been a constant producer of defensive back groups that have ensured impressive statistical production. He joined the West Virginia coaching staff in 2021 as the DBs coach and co-defensive coordinator after working with the secondary at Louisville, Colorado, Army, and Wofford. He got his first role working with OLBs at the University of the Cumberlands in 2003.
Quarterbacks Coach, Sean Reagan
After spending the first 12 years of his coaching career at the high school level, Sean Reagan began coaching QBs at Troy in 2008. Other than a year at Texas Tech, he was with the Trojans for 11 years, working mainly with the QBs but spent 2018 as the co-offensive coordinator. He joined the West Virginia coaching staff as QB coach in 2019 but spent 2022 with the TE group.
Defensive Line Coach, Andrew Jackson
A productive defensive lineman as a three-year captain at LIU Post, Andrew Jackson got his first coaching role as a graduate assistant with his alma mater in 2013. In between stints with Stony Brook, Fordham, James Madison, and Old Dominion, Jackson sharpened his coaching toolset with Penn State and Mississippi State. He arrived in Morgantown from ODU in 2021.
Wide Receivers Coach, Bilal Marshall
A new appointment but an old face on the West Virginia coaching staff, Bilal Marshall returns to Morgantown for the 2023 college football season after a year as the WRs coach at VMI.
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This is his second stint after serving as a graduate assistant from 2020-2021. The former Purdue WR played in the CFL in 2017 before leading Champagnat HS to a state title as OC/WRs coach.
Tight Ends Coach, Blaine Stewart
Joining the West Virginia coaching staff for the 2023 season, Blaine Stewart has multiple ties to the Mountaineers. His father is former WVU head coach Bill Stewart, and he played at Charleston under former Mountaineer staffer Pat Kirkland. Stewart brings NFL experience to Morgantown after working with the Pittsburgh Steelers and at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Safeties Coach, Dontae Wright
After winning two MAC East titles with Miami (OH) as a linebacker, Dontae Wright transitioned to coaching with Kentucky in 2007. Although he’s worked with multiple position groups, he has coached the safety position since 2018. Prior to joining the West Virginia coaching staff in 2020, he spent two years at Western Michigan — his first full-time coaching role in the FBS.
