West Virginia Will Hire Jets Linebacker Coach Mike Smith, According To Report

West Virginia’s lost assistant coach commit Mike Smith, who’s reportedly again given the Jets his verbal after de-commiting from New York just weeks ago. He’s rated a three-star tweener by the major services.

Smith is just 30-years-old and played linebacker at Texas Tech while West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen was employed at that university. Interestingly enough, he had just accepted a promotion with the Jets. Smith was just an intern with the Jets this past season, but was promoted to outside linebackers coach to prevent him from taking the linebackers coach job at Washington State with his former coach Mike Leach. Said Washington State blog CougCenter, about that failed hire:

All indications are that this is a nice get for West Virginia and Holgorsen. Now they just need a defensive coordinator to go along with Smith.

For more on the parties involved, visit Oklahoma blog Crimson and Cream Machine and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket, plus Clemson blog Shakin’ the Southland.

A Venables exit would make further sense with Mike Stoops already returning as co-defensive coordinator, wouldn’t it?

He’d be the second coach in the state to leave to join Dana Holgorsen at WVU this month, following Oklahoma St. Cowboys associate head coach Joe DeForest, if he were to make the move to Morgantown.

While Casteel has a bio on the team’s website, there has not been an announcement or confirmation from the school. In fact West Virginia spokesperson Mike Montero would not confirm that Casteel had already quit to take the Arizona position. “As far as I know, he hasn’t taken a job anywhere,” Montoro told the Arizona Daily Star. “I haven’t been told anything. As far as I know, he’s still our defensive coordinator.”

Casteel had worked at West Virginia since the 2001 season, starting as the defensive line coach and taking over as the defensive coordinator in 2003. Casteel is known for using his 3-3-5 defensive scheme, which utilizes three down lineman and at least five defensive backs.