The West Virginia Mountaineers are still looking for a defensive coordinator, but they've pulled off what might be a coup with one of their position coaches. Per Bruce Feldman, West Virginia has hired New York Jets outside linebackers coach Mike Smith as their linebackers coach.
West Virginia To Hire Jets LB Coach Mike Smith
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:
New York Jets coaching intern Mike Smith was all set to take the linebackers coach job at Washington State, but will not be coming to Pullman. As the NFL season drew to a close for the Jets, the team made him an offer that will keep him in New York. Instead of coaching the linebackers in Pullman, he’ll be coaching the outside linebackers for the Jets. Smith is a rising star and I’d wondered if the Jets would try to keep him around.
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 Mountaineers, check out West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.
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