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Report: West Virginia expected to part ways with defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko10/29/24nickkosko59
USATSI_19094060 (1)
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia is expected to part ways with defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

WVU is currently the third worst scoring defense in the Big 12. Lesley was a Broyles Award nominee back in 2020 and ’21.

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Zenitz followed up and reported linebackers coach Jeff Koonz is set to be promoted to interim DC.

Lesley was in the middle of his sixth season at West Virginia. He started as the defensive line coach in 2019 before moving to DC duties the following season.

Prior to West Virginia, Lesley coached at Troy. From 2016-18, Troy’s defense allowed 20.8 points per game, ranking No. 4 nationally among non-power 5 schools. Three of Lesley’s defensive linemen were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team, including Trevon Saunders, who earned first-team honors. 

Prior to Troy, Lesley was the defensive coordinator at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Mississippi (2013-15), before serving two stints at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Mississippi.

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He also spent two stints at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, first as the linebackers coach from 2007-09, and as the defensive coordinator in 2011. He spent a year as a graduate assistant coach at Troy in 2006.

West Virginia did win Saturday, 31-26, over Arizona to improve to 4-4. Still, there were higher expectations for the the program and head coach Neal Brown addressed those earlier this month.

“I get that they want to win, but what I would say is, did they have a good time? You know what I mean? Like, did they enjoy it?” Brown said. “It was a pretty good atmosphere. I’m assuming they probably had a pretty good time tailgating.

“If they’re in the deal for enjoyment, then I would come back because I looked at the weather. It’s going to be nice again. It’s a night game. And so, and we need them to provide a home-field advantage. We need them.”