Breaking: Former WVU DC Jordan Lesley Arrested

Former West Virginia defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley was arrested early Saturday morning.

According to the WV Regional Jail & Correctional Facility Authority inmate registry, Lesley was booked in Monongalia County at the North Central Regional Jail at 4:40 a.m. Saturday morning on a misdemeanor.

Lesley was fired from his position as defensive coordinator with WVU on Oct. 29. The move cut ties with Lesley in the middle of his sixth season on the WVU staff.

He initially arrived in Morgantown along with head coach Neal Brown in 2019 as a defensive line coach. Lesley was then prompted to co-defensive coordinator in 2020 and the top defensive coordinator in 2021.

“Jordan has been a key part of my staff for almost a decade,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said in a statement at the time. “He is a good football coach and a great man. I know he will have much success moving forward, and we will do everything we can to help him on that journey.”

WVU’s defense under Lesley had regressed badly this season, contributing to the team’s disappointing 4-4 record at the time of his firing. In the Big 12, the Mountaineer defense ranked 14th in points per game (28.4), 13th in yards per game (382.5), 15th in passing yards per game (261) and last in opposing yards per attempt (9.3) and efficiency (162.0).

WVU promoted assistant coach Jeff Koonz to interim defensive coordinator following Lesley’s departure.

Koonz is in his fifth season at WVU, all as special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Koonz has one year of coordinator experience as a co-defensive coordinator for Cincinnati in 2016.

The Mountaineers are set to play on the road at Cincinnati today at noon.