Report: WVU Football to Hire Pair of Jacksonville State Assistants

Rich Rodriguez will be bringing a pair of offensive assistant coaches with him to WVU football, according to a report by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Rodriguez is reportedly hiring Jax State wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett and tight ends coach Michael Nysewander.

Garrett has worked with Rodriguez at three previous stops, Ole Miss (2019), Louisiana Monroe (2021) and Jacksonville State (2022-24). Garrett worked as the pass game coordinator at West Virginia State in 2020.

Nysewander has worked with Rodriguez for two seasons with the Gamecocks after serving as a senior analyst at Ole Miss for three years. As a player, Nysewander won three national championships as a tight end at Alabama.

Garrett and Nysewander are the second and third assistant coaches reported to be part of Rodriguez’s staff with the Mountaineers with Blaine Stewart said to be the only holdover from the previous staff. Stewart has worked at WVU for the past two seasons as tight ends coach. It is unclear what the position assignments would be split between Garrett, Nysewander and Stewart.

Another member of Rodriguez’s staff at Jacksonville State was reported to be heading to the Mountain State on Saturday, although not to join the Mountaineers. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rod Smith will reportedly be hired by Tony Gibson as the offensive coordinator at Marshall, according to a report by FootballScoop.

Smith served as the Gamecocks’ interim head coach in the Cure Bowl following Rodriguez’s departure. Smith played for Rodriguez at Glenville State from 1993-96 and followed him around several stops as a coach. Smith serves as quarterbacks coach under Rodriguez at WVU (2007), Michigan (2008-10) and Arizona (2012-17).

For a related story, Rich Rodriguez shares timeline to announce WVU football staff.