Rick Trickett Couldn’t Resist Return to West Virginia, ‘Pleased’ at OL’s Progress

Having just turned 78, no one would’ve blamed Rick Trickett if he retired. Whenever he does call it a career, he will go down as one of the greatest offensive line coaches in history.

However, as Trickett explained during his first talk with the media since his return to West Virginia was announced in late December, he just couldn’t resist the opportunity to return and do it one more time with his longtime friend Rich Rodriguez.

“I’m from West Virginia. After talking to coach, I felt like, I need to come back,” said Trickett when asked what prompted his latest return.

Knowing what Rodriguez expects and what “Hard Edge” is all about as well as anyone, Trickett also knows he’s tasked with coaching a revamped offensive line that needs to perform to a certain level for the offense to reach its potential.

To that end, Trickett did say he’s “pleased” with the progress of the current unit and that the group as a whole is ahead of where he thought it would be.

One of the longest tenured (52 years) and most accomplished offensive line coaches in the nation, Trickett is embarking on his third stint with the Mountaineers (1976-79, 2001-06) and third as a member of Rodriguez’s staff. He coached with Rodriguez at West Virginia (2001-06) and at Jacksonville State (2022-24).

“Rick and I have been in the trenches together for many years, and he knows our offense very well and what we need to do to be successful,” said Rodriguez about  binging Trickett back to West Virginia. “The experience he brings to our program will be invaluable, and I know that returning to his home state and WVU was an important factor for him.”

Trickett was at Jacksonville State since 2022, arriving when Rodriguez was hired by the Gamecocks. He, of course, was Rodriguez’s associate head coach and offensive line coach from 2001-2006.

Trickett also worked for another West Virginia native coaching legend, Jimbo Fisher, for 10 years at Florida State, which included being part of the 2013 national championship team.

Trickett’s son, Travis, made his own West Virginia return ahead of the 2025 season and still serves as a senior offensive assistant.

Find more coverage of the WVU Football program at WV Sports Now.

For a related story, Owen Schmitt shared a simple message about Rick Trickett as offensive line coach upon his hire.