WVU Basketball Could Just Turn to Chester Frazier as Head Coach

WVU might not have to look far for its next basketball coach, with assistant Chester Frazier an early potential candidate for the opening.

Frazier, 38, has no head coaching experience but is already on staff and profiles as a future head coach, holding the associate head coach title with the Mountaineers this season. It also appears Frazier would have the support of the players and could be WVU’s one chance to keep its current momentum and keep the roster and recruiting class together.

The most logical thing to do would be to retain Chester Frazier who is over qualified to be the head coach

— john flowers (@jflow41) March 19, 2025

Sophomore Sencire Harris took to social media Tuesday night to throw his support behind Frazier, who he followed to WVU from Illinois last offseason. Center Amani Hansberry also followed Frazier from Illinois to WVU last year.

Before coming to WVU, Frazier was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Illinois. Fraizer said his motivation for coming to Morgantown was an opportunity to grow, potentially into a head coach.

“Very appreciative of my time at Illinois, obviously my alma mater,” Frazier said last year. “We had a great run. Two championships in three years and an Elite Eight run. I was looking for something to help me grow. Not to say I didn’t grow there, but having an opportunity to work with coach (Darian) DeVrires, who I regard as a really good basketball coach, an offensive mind. We’re a little more aligned offensively and defensively. And it’s closer to home for me.”

We want fraz!!!! https://t.co/4MqKCnMnLl

— Sencire Harris (@SencireH) March 19, 2025

A native of Baltimore, Md., Frazier spent three seasons at Illinois as an assistant coach. Before that, he was the associate head coach at Virginia Tech for two years. His first coaching gig was a seven-year run as an assistant coach at Kansas State under Bruce Weber.

Frazier is highly regarded as a recruiter, playing a big role in putting together WVU’s strong 2025 recruiting class, which has started to break up following DeVries’s departure. Frazier has also always been around successful programs. In his 13-year career so far, teams he’s helped coach have made eight NCAA Tournament appearances — WVU would have made it nine this season — and won three conference championships.

Working against Frazier’s chances, WVU athletic director Wren Baker has repeatedly said he prefers to hire people who have head coaching experience. The one exception to this was during the recent head football coach search, when Baker showed heavy interest in hiring Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has never been a head coach.

Managing editor Mike Asti’s note: WV Sports Now can also confirm Kotelnicki was a candidate for the WVU football job despite not having any head coach experience. While Baker tends to prefer head coach experience before awarding someone a big job like West Virginia, his interest in Kotelnicki could signal he’s willing to adjust that form of thinking for the right coach.